From Fat to Fit

Proud Mom

2009-06-02T15:03:00.005-05:00

My daughter, Maddy, was asked to be on the tournament team for softball. She has worked hard and has improved a lot from last year. She is showing some promise as a pitcher but she also is doing really well with her fielding. We need to work on her batting but that will come in time. We watched a professional women's softball game last weekend. It motivated her.

That is all for now... I am just so proud of her...

LaCrosse 1/2 marathon results

2009-05-28T16:02:00.003-05:00

Okay, sorry. It has been almost 4 weeks since I ran the 1/2 marathon in LaCrosse. Life has just been, you know, busy. Like busy with kid stuff and no time for mom to do her stuff.

The 1/2 marathon was a lot of fun. It was a great course and the weather could not have been any more perfect. I was doing really well until mile 10. I was actually ahead of my target. I did not go into this race with high expectations - I just wanted to finish. If you recall 6 weeks prior to the race I was told by the Dr. that I would not be able to run this due to a stress fracture.

So, back to my story... Collin and I ran the first 3 miles together and then I had to let him go. I could not keep up with him anymore and had to take a short walk and did not want to hold him up. We said our good byes and off he went. I had him in my sights until around mile 6 and then I never saw him again. At mile 6 I saw my kids and that was just awesome and I was feeling fabulous at that point. So I kept plugging along and surprisingly never had the mental demons that I expected - they usually pop up around mile 6. At mile 10, my body decided to crap out on me. My right calf cramped up and I had to stop and stretch a bit. It was more than just a little cramp - it was a stop right here missy do not take another step cramp. So I stopped and stretched and walked for about 200 yds. I started to run again and it felt okay but I had to take it a little slower. Mile 11 was my disaster mile... major cramping and at one point I was almost in tears leaning against a street sign. A volunteer asked if I wanted a medic and I declined and continued to stretch... but it did not help. I had to walk most of that mile and my pace was about 15:3... so there goes my great first 1/2 marathon time.

I know now that I was dehydrated... as I said earlier, this was a great race and my only complaint was there were not enough water stops... only 5 for the entire 1/2 marathon. So at mile 11 I took on 2 glasses of gatorade and some pretzel rods... that was a big fail. I just kept telling myself "keep one foot in front of the other, don't stop, keep moving" Mile 12 came and went with a lot of walking and some 25 - 50 yd run attempts. Mile 13 was almost unbearable but dammit, I was not going to walk across that finish line.

I finished as strong as I could and crossed the finish line at 2:44:08. 653 out of 705 runners so I was not last. 48th out of 54 in my age group. I am happy with this. I know I could have easily finished around 2:20 or 2:25 but I will save that for another race.

Yeah, I think I will do another one. We are thinking about the Vegas 1/2 marathon in December.

Crazy Legs this weekend

2009-04-21T10:45:00.002-05:00

This Saturday is the 28th annual Crazy Legs race in Madison. My foot continues to feel good so I am going to run the 5 mile race. I hope the weather improves because today it is cold, raining, and yes, snowing.

Busy weekend as my son makes his first communion on Sunday and we will have a houseful of family.

Next Sunday 5/3, is the LaCrosse Marathon and I have decided I will run the 1/2 but have accepted the fact that my time will not be great. My plan is to run as much as I can and walk through each water stop to have water and nutrition. I will probably hit the mental wall around mile 8 or 9 and will just have to get through it. Losing 3 weeks of training has sucked, but nothing I can do about it.

I will finish and cross the finish line....

No pain

2009-04-11T21:03:00.002-05:00

I went out this morning and ran 3 miles to test my foot. No pain at all.... I was very happy. I could have ran 5 but decided not to push my luck. I took it easy and did not try to push it. I did 3 miles at an 11:20 pace. Not bad since I have been off for 3 weeks doing nothing. It helps to listen to your body sometimes... and I guess the Dr's.

Anyway... very happy... I really want to do the 1/2 marathon on 5/3, even if I have to walk a portion of it.

Ta Ta for now...

Last 3 weeks

2009-04-10T20:28:00.004-05:00

It has been away since I have been to blog land. Life has been busy and I still spend too much time on Facebook.

3 weeks ago I was out for an 8 mile run and my foot started hurting - bad. I finished my run and the next day could barely walk on it. Went in to urgent care where they x-rayed my foot and told me I had a stress fracture. They put me in a boot and told me Crazy Legs and my 1/2 marathon on 5/3 were probably not going to happen. I was pissed... all of my training down the crapper.

So that was 3 weeks ago. I did my time in the boot and my foot is feeling better. I am going to go out tomorrow and try to run. Not far, but I have to try it. If it hurts I will stop. I would still like to do Crazy Legs but not getting my hopes up. I really still want to do the 1/2 marathon on 5/3 in LaCrosse. My training plan has been interrupted and my time will not be what I wanted, but I want to do it.

Why? Because I will never do this again. I have accepted the fact that Long Distance and I are not a good match and that we will be better of as "just friends". I will stick to 5K's and 10K's - we are a better match.

I have my new bike... I have decided her name is "Rhoda" (thanks Kelli W) and her and I will begin our maiden voyage on the road very soon. My pedals have arrived and now Collin just needs to slap em on her and I will need to learn how to use them. I can't wait.

I am a little nervous and don't know how far out into the country I will be willing to go by myself. My sister was hit by a car from behind on her bike 2 weeks ago in TX. She has 3 compression fractures in her back, broken pelvic, sacrum, and butt bone (not sure what that is) and some nasty road rash and a gash in her calf that required stitches. She was very lucky.... she is still in the hospital and has a long road a head of her. She proudly walked about 50 ft yesterday with a walker. Each day she is improving.

So.... this girl is a little nervous to go out on a open road and may just stick with some trails for now.

That is all for now. Happy Easter to all, Happy Training to all, and BE SAFE...

Week 10 of 16 for 1/2 marathon training

2009-03-18T21:37:00.003-05:00

It is week 10 of my 1/2 marathon training. 6 more weeks to go until the big day. It is great to finally be running outside. I need to be outside getting used to the elements - namely the damn wind. The only wind you get on the dreadmill is from the itsy, bitsy, teenie, tiny fan (tribute to Roseanne Roseanna Danna) and that ain't much.

Last Saturday Collin and I took off for a 7 and 10 mile run (I had 7 miles). He was kind enough to run the first 7 miles with me because he knew it would be a killer for me. The first 4 miles went great, mile 5 was okay, 6 and 7 pretty much sucked big time. There are a lot of hills on our route and with each one we were running into the wind. Damn wind... hmpf. After mile 5 I told Collin to go on without me that I would be okay, but he would not do it. Somewhere between mile 5 and 6 we were running up a hill - did I mention into the wind?... I had my head down because if I looked to the top of the hill I was going to die. My head is down and I am telling myself to suck it up and get up the hill all the while thinking I was running as fast I could ... I happened to look over at Collin.... ready for this?.... he was walking beside me... yes walking. In my mind I was running but it was so slow that he could not even run that slow so he had to walk. I had to laugh, what else was there to do? I still laugh when I think about it. Finally, he decided he just needed to run in front of me and wait for me at the top of the hills - thank God.

Finished that painful run in just under 12 minutes and it was great and humbling at the same time to run outside. I have decided that the dreadmill is so much easier because you don't have hills (unless you want them) or wind to hold you back. But I will take the outdoors anyday.

15 miles for the week and a day to rest.

Week 10 started on Monday and I had an easy run of 2 miles. It went great as I had recovered from my run from Saturday. 2 miles in 22 minutes - 11 minute miles.

Today was another 7 mile day but I would be doing this one alone. I went out in the morning because the wind was only whipping at 6 mph and there was a threat of rain for the afternoon and I did not want to end up on the dreadmill. I was worried about being beat mentally but it actually went better than expected. I only had to run up 2 hills with the wind in my face - bonus compared to last Saturday. I also took Collin's advice and had better nutrition before and during my run. Ate a strawberry-bananna gel before the run, plenty of fluids the first 3 miles, a couple of orange shot blocs in between mile 3 and 4 and apple pie gel at mile 5.5 plus fluids. This helped a lot. Finished 7 miles today in 1 hour 20 minutes for an avg of 11:29 minute miles - I cut off some time from last Saturdays run so I was happy.

I also bought a new pair of superfeet inserts over the weekend. For the last 2 weeks my arches had been hurting me again and I was worried my plantar fasciitis was coming back. My arches hurt so bad during my run Saturday that I was afraid that I had done it again. I ran Monday and today with my new inserts and am happy to say I am pain free again.

Superfeet are worth every penny.. I swear by them. If you have any problems with your arches, especially plantar fasciitis, these will help you. They are way cheaper than orthotics from a podiatrist.

So, that is it for my training reports for week 9 and week 10. My long run on Saturday is 8 miles and hopefully the weather will hold out and I can be outside again.

New Bike

2009-03-02T15:49:00.004-06:00

Collin and I were out doing some errands yesterday. We were wanting to stock up on some gels and were hitting the bike shops. It is not a great time to be looking for gels, we went to 3 bike shops and they did not have any. So I decided to look at road bikes and find out what size I needed. So about an hour later I walked out with this beauty. See this link for the components.

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/model-9RWA7T.html I do have tiagra shifters and brakes which is an upgrade from the specs. I am also going to add clipless pedals and will probably change the tape out for black. The bike had a white seat so the white wrap looked good, but I wanted a different seat an all they had was black. I will also be adding bottle cages and will be taking off the reflectors.

I want to start riding this year. If I like it and can get into it, I want to try to do a sprint tri sometime this summer. I need to something more than just run.

Week 7 of training for the 1/2 marathon was brutal. Monday and Wednesday were too horrible run days. I had problems with leg pain and cramping both days. Was not looking forward to my 7 miles on the treadmill on Saturday. But I am happy to report that the long run went really well. No pain at all in my knees and no cramping at all. I completed 7 miles in exactly 77 minutes so I averaged an 11 minute mile. Not bad. So I ended week 7 with a total of 14 miles.

This weather needs to break. I want to get my bike out on the open roads. For right now I am putting her on the trainer to break her and I in. I am not looking foward to the soreness on the old butt that comes with starting to ride again. I may have to sit on a pillow.. ha ha.

Hump Day!!!

2009-02-25T12:55:00.005-06:00

Nothing real exciting to write about today. Had a terrible 3 mile run on Monday - just not a good run day - it happens sometimes. I am trying to forget about it because I have to run 5 miles tonight and I am not really motivated to do it because of Monday. I hurt Monday, could not get into a good comfortable pace and my right leg kept cramping. I did not think I would ever finish. Very frustrating coming off of a good run on Saturday. But it happens, so I need to get over it.

A new week

2009-02-23T09:40:00.003-06:00

It is a new week and I am going to try to keep a positive attitude toward my workouts this week. We have 6 inches of new snow from the weekend and today it is cold. The rest of the week is not looking promising weather wise either. Cold, rain and some snow.

Looks like I will be doing my 14 miles this week on the dreadmill. Stay positive and just do it. I am also going to do some interval training on the elliptical along with weight training on my off running days. Different muscles will be worked so I am prepared to deal with the good yet painful soreness in muscles I forgot I had. Nothing better than a little Aleve to get you through the week.

Old Man Winter is back...

2009-02-21T17:37:00.003-06:00

Woke up this morning to about 4-5 inches of snow. Damn. All of our snow was almost gone. I am hoping the weather man is right and next week it will warm up, rain and melt this crap. I really need to start running outside. I can't take the treadmill much longer since my miles are increasing now. Those couple of days of running outside made me want Spring to come that much sooner.

I finished week 6 of my training - only 10 more weeks. Monday was an easy 2 mile run (funny how now 2 miles are easy) Wed. was 5 miles and today was 6 miles. I finished my 6 miles today at 65 mins and some odd seconds - 2 minutes faster than last Saturday. I am slowing chipping away at the minutes - just a little under 11 min miles. God, what would not give to be able to run a 10 min mile in the near future - please? I will keep working at it and maybe, just maybe, someday I will surprise myself.

After doing some research over the last couple of weeks I have decided that in order to lose the weight I want to lose, I need to incorporate some interval training and weights into my weekly routine. Everything I read and a couple of trainers I have talked to say it is tough to lose weight while doing long runs. Interval training on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical is definately what will help take the weight off along with weight training. So, that is it, on my off days I will do 30 minutes of interval training on the elliptical - I don't want to do the dreadmill because I don't want to get hurt - I don't think my knees can take that kind of beating. After my interval training I would like to do at least 30 minutes of weight training. I hope to see some weight come off. Basically, I am looking at 6 days of training and 1 off day which will be Sundays.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this plan will work for me. Only 11 weeks until the 1/2 marathon and I would like to lose 10 lbs.

lean cuisine

2009-02-18T14:32:00.000-06:00

Week in review

2009-02-15T14:04:00.003-06:00

This week started off with a bang.... meaning I wanted to shoot Select Comfort. We purchased a sleep number bed and it arrived on Monday. We excitedly put it together and went to bed. I woke up in the morning looking up at Collin... WTF??? My side did not hold the air and I was flat. In the end all is good... we called Select Comfort and they sent us a new mattress overnight. It is working just fine and so far I like it.

My training went well this week. 2 miles, 5 miles, and 6 miles.... all on the dreadmill as we got some cold and windy weather this week. Collin and I ran together at the Y yesterday and I was so excited to finish my 6 mile run that I let out a rather loud "Whoo Hoo" at the end. I finished my 6 mile run in 67 minutes and only 3 minutes slower than hubby. This was officially my second longest run since I started running (my first leg of Ragnar last year was 9.5 miles) so I am rather happy. My knees were hurting pretty bad last night but I woke up this morning feeling great. Another good sign that I am getting into shape for the 1/2 marathon.

Today is a rest day for me and tomorrow starts another 13 mile week. 5 weeks of training down and only 11 to go. I just want the weather to improve again so I can do more of my runs outside.

Training update

2009-02-12T13:36:00.002-06:00

I went to the Y this morning and did a 5 mile run on the dreadmill. It actually went really well. I finished in 55.40 minutes. My training plan called for a tempo run where I was supposed to run 3 miles at 10.17 min/miles. I did not accomplish that but I came close. I also included some interval runs in the last mile. It was a great run for being on the treadmill.

Last Saturday the weather was beautiful... it was 45 degrees with a little wind. Collin and I took off in the morning for a nice 5 mile run together. I needed him with me to motivate me and he did not let me down. He pushed me on some hills and also pushed me to run a little bit farther when I wanted to walk. We did 5 miles in 60 minutes. I had some problems with my hamstrings cramping but other than that it went well. It felt good to run outside but my body was sore the rest of the day. My knees needed some TLC so I iced them for about an hour and then they were good. My butt and my hips were a little sore too - it sure is different running outside, but that is my preference.

I really get tired of running alone. Now that my miles are increasing it is nice to have a running partner. I don't mind doing 3 miles alone. I wish I could find someone to run my long runs with. The problem is that I am not really fast... I avg about an 11 or 12 minute mile.

So we got a taste of what spring is going to be like. It was great while it lasted. Today it is turning cold and windy again and they are saying maybe some snow tonight. April can't get here soon enough.

Deep Water Fitness

2009-02-04T16:46:00.003-06:00

I tried a new class last night at the Y - Deep water fitness. I loved it. I ran my scheduled 2 miles on the dreadmill and then off to the Y. You wear a flotation belt around your wast and you basically run in the water for 60 minutes while doing different things with your arms. In the end there is some ab work too. A very good all over body workout. I used to do a body pump class which is weight lifting to music and I really like it. But my instructor left the Y and I left the class because the new instructors are horrible and I cannot tolerate horrible when I am working out.

I will continue to do this 3 days a week - T, TH, and either Sat or Sunday depending on which day I make my long run day. If I still like it in a couple of weeks I am going to by special shoes that will give me more resistance in the water. I think this burned about 800+ calories but it felt like more than that... I was exhausted in a good way. It is great to go workout and have that feel good feeling... it is what keeps you going back.

Our new scale

2009-02-03T11:56:00.006-06:00

Well it arrived yesterday. Our shiny, new, does everything but talk to you scale. If it talked it would have already been thrown out the window. If I were in better shape I would even call it neat. It tells me my weight, body fat %, BMI, resting metabolism, skeltal muscle, and visceral fat. Let me just say I have a long way to go to be even close to where I envision myself. The only good news was my visceral fat - everything looks good around my organs.

This is how my morning went. Wake up, get the kids up, off to the shower (so far so good), get out of the shower, hop on the scale.... that is when my day went from good to crap. I knew it was not going to be good news, but I did not expect the results that I got. I know I am almost 43 and that after I was finished with my child bearing years I did not do much to get back into shape. I became lazy in the workout department. That is my fault.

The frustrating and somewhat depressing part for me is that I am trying so hard to get back into shape. I run 3X a week and have changed my eating habits and I really thought I would see a payoff. It is not happening. I feel better and my hubby tells me he is seeing a difference, but that damn shiny, new scale is not showing me the results I want. Hmpf!!

Wake up call.... I obviously have to do more than what I am doing. I need to get back to what I was doing last year and that is going to the YMCA and doing more on my off running days. Tonight I am going to try deep water exercise. I am thinking of getting a personal trainer, but they are very spendy. So I have decided I will do more at the Y on my off days - doing my DVD's at home is not enough. I do better in a group because I am competitive and I will not quit even when I want to. At home, with no one to make me accountable, I quit sometimes - even if it is only for a minute.

With a lot of hard work I will get there. My goal is 15 lbs by 5/3 for the 1/2 marathon and then I will continue after that for a total weight loss goal of 40 - 50 lbs by the end of the year. I am not going to get caught up into the routine of getting on this scale everyday.. probably once a week for now.

Week 3 success

2009-02-01T19:47:00.002-06:00

Yeah for me!! I successfully finished my 3rd week of 1/2 marathon training. 9 miles for the week and today I ran my 4 miles outside. Except for some icy sidewalks and fancy footwork off the curb it went well.

It really irritates me when people do not shovel their sidewalks. We have had 2 beautiful days in a row and you would think that at least one adult could get out there and FINALLY clear off their sidewalks. I think I am going to take my dog for a walk and hope she craps in their yard. Mean, disrespectful? Maybe... okay, yes it is. But it is not only LAZY to not shovel your sidewalk, it is against the law. I am thinking of taking my little notepad and writing down addresses and giving them to the police. We have not had snow for weeks and these people deserve a ticket after all of this time. Because if I fall, they better watch out... hmpf.

My only body complaint is my right knee is a little sore but nothing terrible. This weeks runs will be 2,3, and 5. The weather is going to get cold again so will probably be doing the dreadmill again. I hope the weather is better by the weekend - I would really like to do my long run outside.

Keeping Warm

2009-01-27T23:26:00.002-06:00

Week 2 is done and crossed off

2009-01-25T21:14:00.002-06:00

I just completed week 2 of my 1/2 marathon training. It went well except for the fact that I have not had any weight loss. I know it will come, but it sucks when you are working so hard and then you get on the scale and nothing, zip, nadda. Dammit!!!

I did my long run tonight of 3 miles in 35:40. I am not going to break any speed records but I am not fast, never have been and probably never will be. I was supposed to run 12 min miles and I did - good enough for me.

It went better than I thought it would so I am a happy girl tonight. 7 miles for the week along with cross training to my 30 day shred and 1 day of rest. Next week is a total of 9 miles... 2,3 and 4. Shit... 4 miles on the dreadmill. Maybe the weather will warm up by next weekend and I could attempt a run outside, but I doubt mother nature will cooperate with me.

Wisdom?

2009-01-24T19:50:00.001-06:00

My mother in law sent this to me tonight and I just had to share. I feel like this somedays as well.

A female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been goingto the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time. So she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was,walking slowly up to the holy site.

She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave,using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview.'

Pardon me, sir, I'm Christian Amanpor from CNN. What's your name? 'Morris Fishbien,' he replied.

'Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?' For about 60 years.60 years! That's amazing!

What do you pray for? 'I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims.''I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop. ''I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, andto love their fellow man.

''How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?'

'Like I'm talking to a fuckin ' wall.'

Remembering my Dad aka Bumpa

2009-01-23T15:15:00.004-06:00

It will be 11 years on 1/25/2009 since my dad passed away from colon cancer. It seems like yesterday.... he lived long enough to see me married - which he never thought would happen - and he also lived long enough to know that I was pregnant - but he never got to meet his 2 grandchildren - and he was such a wonderful grandpa. I envy my nephews and niece that got to meet him and know him and have their pictures taken with him - they have memories. My kids only know "Bumpa" from pictures. My dad died on 1/25/1998 on Superbowl Sunday, the last Superbowl the Packers played in. Needless to say, I don't get into the Superbowl much anymore. I know it is not always on 1/25 but I associatethe Superbowl with my dad's death and on Superbowl Sunday I just want to hangout with my kids and husband and just be. I feel my dad with me more this time of the year than any other. He comes to me on occasion throughout the year but I always feel his presence around the time of his death and in October around his birthday. It warms my heart and freaks me out a little too but I long for his reminders to not forget him.

I received this from a friend today, but I feel like it really came from my dad - this is his reminder this year. I also lost my older sister to brain cancer a little over 2 years ago and maybe she played a part in sending this too. Just a warning... this is kind of a chick thing so you guys may not get it... ha ha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4qwVLqt9Q

Since watching this I have been thinking about my friends and family and how each one of them is special to me in their own way. We don't tell those close to us how much they mean to us often enough. We get caught up in our day to day routine. Crap, we are all busy and we need to remember to slow down sometimes, count our blessings and tell our friends and family how much they mean to us. So instead of hugging a tree today, hug a friend, a sister, a brother, your kids, your parents, your husband, your wife and anyone else who is important to you.

Cross week 1 off

2009-01-18T21:51:00.002-06:00

I have found that I enjoy crossing off my runs on my training schedule. I have successfully completed my first week of official training for the 1/2 marathon. Only 16 more weeks to go. I had a great run tonight on the dreadmill. I felt like I could have run forever tonight... it feels good to be at that point. So what if I only had to run 2 miles... it still felt good and that is all that matters. So a measly 6 miles for the week and cross training on my non-run days. I am hoping that the scale shows some progress soon.

It finally happened, I broke out my Jillian Michaels 30 day shred DVD this week. I LOVE IT!! You get a kick ass workout in 20 minutes. It has 3 levels and I chose to skip levels 1 and 2 and went straight to level 3. I survived it and it kicked my butt and I got really sweaty too. There is room for improvement on the pushups. I did half of them on my knees but the plus side is I did the other half on my toes. I now have a goal and that is to be able to do all of the pushups on my toes in a couple of weeks. In 20 minutes you do cardio, strength and abs - what fun!! If you want a great workout I would recommend buying this - it can be found at Target for $15 - a great deal.

Happy training to everyone out there. My first race in 2009 will be CrazyLegs 4/25/2009.

Badger Hockey

2009-01-16T22:22:00.007-06:00

We took the kids to the Badger Hockey game tonight. Badgers crushed Colorado College 6-1. GO BUCKY!!! Nothing better than Badger sports. Now it is off to bed because we have to get up early for basketball.

Dad and kids... so happy together
Defense!!

My Buddy...

Fight the Demons

2009-01-15T19:55:00.003-06:00

Okay, so if you live in the midwest you know it is really freakin' cold outside.

The lazy demons were after me today. I was so comfy under the blanket tonight and was finally feeling warm. The minutes were clicking by and I kept thinking that I need to get up, change my clothes and run... the lazy demons kept on saying "no, don't do it, you can do it tomorrow".

They almost won, but I whipped off my blanket, changed my clothes and ran my 2 miles tonight. I need to stay on my training plan - NO MORE SLACKING and making EXCUSES!!

After I ran, I did my sit ups and lunges too. It feels good to cross off another training day on my schedule.

Now, I can put my warm jammies on and plop on the couch to watch Greys and Private Practice.

Stay warm everyone... warmer temps are coming over the weekend. Can you believe we are excited about 20 degrees? Anything above 0 is welcoming.

It is official

2009-01-13T20:30:00.002-06:00

My training for the 1/2 marathon OFFICIALLY started yesterday. I have been running and cross training for the last couple of weeks but not consistently. It is now the real deal and no time for making excuses or finding other things to do.

Tonight I did 2 miles on the dreadmill and it felt good. I ran too soon after dinner and I got a side ache but walked it out for about .10 miles and then it was back to running. After my run, I did 60 situps, 40 lunges, and some upper arm workouts. Time to shed my holiday weight.

My goal is to lose 15 lbs by May and by this time next year I would like to be 20 - 30 lbs lighter. I can do it, I have done it in the past but I just need to be disciplined and stick with it.

Happy training to everyone. It is so cold here in Wisconsin this week.

It felt good

2009-01-06T16:06:00.003-06:00

I just finished up a 2 mile run on the treadmill. Kritta has corrected me and from now on it will be called the dreadmill. Very fitting since I dread doing my runs on it but since in I live in God's country and it is winter there is no other choice right now. I wish it were the end of March so I could start running outside.

If people would shovel their sidewalks and use ice melt then maybe we could run outside but hell naw... no one around here does that.... sorry for my rant... all better now.

So back to my workout... I did 2 miles on the dreadmill and it felt good. I did some intervals and cranked up the speed to 6.5 mph during commercials... okay you speed demons - quit laughing - that is fast for me- and then when the commercial are over I go back down to 5.0 - 5.5 mph. After my run I did 50 situps on my ball and some squats.

Good enough for today... tomorrow is cross training day and I think I will be doing my Jillian Michaels 30 day shred but will do 2 /20 minute workouts.

Workout

2009-01-03T16:15:00.002-06:00

I went to the Y again today. Did a 1 mile warm up on the dreaded treadmill but got to watch part of Badger BB on TV so that was a bonus. I then did some situps and weights for about 45 minutes. I really need to get rid of this tire that is starting to form around my middle. Then it was off to play some basketball with the kids.

I am going to try one of the 20 minute workouts on my Jillian Michaels DVD in a couple of minutes. I will let you all know if it is any good.

Yes, I ran today...

2009-01-02T22:23:00.002-06:00

I woke up today and my back pain was gone. I think I tweeked some muscles on New Years Eve. I could hardly move New Years Day so I did a lot of stretches, my daughter rubbed my back, and I slept on a heating pad for half of the night. I woke up feeling pretty good today.

I got out of bed and did the necessities and was off to the YMCA for a run. I did 2 miles and felt good except I did not have anything to eat so my stomach felt weird so I need to remember to eat something next time. I just wanted to get out of the house and get it over with so I forgot to eat.

My first 2 weeks in my training will be fairly easy - by easy I mean not a lot of miles on the treadmill - I just hate the treadmill... but it is my only choice at this time because the sidewalks and roads are very slippery right now... and I will fall.... guaranteed. I am hoping that by March, the roads and sidewalks will be good enough so I can do the rest of my training outside which will also be my longest miles. Anything more than 5 or 6 miles on the treadmill will kill me - I would rather poke sharp sticks in my eyes.

I wish we had a place to run inside. I spent part of the day today searching for a place to run indoors in Madison - no luck. There are a few gyms in the area that have tracks but I think running around a track would suck just as bad as a treadmill - I wish the Kohl Center offered something - at least I could run around in big circles and do some stairs.

I also bought a new workout DVD yesterday - it is Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser) 30 day Shred. I love her on the Biggest loser and this will be a good workout for me on my cross training days and I can do it at home. I will let you all know if it is any good. I wish our YMCA had some decent personal trainers but I have to say, I am not impressed with the ones I have seen there. So I will go with the Nazi, Jillian Michaels and pretend that she is there with me yelling at me to not quit and to do 50 more situps or squats and I will yell back at her to shut the hell up and go get me a cookie.

Hooray for 2009!!

2009-01-01T10:29:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year to everyone in blog land!! 2009 has to be better than 2008 - right?

No more procrastinating on my training plan. I now have 4 months to train for the 1/2 marathon on 5/3/2009. I paid my YMCA membership fee the other day - that is a step in the right direction. I am going to sign the kids up for swimming lessons which will help with my workout time. Since I will be at the Y, I can get in an hour workout at least once a week without being interrupted to play basketball half way through my workout.

It will start tomorrow... really.... I was out too late last night and I did something to my back and can hardly move today. It is just a muscle strain - I think I did it carrying my son out to the car. He was 65 lbs of dead weight and I was trying not to slip on the ice.

So here is to 2009.... I hope it is everything we need it to be.

I Need Motivation

2008-12-22T12:47:00.002-06:00

Seriously... I need to get going on my running but I just can't get my rear in gear. I don't know if it is the weather, the holiday rush or just laziness. I hate running on the treadmill but I know that is how I am going to have to train. We have too much snow and ice on the sidewalks and streets - not to mention the sub zero temperatures outside.

We are working on getting our workout room set up over our vacation so that will help. It will be nice, we will have the TV set up and DVD player so that I can pass the time away without looking at the screen on the treadmill. It just pains me to run on a treadmill... I get so bored. I am going to have to find a specific workout to do to make it go faster instead of running 5.5 mph for 3 miles. I know it is not a long time but it feels like FOREVER.

I also think I need to drag my butt out of the house in the cold and snow and go to the Y to workout. There is too much to do at home and I can come up with a number of things to do besides run or workout.... so I need to go where the only thing to do is workout and that is the Y.

A new year is around the corner and hopefully that means a lot of motivation for me...

Merry Christmas to all....

6 Truths of Life

2008-12-12T09:29:00.001-06:00

6 Truths of Life
1. You cannot touch all your top teeth with your tongue.

2. All idiots, after reading the first truth, will try it.

3. And discover that The first truth is a lie.

4. You're smiling now because you're an idiot.

5. You soon will forward this to another idiot.

6. There's still a stupid smile on your face.

I apologize about this .

I'm an idiot too and I needed company .....

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE

Never Give In

2008-12-12T00:07:00.000-06:00

"This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never- in nothing, great or small, large or petty- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

Winston Churchill Harrow School, 29 October 1941

10 minute trainer workout

2008-12-10T10:59:00.002-06:00

Whew... I just finished 3 workouts from my Beach Body 10 minute trainer DVD for a total of 30 minutes and a mile on the treadmill. I have never been a big fan of the DVD's at home but I really like this one. My heart rate was up there and I was sweating like a pig in the middle of August. It felt good. I probably won't be able to move tomorrow after doing a a gazillion lunges, situps, squats and push ups ...but it is all for the greater good. Right? Plus I don't think I looked like a retard jumping around and none of my neighbors called me asking if that was just an epiletic siezure they just witnessed. In fact no witnesses at all.... that is a good thing.

My plan is to run 3X a week and do upper body, cardio, legs and abs the other 2 - 3 days. I don't lose any weight with just running because running makes me hungry. I like food, so when I am hungry, I eat. Simple. But I don't eat good most of the time. I eat the first thing that looks good to me with very little thought about what it will do to my body. I have to change this way of thinking.

The work week is hard for me and food. I travel for my job almost everyday and sometimes I don't have a lot of time for lunch so I either skip lunch or go thru a drive thru... neither are good options. I don't like to bring something with me from home because I need to get out of my car... and yes, it is now winter in Wisconsin, so forget about that. I think I will be visiting Subway a lot more than I normally do. I like Subway, but sandwiches get old and I am a creature of habit and so I always order the same thing. I guess I will have to step out of my box and try some new things at Subway.... where is Jared when you need him?

Virgin Blogger

2008-12-09T20:47:00.001-06:00

OMG... I am actually doing this. I said I would never do Facebook and I would never be a blogger. Well, guess what, I am new to Facebook and now new to the blogging world. I want to blog because I think it will motivate me and make me accountable while I am training to run my first 1/2 Marathon in LaCrosse, May 2009. Yes, I am going to do it.

It all started a little over a year ago. At the age of 41 I had a reality check. I was not taking care of myself and was running in a million directions... trying to be a wife, a mom, a career woman, and a friend. We have all been there, some us handle it better than others. I thought I was super woman and could do it all. Well, it all piled up inside of me and I exploded one day. Well not really, that would have been a mess. But my body could not take it anymore and I had an anxiety attack or what I call MY WAKE UP CALL. I thought it was a heart attack.

I had lost my sister a few months prior to brain cancer and she left behind 2 great teenagers and a wonderful husband. I saw my life flash in front of me and did not want to leave my kids at the age of 41.

What had happened to me? I grew up an athlete... a girl jock... I was better than most boys... and I. Loved. It. Well 24 years later and 2 kids later I was not that athlete anymore - not even close. So I decided in June 2007 that I would start to take care of myself a little better. I joined the YMCA and started to work out and I also started to run. Running had not been a part of my life for years - I had blown both of my ACL's in my knees and had reconstructive surgery on both. I thought it would hurt to run and that it was not worth the pain. I should say I dabbled in running... nothing big but I had worked my way up from not being able to run around the block to being able to run 3 miles. It felt great and my stress level was way down... running was a perfect way to end a stressful day.

I ran my first 5K in 2007 and also my only one. So it went okay and in January 2008 my husband and I committed to running a Ragnar Relay in Augusut 2008 - what the hell was I thinking? I was going to have to figure out how I was going to train to run 15 - 17 miles in a 24+ hour period of time. I ran a couple of races - Crazy Legs in April 2008 which was brutal because it was cold and 5 miles... I did not think I would be able to run 5 miles, but I did it. My husband ran with me the entire way and sacrificed his time to help me through it. Without him, I would have quit and never finished. Then there was another 5K race in July and the rest is history... a lot of miles around the neighborhood. I was going to a body pump class at the Y that I loved.
Life was good, and then the girl that taught the class at the Y got a raw deal and was not teaching the class anymore. She was the one... we all loved her... sadly, they replaced her but the class was not the same. I hated it so I quit going. All that was left for me was running... so that is what I did.

2 weeks prior to the Ragnar Relay, my first leg in the relay was changed from 6 miles to 9.5. What the hell?? How could they do this to me? I had never run more than 6 miles at one time. It was August... hot, humid, gross... 2 weeks... 9.5 miles my first leg. I could not believe it and wanted to throw up. This was the longes leg of the entire relay... and I was the one that had to run it. Crap...

I did run a 9.5 mile route in my neighborhood the week before Ragnar. I needed the self confidence but what I really needed was to know that I was not going to die. I was afraid. Very. Afraid.

So the relay was here... I did not sleep the night before... our team consisted of 12 people... 11 were real runners and then there was me. I did it... my first leg was 9.5 miles ... I finished it and did not die. I was not fast... It took me 2 hours... but I did it.

This is when I decided that if I could do this with only 2 weeks notice, then I could run a 1/2 marathon and train for it. That was August 2008. It is now December 9, 2008 and since then I have only run about 10 miles. Ragnar absolutely killed me, but it was a blast and yes, I would do it again. I don't know why, but I have pretty much taken the last 3 months off. I have done N O T H I N G!!! My body shows it.. I was starting to get into pretty good shape... well 3 months off with very little exercise and I need to mention that I love to eat.... so I have gained some weight and I feel pretty crappy about my body... I need to work on this and be serious about it. I would love to lose about 20 pounds and the running would be a lot easier.

I have a training plan and it started tonight - I did 2 miles on the treadmill. I need to stick with this. I will be running the LaCrosse 1/2 marathon on May 3, 2009 which also happens to be my 43rd birthday. This is going to be my birthday present to myself.

So I will be blogging to keep me honest and motivated. I need to find an exercise plan that will help me lose some weight. I don't lose weight with just running. So I have a few DVD's that I am going to be using and I am also going to get my butt back to the YMCA and do my own workouts.
Wish me luck. I can do it and I will do it.