Weight on Wednesday- 9/18 & 9/25

I missed last week's post, so I thought I would double up with this week's weigh in. And it was pretty simple since I seem to holding consistent at 148. It's kind of frustrating to be staying the same, and I think what I need to do is a HIIT. HIIT is a High Intensity Interval Training. I am itching to do one, but with my half marathon now only 48 hours away, I am trying to keep things low key this week. I have found a few speed workouts for my other upcoming races which I am anxious to try, and hopefully I can get to those next week. But in order to lose these last five pounds (famous words every woman has uttered), I need to kick it up a notch.

Weight on Wednesday-09/11/2013

I know, I know. I'm a day late on this. Crazy life just got in the way of posting. But here it is for this week.

148.5

Ugh. One-half pound up from last week, but I am certainly not going to stress out over this. First off, I ran 10 miles last Saturday. TEN MILES! My first time ever to do that, and to date my longest run. And while I ran ten miles, I did not count calories at all the entire weekend. I got into the mind set "I just ran 10 miles, I can eat anything I want", which I know can become a downfall. So I think there were no My Fitness Pal log ins for three days.

Second, when I stepped on the scale this morning, it read 147.5. Victory will be mine! HAHAHA! So once I do start watching what I eat, and exercise accordingly, I know that I can control my weight.

But here is my biggest victory for last week. I retired my size 10 pair of shorts! YIPPIE!!  When I got dressed on Tuesday afternoon, I noticed that those shorts were really, really lose. So I dug through our Rubbermaid containers that hold out winter clothes, as well as summer clothes that were at one point too small, but I did not want to get rid of them. I pulled out two pairs of shorts, and a favorite pair of pants.  I tried on the shorts first, size six---and........THEY FIT! A bit tighter than what I have been wearing, but totally wearable in public. And if they are snug, that means they show off my new, slimmer body better, right?  The pants are from Gap and they are a size four. They fit, they zip, and I can even sit down in them! But I think I am going hold off until I lose a few more pounds before bringing those pants back out into the light.

So my new goal for the winter, other than losing more weight and then maintaining a slimmer body, is to greet my husband at his homecoming in skinny jeans.

My longest race yet

A few weeks ago I looked ahead on my training calendar for my half marathon training. Here is how things read:

Saturday, August 31-Run 6 miles with Fleet Feet
Monday, September 2-Run 5 miles (training, so this is solo)

And as I was stalking browsing the Fleet Feet calendar page, I came upon a 10k race that was happening on Labor Day. FF was sponsoring the event, and they had a team in as well. I thought, "Well, 10k is around 6 miles. What the heck? What is another mile that day anyway?"  So I registered for the Franklin Classic Race. It was to be my first 10k and my longest race to date. YEAH for taking the plunge, right?

On race day my parents, kiddos and I all got up early to get to downtown Franklin in time. We arrived about 30 minutes before the race. We went our separate ways (the bouncy houses were way more appealing to the children), but it was nice after the race started to see them cheering me on! I even high-fived my youngest son and my dad!

I will say that the 10k race, even though it was roughly the same distance as the run two days before, was easier in some ways, hard in others. Let me tell you about the first six-miler of the weekend.

When I packed for the weekend, the thought ran through my head (no pun intended), "Wow, this is ONLY a six mile run. It should be easy, I don't need to pack my fuel belt." Boy, was I WRONG! It was hot and humid and miserable. Now I know, in this heat, anything longer than a four mile run gets the fuel belt. I will also say there is something about running in a social group. There are about 4 or 5 of us that try to run together, our own little group, but during the run we tend to lose runners a little at a time. One will drift back around mile 3, another one a few minutes later, and so on. So when I am coming to the end of the run, at least this time, I was the first one in. So personally it was a confidence booster to be the fastest in my group this week! YIPPIE!!  But it is also nice to chat with other, teach them things about the Army and military life they would not know, get talking with other adults is a nice change of pace.

Monday's race was dramatically different. Still no fuel belt, but there were more water stops along the route. The beginning of the race I probably went out a little faster than I wanted, so I slowed it down a bit. And kept running. And running. And running. I ran 1.5 miles before I stopped and needed a walking break. Now this is significant for several reasons. First, I think it was the first time I had EVER run a mile without stopping. And second, on our Saturday runs I am usually doing 3/1 intervals (3 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking, and repeat). I was so proud of myself!  I walked a few minutes, and tried to repeat this process.  The next walking break was a little sooner, but it was definitely a longer run than 3 minutes.

The course was pretty enjoyable. It started in historic downtown Franklin, and ran through some nice shady streets (and "shady"  hear means tree-covered streets, not "shady" as in "not a good part of town"). We turned a corner and entered into a city park, and passed through a middle school parking lot. At this point I saw a down hill, and thought "Awesome!  This 10k is not too bad." Wrong answer.

After this down hill, we turned left onto Del Rio Pike. Oh.....no......you know a feeling of dread when you see what is before you? Yeah, well that hit. Hard. There was a hill. Two of them. Actually, it was more of a mini-mountain. But since this part of the route was an out-and-back, it was more like four hills instead of two. And let me tell ya, it sucked. Big time! There was some walking, but I was not the only one. And when we finally got through those and back to  a water stop, there was another hill! It was a more gradual incline than those two (or four) mountains I had just tackled, but still...it was rough.

The last few miles, from what I remember of it, went through more neighborhoods and back into historic downtown Franklin. The energy from the spectators along the route at the end was uplifting, and according to the little runner on my Nike+ system my speed shot straight up at the end. My family missed me crossing the finish line, but they found me later and congratulated me.

There were awards that day, none that I received. But I felt like a winner for my longest race and my longest distance without a walking break. No medals for things like that, and that is ok by me.

Weight on Wednesday-9/4/2013

Today's number is......

148!

No real change from last week, but I would actually count that as a win. Even though I ran two six-mile runs this weekend, my mom bought evil into the house--Krispy Kreme Donuts. Have you ever met a person who could only eat one of those? Yeah, me neither. So even though I ran a lot (and burned off a lot), I also had a lot of treats as well.

Also, this morning when I first stepped on the scale it read 148.5. But after my 3 mile run, it read 147.5. So the average is 148.

Not going down, but not going up either.

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?"