Weight on Wednesday-8/28/2013

I was reading another blog, and the writer talks about her weight. Asking a women her weight is considered rude, but you're not asking. And I'm telling you my story.

When my husband and I joined a gym on February 14, 2005, I weighted about 135. Gosh, I would LOVE to see that number again. We started tracking calories, and I went to the gym 3 to 5 mornings a week. I was down to 127 pounds, and then got pregnant. We had two children in 2 years, and honestly I don't remember who much I weighted when I was pregnant.

In summer 2008, hubby and I joined Jenny Craig. His parents and his brother had both been on the program and had success, so he wanted to join in. I joined to support him, but I could also have stood to loose a little weight. I started that program at 157 and had a goal weight of 133. I got down to 133.5---so close! But we moved across the country, and things just kind of fell by the wayside. We did the long distance JC program, but it is just not the same as going to see someone face to face and having them see you on the scale.

In September 2009, we moved (again!), and did nothing. No plan, no prepacked diet foods, no religious exercising at the gym. Well, hubby did his morning exercise with his job, but I had no time for it! Two children still at home----I felt lucky to get to the gym on the weekends. so my weight went back up and plateaued at 153. Not bad, but not good.

So this month, BOTH children were finally enrolled in full day school. YEAH!!! My entire day just opened up! I can clean the house, run errands, take a shower, and exercise!

But exercise alone is not going to get my weight down.  When I lost weight with Jenny Craig, I was going to the gym ZERO times per week. I lost 20+ pound just by eating less. And earlier this month I had a friend saying she had lost weight using the My Fitness app. Well, I have that app as well, I guess by using it and tracking the calories, plus exercising, I could lose some of this weight. Well, here goes nothing.

So my starting weight at the beginning of August was 153. Today when I stepped onto the scale it was.....

148!!!

WAHOO!!!! How exciting is that?!?! Five pounds in one month!  And I can definitely tell a difference with my stomach being just a little less bloated looking! HAHA! I am not pregnant and no longer look that way!

So I am writing this post, and hope to keep it up on a weekly basis, of making my weight public. I figure this is a good way for accountability. 

And don't worry, I am not going to ask what you weigh.

Getting on all of my battle rattle

My husband is in the Army. And with each move we make, we have to store all of his Army gear. Our closet upstairs in the office has his uniforms (dress, ACUs, and PTs); a dresser in the bedroom has a zillion pairs of socks (white for PT, brown boot socks for work), and the storage closet in the garage has all of his battle rattle. You military wives know what I am talking about. For you others, here is what we have: helmet; goggles; various sizes of "back packs" ranging from small (assault pack) to full size (think two small children could fit into); hydration packs; boots; and other odds and ends that I cannot even begin to name or even describe.

I tell you this because as I was getting dressed the other day for a five mile run, I noticed just how much stuff I had to gather up from around the house to put in. Usually I store it all together, I cannot remember why it was scattered around the house. But the point being, running for me has turned into more than just a pair of shoes and some running clothes.

 My full outfit from head to toe.

Yeah, it might be a little too accessorized. Haha! Who am I kidding? The more the better, right? I promise there is a reason for everything on there, so here is the break down.

 Hat

I wear something on my head every day. No exceptions. I sweat WAY too much to not have something there. On super hot days I will wear a visor instead of a baseball cap. But I have not found a pair of sunglasses that fit me well, or that won't keep from fogging up. Or maybe I'm just too cheap and have not ventured any further than the Wal-Mart shopping rack for them.

 Sports bra, shirt, and ipod

This goes under the "well, DUH" file. A good sports bra is a must, and with my body so is a t-shirt. I recently had to make another shopping trip out for more bras. While the two I have are just awesome, I am sweating so much that I needed more bras in the rotation mix. (Sorry if that was TMI). And I have at least six different shirts, most of them freebies from races. Bonus! Shirt is another "DUH!" and my ipod is a "never leave home without it" item. I've tried running without, and listening to my breathing gasping for air is horrible. Let's drown that out and get motivated to move with a little Ozzy Osbourne.

 Handkerchief, Gymboss timer, Nathan belt, Sparkle Skirt

I know what you are thinking---HOW CUTE IS THAT SKIRT?? I know, it is super cute, comfortable to wear, and totally awesome pockets all over the place. There is a zipper pocket in the front, and one pocket on each of the shorts under the skirt. This is an awesome piece of clothing and the company makes all of their things in the USA. Even better is that my husband purchased it for me, after drooling over this skirt for two years. 

     The handkerchief is to supplement the hat. While I can catch some sweat that runs off my head, it also runs down the sides, drips down my noes, and the worse it when it gets into my eyes. Man that stings like a @#@@$%!!! So the handkerchief is an extra supplement.

     The Gymboss timer is like of like an ipad---it is not something you need, but once you have one you think "how did I live without this before?!?!" I used to use my Nike+ system, and do run/walk intervals based on mileage. So I was run .30 miles, walk for .05. But this is nice because it beeps and you can keep focusing on the road in front of you instead of looking down at your watch.  I currently have it set on 4 minutes run/1 minute walk, but I normally go with the 3/1 group on our Saturday morning runs. We'll see how long the 4/1 lasts. 

    The belt is great for days when I wear shorts, which have zero pockets. I have to carry this handkerchief, phone, and snacks (see below) and where am I to put all of that?

 

 Shoes and socks (tucked inside the shoe)

The essentials for running: a good pair of shoes and non-cotton socks. Because in the running world "cotton is rotten". Eww, my feet heat up and pulling cotton socks off is just horrible! Spend the few extra $$$$ on a nicer pair of socks.  And not pictured is the Nike+ sensor that connects to the sports bracelet. This lets me have a lot of information after my run, including how far I ran, the pace, how long (time), and total calories burned. I never run without it!

Snacks, Road ID, and Nike+ Sportsband

I usually only take the snacks on long runs, meaning six miles or longer. Since this is my first half-marathon, I went to Fleet Feet and bought a little of everything. I bought some GUs, a package of these Honey Strings, some sports Jelly Beans, and another package of gummy type snacks. (Obviously I was unimpressed with that last once since I cannot remember the name). These Honey Stingers are my favorite! This particular flavor is Cherry Blossom, which tastes similar to cherry cough medicine, and for some twisted reason, I really, really like it. But it is a nice, portable snack to keep me energized on my run.
   The yellow bracelet is a LiveStrong bracelet, but the silver piece on there is a RoadID.  I have never run with a piece of identification before, never really thought it was that important. But the more I thought of it, the more sense it made. So I ordered one with my name, spouse's cell number, mom's home number, and the name of my insurance company. Pretty inexpensive for such an important piece to be wearing. The bracelet that originally came with it was a little too small for my taste, I like the bracelet to be a little looser, which is why I switched it over to the LS bracelet.
   And my FINAL piece of battle rattle is my Nike+ sportsband. With the hidden sensor in my shoes, this piece of equipment tracks all the stats of my run: distance, pace, total time run, and calories. Since I am such a Type A person, I **love** this! And I especially love it when things pop up in the program like "longest run ever". Go me!

So there you go. When I go for a run, I don't dress for a run. I dress to attack the road in front of me.

Training sessions

For my first half marathon, I did a lot of research about training plans. I had to find one to fit my schedule, and the hardest part was finding one where I could do a long run on Friday. I know I could have adjusted what ever plan I found and settled on. But I hate making silly adjustments.

The other thing I needed was accountability. Following something on paper is one thing. But if there is no one there poking or proving you about your training, it is easy to let it slide. And when my husband asks about it over mail, it is oh so easy to say, "yes, I went running today!" When in real life I went to the Starbucks drive thru. I needed a real life person to report to.

My solution was a but pricy, but so worth it. I signed up for a training session with Fleet Feet in Brentwood. It is a little less structured than what I had originally thought it would be. But for the $85 I know I will show up. Heck, I am paying THEM so I can show up. How crazy is that psychology? But whatever, it works.

Each Saturday morning we meet at a designated place, and we run. Nothing too structured. The fastest people go out first, the turtles like me go out last. I am currently running with the 3:1 group. Meaning we run for three minutes and then walk for one. I might not be the fastest person there, but that is certainly not my goal. My goal for this HM is to just finish. Finishing in less than 2:30:00 would be awesome, but right now I just want to finish.

I do like the group and the plan that our coach set out. It is only two days a week and with my CrossFit it fits in perfectly with the kids and their school schedule. I think there is only one week where I will have to do CF and a run in one day. I think my only complaint is there are no pacers. For example, instead of Coach saying, "ok, everyone who has a 10 minute pace, head out the door!", she would say, "if you are training for an 11 minute pace, follow James out the door and run with him!" But whatever.

This coming Saturday we run seven miles, which will be the longest I have ever run. And while I might hate running while I am actually DOING it, I do love the sense of accomplishment that I have after I have completed it. 

"I just ran seven miles this Saturday morning. What have you accomplished before 10am?" 

My new workout routine

You want to know what I have really been doing for my workouts? 

That's right. Crossfit. I have joined that crazy kettlebell swinging, weight lifting, insane workout craze.  Ok, maybe it's not a "craze", but I have to say I have drunk the kool-aid and it. is. AWESOME!!

Running is great for me. It is helping me build endurance and stamina, which is awesome for keeping up with my two very energetic children. But I know that lifting weights is also great for your body.  My husband tells me that after lifting you body still burns calories, whereas with running, you only burn those calories when you are doing the exercise. 

So I had a weight lifting routine at the gym. Bicept curls, hammer curls, overhead press, leg press, calf raises....and it just got to be soooooo boring. I could go through the movements half-awake if I wanted to.

I signed up for the box (Crossfit's language for "gym") and their OnRamp class, which is a beginner's course of what they do, and several of the moves you need to know. And since April I have been going three times a week.  It's great! I have progressed a little bit, not as much as I would like.  Maybe after my husband's schedule gets back to normal I can do it four or five days a week. Yesterday's workout was 30 pullups, 30 overhead press and a 200 meter run. Three times. Yeah, once is hard enough, but try it three times.  The workouts are short, I don't think we ever go over 20 minutes. But they are intense and you are dripping with sweat just a few minutes into it. And each workout is different.  Rarely will you ever do the same workout, and if you do it is because the instructors are trying to show you how far you have come. 

You can get more information here, but if you follow these workouts you need to scale it to what you can do. Trust me, every workout at my box I scale. There is no way I could deadlift 150 pounds (I'm up to 85 pounds), and my abs are not strong enough for getting my toes to the bar, so I do those lying down.

I would suggest to anyone to try Crossfit, because it gives you a community feeling where everyone is cheering on each other, and it gives you a variety of workouts. It will push to new levels, and you will do things you never thought you could.

It. is. AWESOME!

Crawling back from under a rock

I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so, so sorry. I know, I give you BIG news that I signed up for a half-marathon (HM) and then.....nothing. For almost five months. And for that, I am deeply sorry. :(

There has been a lot going on in my family life, and for those of you who are personal friends with me, you know what I am talking about. For others, let me just say that I am now single parenting, and thus my free time to go running, or do anything by myself--like shower, or grocery shop, or pay bills.  You get the general idea.  So running has taken a deep, deep nosedive. Ok, maybe not that drastic, maybe just a walk off a very high cliff.  And I know that with the HM in just three short months, I need to kick things in high gear.

What's my plan? To go on vacation!! Seriously, next week I am headed on vacation with the kids and my parents. So I am REALLY hoping that my parents understand that at least three days a week I am going to need some time to myself for a run.

Step two of the plan is to run a 5k. I can already hear the question forming in your mind. "What is she thinking? She has run maybe twice in three months? WHY is she running a 5k?" The answer is simple, and is it this: I need a baseline. This particular 5k I ran three years ago and is my PR for my 5k, which is 33:24. I need to know where is the beginning so that as I am training I know where I started and how I am progressing. That, and I needed a place to wear the new Sparkle Skirt my husband bought me for our anniversary. (More on that in a later post)

The last step to my master plan on training for the HM is to train with Fleet Feet-Brentwood.  They have a training group specifically for the Women's Half-Marathon. And I took the plunge and signed up. With my parent's "permission", since they will be kiddo watchers while I go for these training sessions.  There goes my Saturday mornings.  We run every Saturday for about 10 weeks at 7am. Not that my children allow me to sleep in (the oldest one likes to get up at 6am on Saturdays in June--ugh!), but the weekly trip to Brentwood is going to be exhausting. Of course, so is running a HM.....

So there you have it. My apologies for dropping of the face of the Earth, and my plan to get this race checked off my bucket list.  In my next posting I'll have to tell you what I HAVE been doing for exercise.

What have I done????

Oh, no.  What have I done??

Since starting my running program, I have been thinking about doing a half-marathon.  I am a big Tennessee football fan, so my dream race is in Knoxville, finishing on the fifty yard line of Neyland Stadium. But I have heard that is a really hilly course, so I need to find something a little easier.

Nashville plays hosts to two major races a year: the St. Jude's Country Music Marathon in April, and the Women's Half-Marathon in September.  I also looked at traveling to a race and thinking about doing the Walt Disney World Wine and Dine Race.  You run it at 10:00pm, which means it will be cooler than daytime races.  But I have also heard that Disney races are really crowded, but the thought of celebrating with wine was also very appealing. :)  But the cost of traveling and staying there was just a bit too much for me at this point.  Maybe in a few more years....

So on Monday, I crossed my fingers and toes as I pushed the "enter" button and finalized my registration for the September race. I have eight months to advance from running less than 2 miles (doing the run/walk method) to running 13.1 miles. Lord help me!

One barrier broken

Today I started week 4 of Couch to 5k. And again, I thought I was going....to.....die.....  Here is what is set out for all three days this week:

• 5 minute warm up (I usually do walking set at 4.0 mph on the treadmill)
• 3 minute run
• 90 seconds walking
• 5 minute run
• 2.5 minutes walking
• 3 minute running
• 90 second walking
• 5 minutes running

I clocked this workout with my Nike+, but did not start it until after I had finished the warm up.  With the warm up, my time is usually around a 12:20-12:45 mile.  Here is what I completed today, again, without the first 5 minutes of walking

Miles Total Time min/mile 1.88 21:23 11:21 Yeah!!!  Under a 12 minute mile!!  Super excited about this!   Now to break the 11 minute barrier!!