An end to 2009....

I've decided to take another rest day today. I feel good about it and will resume training tomorrow...

Here is my first picture! This is what I look like at the start of week 4 in training...



I feel GREAT and am ready to start a new year! 2009 was not a bad year for me. I lost 20 pounds, made awesome new friends, and had a little bit of fun along the way! My New Year's resolutions are as follows:

1) Make more time for my friends.
My schedule has been so crazy lately that even being home for one night was bliss. I need to start making more of an effort to spend time with the people I love the most. I have been blessed with so many wonderful people, and I need to start experiencing more things with them!

2) Complete a 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon!
Last year I would have laughed at that...now, I know I will do it!

3) Stop running away from things. I am a pretty put together person, but I have found myself comfortable running away from love and I need to stop. I need to just let all the damage go and move foward. This year...I will.

Alright friends, thank you so much for being so supportive and reading this blog! The support is what gets me through...I love you all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Week 3 Weigh-In

I lost 2 lbs this week for a total of 9 lbs in 3 weeks! I'll take it! :0)

Let it be known...I AM TAKING THE DAY OFF FROM THE GYM! I will be spending the evening getting my dance on!

Hasta!

Woah!

Why the surpising title? I don't know...couldn't think of anything :p

Tonight I did the exact same workout as the last 2 nights ....30.5 running time!

I'm starting to notice a change in my body. My shape is changing...face is getting thinner and my waist is really going in! I'm starting to recognize my old self a little bit; it's kind of exciting! I went shopping yesterday and bought one size smaller in pants and shirts....HOLLA!

I'm doing well but my body is really starting to feel it so I'm thinking a rest day is in order. Tomorrow I have my week 3 weigh-in. I'm expecting a lower number. Apparently that's normal for week 3 so I'm going to TRY to not get upset if it's low.

I've officially run out of things to talk about so I'm going to go pack. What's that? You want to know why I'm packing?? Ohhh well let me tell you! I got a new apt!!! I'm so stinkin' excited!!! I move in Jan. 9th...WOO HOO!

:0)

Not in the mood...

So tonight I was NOT in the mood to sweat and hurt! I almost talked myself into taking the night off just because I didn't feel like going. I thought about it for a long time and finally decided that I would allow myself to bitch and moan all I wanted. I could also have a really bad attitude...but I'm going!!! So I went...and waited in the parking lot for about 10 minutes trying to delay it as much as possible. Once I realized how stupid that was, I went in. :0)

Tonight and last night this is what I did:

2 min warm-up walk
11.5 min running no stopping
1.5 min walking
10 min running no stopping
1.0 min walking
9 min running no stopping
1 min cool-down walk

36 min total

30.5 total running time!

3 Mile Outside Run...

No, I didn't cheat over Christmas! :0)

Today I completed my first outside run! I decided to pick out a 3 mile route to complete and just do it. The farthest I've ever gone was 2.6 miles and I thought it was time for a little push. It was...AWESOME!

It was a beautiful 48 degrees outside with very little wind. It was nice not looking at a clock and it made the time go by much faster. I did 3 minute running segments mixed with 2 minutes of walking. It wasn't too hard at all except for a 3 minute push up a hill..THAT was hell, but everything else was great. The 3 minute segments weren't bad and it's all just getting easier.

Now, to be fair, I think it's important to be incredibly honest about what you do and don't do during this process. I probably wasn't going as fast outside because the treadmill wasn't keeping me there. Also, my walking could have been slower, but I held up really well and I'm very proud of myself. I finished in just over 48 minutes. I'm totally aware that the time probably sucks but hey, it's a start!

And the best part...the part I am so incredibly excited about...There was a time at the end where I was pretty far out but was definitely towards the end of the route. I made myself run the whole thing without stopping. I held up so strong and felt like I could keep going forever. I believe I just experienced my first runner's high!! I made it to my house with 8:22 of running non-stop! It felt so amazing! 18 days ago I attempted 60 seconds and I could BARELY make that! Now I'm doing over 8 minutes and feel as though I can go longer? WOW! The human body is an amazing conditioning tool.

My total running time today is..... 29 minutes!

Here is my progress so far:

Workout 1: 7 minutes running time
Workout 2: 8 minutes running time
Workout 3: 9 minutes running time
Workout 4: 10 minutes running time
Workout 5: 10.5 minutes running time
Workout 6: 16.0 minutes running time
Workout 7: 17.0 minutes running time
Workout 8: 18.0 minutes running time
Workout 9: 18.0 minutes running time
Workout 10: 18.5 minutes running time
Workout 11: 29.2 minutes running time

WOOOO HOOO!!!!

Second Week Weigh-In...

Isn't this new blog design cute? :0)

Today I started day 15 in the training process. Since I set my weigh-ins on Wednesday mornings, today was the day to face the scale. I lost 3.5 lbs this week for a total of 7.0 lbs in 2 weeks! I'm VERY happy with that!

During last night's workout I pushed 18 minutes total running time and tonight I pushed 18.5. It has been especially hard because it's humid as hell in the gym and there's very little air circulation. The good news is that I'm starting to be able to do 3 minute segments of running. Woo Hoo! Tomorrow morning, I'm going to attempt my first outside run, assuming it's not raining.

My next challenge will be Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The good news is that resisting temptation has almost become a habit and much less difficult. The first week and a half it killed me, but now I'm just used to it. We went and got me some turkey and veggies that I'm going to have just for me. I'm prepared...I should do fine.

I'm finding myself fighting the holiday blues that I get every year. It's really interesting, I feel that it's the best time of year, yet every Christmas I find myself feeling a little bit sad...hopefully it will pass soon.

Here is my progress so far:

Workout 1: 7 minutes running time
Workout 2: 8 minutes running time
Workout 3: 9 minutes running time
Workout 4: 10 minutes running time
Workout 5: 10.5 minutes running time
Workout 6: 16.0 minutes running time
Workout 7: 17.0 minutes running time
Workout 8: 18.0 minutes running time
Workout 9: 18.0 minutes running time
Workout 10: 18.5 minutes running time

I hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas! :0)

~L

Spirit of the Marathon...

"Sometimes the moments that challenge us the most...define us." ~Spirit of the Marathon

I decided to go ahead and make today a rest day because I'm still having significant lower back and hip pain. After some research, this apparently is normal... I guess one of the many perks of running :p

Tonight was awesome...I don't have to go to work tomorrow and I can stay up as late as I want, doing whatever I want! After contemplating options, I decided to watch a movie! It's been so long since I've sat and watched a movie! It was bliss, even though my back is REALLY killing me now. I watched:

SPIRIT OF THE MARATHON on hulu-

http://www.hulu.com/watch/85354/spirit-of-the-marathon

MOVIE REVIEW BY LINDSEY:
This film follows 7 runners as they train and prepare for a full marathon in Chicago. The stories are inspiring and each individual has a different level of physical and emotional strength. The beginning and end are very powerful and I would recommend this film to anyone who is training for a marathon. The middle parts were kind of slow but worth watching. The one thing I found somewhat disturbing was watching the training of one of the runners. I respect the amount of effort it entails to properly train for such a race, but I found that one in particular seemed to engage it through obsession. She looked frail, and although she seemed completely focused, I often wondered if she was really healthy. Once it becomes a true obsession, it's probably time to stop. She killed some badass time though. Wow. Overall, it was incredibly inspiring and reminded me of just how far I have to go!

I'm starting to notice a change in my body...FINALLY! I know it's only been a week and a half but man it feels like forever. My face is getting thinner and my clothes are fitting looser. I'm developing a little more confidence and trying to push through the pain. I think I'm ready for some partner running soon, that's exciting!

I will resume training tomorrow...maybe working out the muscles will loosen up some of the stiffness.

And now for some Simpsons...man it's great being a bum!

OUCH!!

All day I was still having some pain. It's my right lower hip bone..and it hurts! I decided to go ahead and push through it and attempt a workout. I tried up-ing my time to 2:30 segments of running instead of just 2:00. It was fine at first, but after about 20 minutes the pain just got worse. I had to continue at 2 minute segments towards the end but I ended up still improving with 18 minutes total running time. Towards the end, I felt like I was going to throw up; I think part of that was from the pain.

I reviewed my food journal today and realized that I haven't had any sugar today. Usually I intake it from fruits, but today I just had veggies, protein, and non-fruit complex carbs. That could have been part of my fatigue tonight, but I'm not really sure. I'm still in a lot of pain and I'm thinking that if it doesn't improve by tomorrow, I might take an extra rest day. I do not like the idea of doing that, but if I'm hurting like this, it might be my body telling me it's time to rest.

One thing that is so nice: having the temptations go away for a little while! I had a full week of children and friends bringing me cookies, candy, and everything else I can't have. It was so nice to just be at home today and eat what I have. I'm finding more and more foods that I love so I think I'm going to end up being just fine. I'm really proud of myself for not intaking even an ounce of those awesome goodies! Woo Hoo!!

Ok, I'm going to go soak in a hot tub for about an hour! I'm excited!! :0)

Some pain...

Yesterday was my rest day so there wasn't much to report...

Tonight was kind of a joke at first. I got home from work...slept for two hours and was a complete zombie for about 2 more hours. I finally peeled myself out of bed about 10pm and made myself go to the gym. I can honestly say I had to FORCE myself to go, I would have preferred to sleep all night.

During my workout tonight, I noticed some pain in my right hip. I get weird minor pain about every 3 days or so but this was slightly more. I spent some extra time stretching so hopefully that will alleviate some of it.
I pushed a little more but not much. I'm trying not to strain myself too much so I'll have somewhere to go. Tonight I did:

5 min warm-up walk
35 minutes of 2:00 running and 2:00 walking
pushed another 1:00 running at the end
2 minute cool-down walk

Tonight I clocked 17 minutes running time total.

I'm still really out of it tonight. I feel like I could sleep forever. I know I'll feel better tomorrow after sleeping in....and I'll be ready to enjoy times with my favorite peeps in the next 2 weeks!

I tried a hot dog with a whole wheat bun....GROSS! However, I did find a new food that I LOVE: Kashi pizza-Margherita flavor. It kills the pizza craving and it's actually really good. Yay!

Ok I'm off to go sleep for a really long time! Night...

Breakthrough....

I'm going to be honest. Today sucked. It was my first real emotional day in awhile. I got on the scale this morning, and I lost 3.5 lbs my first week. Yes, that is a solid number. Yes, I should be happy with it...but I was actually the same weight on Saturday morning, which was 4 workouts before that. How could I not lose between those 4 killer hard trainings? I haven't put an ounce of bad food in my mouth, and I was really disappointed. It sucked...it made me feel like I'm not improving.

So all day I was pissed off. I'm tired of saying no to everything that's remotely good tasting. I'm tired of work and all this responsibility and I just need a BREAK! I feel like I've been going and going for so long...it seems like every free moment I get I'm doing homework, having performances, doing projects, going somewhere or taking finals. School is finally over, and work is about to be over and it's going to be HEAVEN. I cannot imagine how great it's going to be to have a weekend of time to do what I want instead of what I have to do. I think it's just all hitting me...

I projected all of my anger into the workout tonight. Last night I clocked 10.5 minutes total of running time. I alternated between 90 seconds running and 2 minutes walking for 20 minutes. Tonight, I let the rage drive me. I put on my favorite 'I hate the world' music and added an extra 10 minutes to my routine. I also was going to see if I could make it past 90 seconds of running. I was going to shoot for 2 minute running, 2 minutes walking. Wasn't sure if I'd be able to, but I was going to try. So I start...and I hit past 90 seconds and I realize...not only can I go further, but it wasn't that hard! I was SHOCKED!! I could not believe that I was running for 2 minutes straight and not that out of breath!! That was freakin' EXCITING!!! And I was able to do that the entire time without stopping. I didn't cramp, I didn't overheat, and I was less out of breath this time than I ever have been...even though it was by far the most distance I've run. Sooo..the good news....

This is what I completed tonight:

5 min brisk warmup walk
30 min of 2 min running, 2 min walking
5 min cooldown walk

Yesterday...10.5 min running time

Tonight.....16 MIN RUNNING TIME!!!

DAMN THAT FELT GOOD!!

My progress so far....

Workout 1: 7 minutes running time
Workout 2: 8 minutes running time
Workout 3: 9 minutes running time
Workout 4: 10 minutes running time
Workout 5: 10.5 minutes running time
Workout 6: 16.0 minutes running time

And now I feel better :0)

Tomorrow's the big day!

I'm trying to come up with a spiffy new background for this blog, and I followed the directions from Christina and the "cutestblogontheblock.com" but it never worked so I'm gonna have to try again later. For now, pink works. :0D

Today one of my students came to me with a bucket of homemade sugar cookies...with icing...and sprinkles! She was so sweet and excited...ooooh man it was hard! But I gave them away. And yes, I know that makes me shitty for giving away a child's present. I accept it.

Tonight in my workout I alternated between 90 seconds of running and 2 minutes of walking. It was the same workout as yesterday, except I pushed an extra 30 seconds at the end. This clocked me at 10 minutes and 30 seconds total running time. I was curious so I clocked all my time from day one. Here are the results:

Workout 1: 7 minutes running time
Workout 2: 8 minutes running time
Workout 3: 9 minutes running time
Workout 4: 10 minutes running time
Workout 5: 10.5 minutes running time

I'm seeing improvement and my body seems to be responding really well to the program. Tonight was great because I wasn't dying. Yes it was hard, but I wasn't completely out of breath. That was an awesome feeling.

I'm learning as I go along with this program. I've found it's a lot easier when you push through the strides as opposed to letting your heels lead you. Sorry if that's confusing, it all makes sense in my head! :0D
I would say I'm struggling the most in the area of breath control. I have a hard time taking deep breaths. Any time I do, I feel like I'm losing control of the breathing and it creates a panic mode. I always take shallow breaths to control this, but it still makes me a little uneasy. Probably should do some reading on it.

I feel a cold coming on, I'm hoping it isn't anything too serious...I want to maintain this focus. I'm feeling really good about my first week. Tomorrow is my first weigh-in for week 1. I'm nervous! I hope I do well!!

Off to sleep...

Pedometer Tales...

I bought a pedometer and they say we're supposed to walk 10,000 steps a day. I was thinking this wouldn't be a problem with me being a teacher and walking around all day. Plus if you add in the workouts, I figured I would get there. NOPE! I just did a killer workout, plus walked all day at work and I'm just now at 9,775 steps. I didn't sit down that much at all today, so I'm a little surprised. And seriously, am I really going to have to go walk in the backyard tonight to get up to 10,000 steps? That might really weird out the neighbors. I'm on it!! :0)

Last night's workout was great! I didn't cramp AT ALL, and I held my stamina pretty much the entire way through. I even added an extra minute of running. I clocked 9 minutes of running total. Not too bad for the first week.

Tonight I decided to up my running time. I added an extra 30 seconds to each running segment. This mixed with the crunches and arm weights...I was crawling out the gym. I am in a lot of pain from tonight. I feel like I got some good work done, but man...OW! Tonight I clocked 10 minutes of running total. Getting better!

Last but not least....

I GOT A 100 ON MY FINAL! HOLLA!!!

Getting used to wheat...

So yesterday was a good day. I got through the day without any obstacles, but buying groceries was an interesting experience. I discovered that everything I like is made of white flour. I was craving something semi-normal so I decided to buy a wheat pizza crust to make a fake pizza. I made it, it was ok...ok it was gross, but I ate it and I'm hoping I'll get used to it.

I went to my first party with this controlled nutrition plan. I was the only loser in the room not taking a shot, and I had to say no to all the awesome desserts. It was really hard, but I did it! Go me!!

Two wheat things I actually like: grape nuts cereal and wheat pasta! Tonight I tried out my homemade spaghetti recipe with the wheat pasta...was AWESOME!

Last night's training workout was pretty groovy. I got through it without having to stop. I didn't overheat, and I didn't feel like I had to barf. I would say.....progress! It was still hard, but I can already tell it's getting easier. Tonight I'm going to try and push myself a little more than I have the last 3 days.

In other news, I had my dance recital on Friday night. Man I love performing! I always seem to come alive on stage, and I wish I could do it more often. I've decided to add the advanced dance class on Thursday nights, and although I had reservations about the financial addition and time being lost, I really think it will be worth it to do two performances in May. Plus the extra exercise has to be a good thing! I just have to promise myself that I'll get my running in before the class starts. I can't slack on the training schedule or else I'll never build up my distance.

Oh and the most exciting news...I'M DONE WITH SCHOOL UNTIL JANUARY 25TH!!! I'm so freakin' excited! I finished both finals this weekend and am pretty sure I aced them both. Hopefully I'll get A's in both classes to maintain my 4.0. I should find out soon.

Ok that's all I have...off to hit the gym!

Getting started...

On December 9th, 2009, I was watching the Biggest Loser finale and stuffing my face with buttery popcorn and my oh-so-favorite candy, Mike and Ike (green box). I was starting to feel sick to my stomach as I was watching the transformation of so many lives on TV. I was feeling pretty lethargic as I got up, and that's when it hit me. I am sick. I have this wonderful person inside of me that has yet to be unleashed because I have chosen to protect myself with self-destruction. It has to change.

Before I go on, I'd like to state that I do not hate myself. I feel that I am a very good person, and not unattractive. But I DON'T feel that I am living up to what I am capable of being. The human body is capable of so much more than I understand, and I think it's time that I figure out what it's all about.

From there, I decided to push myself with an extreme goal. My reason for this is because my general goals of "losing weight" and "feeling better" are all fine and good, but not specific enough. I need something bigger, and scarier...something that I will have to work my ass off to achieve. Something that people don't think I can do. Something that will allow me to use everything in my power to prove them wrong. About that time, I signed up for the Big D Half Marathon on April 11th, 2010. I am also completing the MS 5K in March before the 13 miles in April. I researched some running training programs, and made the decision that I would stick to them. I can honestly say that I have never felt better about a decision in my life.

The next day, I detoxed all the sugar and fatty foods out of my body. I created a nutrition system that is recommended for marathon training. No more white flour, more natural sugars and complex carbs. I'm still learning, but I know I'm off to a great start.

The first day of the new nutrition...was ROUGH! I got a huge headache, felt shaky and was seriously craving sugar. I ignored all the misery and kept going. After the first day, it was okay. Shows just how unhealthy I was. I'm so glad I have made this choice.

The first 5k training workout...scary! The workout was a brisk 5-minute walk, followed by the alternating of 90 seconds of walking and 60 seconds of running for 20 minutes. I don't run. Ever. So...I was freakishly proud of myself when I completed it. I was dying, but I did it!!! I got overheated and had to sit down, and then felt like I was going to barf. It was super-embarrasing. And of course there had to be a super-hot guy next to me running for 30 min straight without even breaking a sweat. Nice. But once again, it showed me just how bad off I am, and that it's time to make a change. Hopefully that will have been my rock bottom.

I weighed my first day, and although I have lost 13 lbs recently, it's time to lose a lot more! I'm going to make my weigh-in days on Wednesday mornings. This should help me get through the weeks.

And before I go, I want to say the best part! I talked to my friend Christina about all of this, and she has agreed to do it with me!!! I have found such an amazing friend in her, and I think she will help get me through this. Support is everything, and I'm so happy that I have someone to share this experience with!

Until next time...