Saturday, December 31, 2011

The End of a Year

Despite a late night celebrating my birthday with my family I awoke early and got a grocery shopping trip in. As I stepped outside it was another nice day - in that it was chilly but not cold, overcast but not raining. I returned from shopping and decided to go out on a walk. It was 44 degrees as I headed out and up and over the hill I went. And as I rounded the bend at the bottom of the hill I got hit with some wind, so I turned around and went back since my hoodie was not going to keep me warm enough if there was a breeze. So I walked back home, put on my bright pink puffy vest, and then walked the other direction -down the main road to the next main street, down the hill, back up and around - all-in-all it was a little over a 1.0 mile walk that took me 21:16. (Oddly I know I was walking at a decent pace so the time is confusing; so I will just blame the time on the number of hills involved and perhaps I got distracted by all the Christmas decorations I kept looking at.)

New Miles: 1.0
Total Miles: 553.25
Miles Remaining: 946.75
Weight: 139.8

Friday, December 30, 2011

Another Year Older

Despite still having a semi-migraine, which I still haven't been able to sleep off,  I got up late and then walked 1.0 miles in 14:00 163cals 1%.

New Miles: 1.0
Total Miles: 552.25
Miles Remaining: 947.75
Weight: 137.8

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Disaster Rebound

So a fear of mine came true - and while I only have myself to blame I don't feel as though it's all my fault. My fear was that it would become late December and I'd munch down on tons and tons of delicious yet unhealthy food and let my exercising die off. I had all intentions of not letting that happen, for after all who likes their fears to come true? But as family gatherings increased the opportunities for indulgence increased and I feel as though I did okay for a while, but then I developed a cold. That cold prevented me from working out as all I could manage was sleeping and lounging so as to have enough strength to then partake in family functions.

For the last 5 days I have been a useless blob, albeit a holly jolly blob that enjoyed the time with my family, but a blob none the less and feeling more and more blobbish by the day. I saw my desires to never creep back over 140.0 fade into a dream as I couldn't muster up any activity other than blobbing around. I finally started feeling a bit better and just having to fight off sneezes and sniffles just in time to find myself develop an incessant migraine which was also of no help in ending the blob.

But finally I guess my brain and body had enough of being a blob and before 5am this morning I could no longer sleep. My migraine was still around but I am pretty sure that part of my head told me that working out was only going to help rather than hurt myself at this point. And so I got out of bed and started my day - a few hours ahead of my regular schedule. But oddly I was excited to get up and move - which I take as a sign of definitely feeling better. I think most of that has to do with the fact I found myself being able to breathe clearly out of my nose which must have livened me up a bit.

So by 5:30am I found myself on my treadmill - starting out slow as to wake myself up and stretch myself out and see how well my head would take it. After a light .5 miles I was loosened up and while my head wasn't super it wasn't pulsing enough to make me quit. And so I ran for 1.0 mile - stopping each .25 to lift some weights. I took the running easy, to ease my brain into it and not overwhelm myself - and that worked out well - doing laps at 6.3 and 6.5 pace. My lifting consisted of the 20lb kettlebell and doing sumo deadlifts and thrusters at a comfortable pace 10 times each followed by just holding the weight over my head and concentrating on a tight core. After a mile's worth of repeating those things I started on my cool down - a 1 mile walk, the last .75 of which I had my 5lb weights in each hand and pumped or held them in various ways - never going too crazy but trying to get a bit of a burn in.

As I cooled down for that final mile I could feel myself in a cold sweat - the kind of sweat you have when you are sick and have a fever. I knew it was from the workout but it felt so cathartic and as though I was releasing the blob from my body and finally getting over my cold for real. My head still hurt but I was glad to have loosened up my body and given my brain some oxygen which I hope it puts to good use. By the time I got my Total Workout: 35:36 (run/walk time) 479cals 3.0 miles 1% in I re-weighed myself and had nudged myself down to 139.8.

New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 551.25
Miles Remaining: 948.75
Weight: 139.8

Friday, December 23, 2011

Running in a Winter Wonderland

Alright, so I was neither outside nor was there snow falling or snow on the ground. But given that it is but a few days before Christmas I still believe I can claim that if I was running and the season is Winter and I find it wonderful then my statement of "Running in a Winter Wonderland" must be true.

I slept in since I had the day off and got up and going around 9:40am. By 10:30 I was treading along. I did a walk/jog warm-up lap then a lifting routine (not that it's routine to me, just that it is a set of things I did today) then more running following by the lifting. Much like my last workout except this time instead of running super hard I ran normal-hardish and I added in more lifting.

The lifting portion involved 10 sumo deadlifts with the 20lb kettlebell (both hands holding it) followed by 10 thrusters with the 20lb-er followed by 10 20lb kettlebell throws followed by 20 box jumps. Folloewd directly by another lap. I did laps at 6.4mph, 6.5mph, 6.5mph and 6.6mph each followed by the lifting routine. Then I did a cool down one at 6.3mph followed by 2 laps at 4.3mph in order to actually feel cooled down. The workout was roughly 30 minutes long. Total Treadmill Time: 22:16 2.0 miles 317cals 1%.

New Miles: 2.0
Total Miles: 548.25
Miles Remaining: 951.75
Weight: 138.4

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Run vs Food

As I was about to go outside to go to the track since it was 56 degrees out I heard some noise in the trees - and feared rain. And I opened the front door and as unwantedly expecting it had suddenly started down pouring! Glad I wasn't a few minutes ahead since I would have been out in the middle of it! So instead of going outside I stayed inside. I detoured to make some noodles and veggies and then once food was done I quickly got in a mile. I did 1.0 miles in 9:52 151 cals 0% and then I grabbed some water and then ate my food.

Most Motivating Song (that kept me running rather than eating): Gaelic Storm "McCloud's Reel/Whup Jamboree" and then fortuitously Guster's "Donde Estas Santa Claus?"

New Miles: 1.0
Total Miles: 546.25
Miles Remaining: 953.75
Weight: 139.6

Monday, December 19, 2011

Go Go Quick Quick

I looked up a lot of old CrossFit Workouts of the Day and understood very little of it. Ryan helped me later and modified one of them for me - run .25 really fast, do 10 thrusters and 10 sumo deadlifts and then repeat - for a total of 5 times. It is supposed to be done for time, but after running you can rest as much as you need to. So I warmed up for a lap and then got into it. My lifting was of 5x each arm of the 15lb kettlebell for the thrusters and then 5x each arm of the 20lb kettlebell for the sumo deadlifts.

The laps broke down like this:
1. 7.7mph/1:56
2. 7.9mph/1:53
3. 8.1mph/1:51
4. 8.7mph/1:43
5. 9.0mph for 1/2 of the lap then 9.5mph/1:34 for the rest.

And then a cool down lap. Total running/walking: 15:03 1.75 miles 260cals 0%. Total Workout time 23:09 minutes. Then I did 100 crunches.

Most Motivating Song: Brad Paisley "Huckleberry Jam" (on loop)

New Miles: 1.75
Total Miles: 545.25
Miles Remaining: 954.75
Weight: 139.2

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Quick Run

Did 1.25 miles in 12:02 188cals 0% incline on the treadmill. I ran normal speed and then kicked up the pace for a while since I knew I wasn't doing all that much today. Then I got the exercise ball out and did 30 crunches using it and then I ate some eggs and bacon.

New Miles: 1.25
Total Miles: 543.5
Miles Remaining: 956.5
Weight: 138.2

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Monkey Hear, Monkey Modify

I love a December day forecast that calls for rain and temperatures going no lower than 40. It means there won't be snow and it won't feel too cold outside. When I got home it was 46 degrees and so at first I was super motivated to go to the track and run, but then I started talking to Ryan and sat down. It was so hard to get back up. But I just envisioned possibly a week from now where I am relegated to the treadmill dreaming of being outdoors and that got me moving. I visited the track, one of just two people there at the beginning and reaching a max of 4, for my workout.

Of course Ryan had to go ahead and talk of doing a workout where every .25 he was going to do some sort of lifting and so of course I decided to do a similar thing during my workout. I ran 1 lap for a warm-up then stretched a little and then I finished out the mile in 8:49. Then I did 20 walking lunges followed by 20 squats. Then I jogged a lap and for the final 100m straightaway I sprinted. I slowed down quickly turned around and did 20 walking lunges then 20 jump squats. Then I jogged another lap and repeated the 100m sprint part followed by 20 lunges but then 20 squats. On my third lap I am sure I slowed significantly - all that stuff catching up with me but I repeated the 100m sprint/20 lunge/20 squats. I was pretty spent and relieved to have just 1 lap left and since I started off with plyometrics I wasn't ending on them -- so after my sprint I jogged it out for 100m then I walked 300m to finish the cool down lap. Then I jogged another 300m then walked the final 100m to finish up my workout of 2.5 miles in roughly 30 minutes.

In other events today - I did accomplish my goal of having a sub-140 official weigh in. At 140 the scale leaned left and at 138 the scale leaned right - so I was somewhere around 139. I did a mental "Woohoo!" as I was glad I was able to even process what my weight was because the nurse's measuring went in a whirl wind - nothing like the drawn out weighing in seen on The Biggest Loser. Before my run I also weighed myself in to confirm/get an up-to-the-minute measuring.

So after the track I chugged a glass of chocolate milk, ate a yummy spring mix/spinach salad with blueberries, golden raisens, pecans, and a fat free cranberry vinegarette dressing, and then laid on teh floor and had Ryan help me stretch out my exhausted and tight legs.

New Miles: 2.5
Total Miles: 542.25
Miles Remaining: 557.75
Weight: 138.4

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

A cure for ambivalence

An NPR program on obesity is really effective at curing ambivalence about whether or not to work out. I got home and got trotting. I did 2.0 miles in 20:34 315cals.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and so I was also motivated to do something today so that I am under 140.0 when I get on the scale. I have worked hard to get down to 140.0 and I want to work hard to stay here. So hopefully come the weigh in tomorrow I can have an official number. And hopefully my scale is accurate and it hasn't been lying to me all these months because man if it has that will be super disappointing.

I did 10-10lb woodblock chops per arm, 75 crunches, and 10 push ups.

Most Motivating Song: Miley Cyrus "Breakout" - a good driving beat to get me thru the second to last lap.

New Miles: 2.0
Total Miles: 539.75
Miles Remaining: 960.25
Weight: 138.0

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Tune it out

As we drove home from church it was a sunny day and it felt comfortable outside. I looked up the temperature and it said it was 35 but felt like 29 degrees. It felt like it was in the 40s; I guess it was my warm fleece talking. I drove to the track and walked one lap and then started running at a comfortable pace. After mile 1 running I thought I'd push myself and do at least 2. During mile 2 I thought that I might as well do at least 3 since it was a nice day. After mile 3 instead of walking for my cool down lap I kept running and decided that I might as well do 4 since I may not get nice weather again. After mile 4 I decided I needed to do at last 5 since if I stopped any sooner I would probably regret it since once it got snowy  I couldn't do this. After mile 5 I thought well 5 is nice but it isn't special, I should do 6. Then after mile 6 I still didn't feel content with the amount I completed and so I kept going and completed 7 miles. After 7 miles running solid at this run-all-day pace I decided I was happy with the amount. So I cooled down with a very slow jog turned to a walk with some stretching.

I didn't bring my watch which at first I didn't like but after some running it was freeing. I listed to my iPod shuffle song after song and lost track of time. Losing track of how long I was running was perfect and left me to absorb the sun, soak up the day, and be in the moment - freeing me from wanting to get home and cross off x, y, z from my 'To Do' list. I just tuned out all the world and tuned out my own world and just ran and ran lost in the tunes in my ears.

New Miles: 7.5
Total Miles: 537.75
Miles Remaining: 962.25
Weight: 139.8 pre-run/138.4 post-run

Friday, December 9, 2011

Notivation

For some reason this week I have woken up around 6am full of energy but unable to get up out of bed to actually do anything but I enjoyed just laying in bed thinking and resting my eyes. Then at 7am I'd fall back asleep, just in time for the alarm to go off, and then I'd feel so incredibly tired and not be able to get out of bed til after 8am. Well today was no different except for the fact during this time I pretending to write a blog post about motivation and how I was so motivated I got out of bed early and got some miles in. It was going to be a great entry about being awake and so making use of the time and starting the day in a great way. But then I fell back asleep.

When I finally got out of bed I didn't have time to do much of anything except to get ready and go to work. But I managed to make myself do 20 push ups. So I did that and called it a win.

I knew though after work I definitely needed to actually do something rather than just think about how great it would be to do something. So I got home and did 2.0 miles on the treadmill in 19:51 314cals. Then I did woodblock chops 10x each arm x2 sets. Then I did 100 crunches. Then I did 20 push ups without stopping. Then I did 20 more push ups without stopping but push-ups 15-18 were almost impossible and the final 2 may not qualify as push-ups in any sort of competition, but they felt like push ups as they were really hard to complete. While I did the no-running portion of my workout I brought up YouTube and exercised to Britney Spears' "Til the World Ends" (2x) - it has a perfect beat for trying to get reps in quickly.

Most Motivating Songs: The Two Man Gentlemen Band "Fancy Beer" got me off and going, Dierks Bentley "Beautiful World" kept me going, then Brad Paisley "Cliffs of Rock City" brought me home. Then as I weight trained of course I found Britney Spears "Til the World Ends. Today I had an all around great musical work out experience.

New Miles: 2.0
Total Miles: 530.25
Miles Remaining: 969.75
Weight: 136.6

Monday, December 5, 2011

Decem-warmth

Usually this month accentuates the "Burr" in December but when I left work today it was drizzling but a very warm feeling night. So I got home and ate a meal Little-Ryan-Homemaker prepared during his day off and I ate light since I wanted to run. I went to the track and rain came down a bit harder for my first lap then settled down for the rest. I did a lap in 2:05 and motivated by the time I set a goal to do a 8:00 mile. I did 1/3 of the next lap and started sucking wind and feeling some burn but I kept going. As I neared the end of lap 2the thoughts "Well maybe I'll do just a half mile hard and take it easy for the rest". But I completed the second lap in 1:58 (4:03 total) and since I was on pace I didn't quit. During the 3rd lap I got my head on straight again and told myself to not quit until the mile was done. I did lap 3 in 1:58 (6:01 total), and then during the 4th lap I told myself to keep pace and not slow down and I finished the lap in 1:48 (7:49 total) -- thus achieving my goal of a sub-8:00 mile. Then I jogged a lap except for the last 80m which I walked. Total Workout: 1.25 miles in 10:54.

I did feel like I could keep going but I really wanted to get home and get my dessert which I forewent - French vanilla ice cream topped with carmelized pecans and fresh pomegranate. It was amazing. I did 20 push ups before ice cream, 10 push ups post ice cream, and 10 push ups post blogging.

New Miles: 1.25
Total Miles: 528.25
Miles Remaining: 971.5
Weight: 138.8

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Decentber

A day of decent December weather - sunny and 48 degrees. I put on my cold running pants and shirt and covered it up with a bright pink t-shirt and my crazy multi-color and multi-patterned shorts and put on my pink shoes. I am sure I looked interesting and I felt so, and I also felt that I didn't want anyone to look at me but I half did.

It was chilly but once I got going it was the perfect temperature in my gear. I saw another runner who was just wearing shorts and a t-shirt ans she seemed comfortable. That's not for me. I passed by several people doing yardwork and setting up Christmas decorations. It's so odd having an October-ish day in December.  But it's also awesome. It was great to get outside! Total Workout: 3.0 miles in 28:13.

I attempted to do a few crunches but did 2 and then just laid on the floor for 15 minutes watching some movie Ryan had on TV.

New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 527.0
Miles Remaining: 973.0
Weight: 137.6