Posts

Showing posts from October, 2011

Week Three Report

Image
Today marked the three week milestone in following the Racing Weight program contained in Matt Fitzgerald's book of the same name.  Last week wasn't my best effort.  I was quite ill each time I ate, and found it tremendously difficult to get 30% of my diet from protein.  I only skipped one workout - and that was Thursday when I traded weight training for yoga.  Not bad for a girl with a stomach ache all week. Oh, and I lost another 1.2lbs.  That's 3.8lbs in 3 weeks.  I pretty excited to measure my body fat next week at the one month marker.  I would be so thrilled with a 1% reduction!  That means more to me than the weight number. Got up and did my fasting long workout for the week.  Today was supposed to be an hour and ten minute run, nice and slow.  I ended up running a bit longer to get a nice even 7 miles on my legs.  It was SO dark and only 40 degrees.  It was peaceful and crisp, and nice to just cruise the "hood loop" times 1.5. My stomach has been

Check In

Image
Just a quick check in. I've been pretty sick this week. Each day, I get up early and have my banana and 1/2 cup of coffee and head out to the gym or hit the road.  I drink my sports drink while I work out, and after my shower I have an all natural nut-based energy bar. My stomach doesn't hurt at this point. Then I get home and have some coffee with honey and soymilk and make myself an egg wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with a little salsa.  That's where the trouble starts.  I get such severe stomach pain that I can't breathe!  It lasts about 20 minutes and then recedes into nausea and a feeling of fullness that sometimes prompts me to skip lunch. This all started about 3 weeks ago, when I added meat and dairy back in to my diet.  I really made my digestive system mad with that and had some gas pain for a while.  That seemed to subside and then this gradually came on.  Truthfully, I thought I might be pregnant (OH DEAR), but that is NOT the case.  I'm

You Are What You Do

Image
When I started whittling away at my extra weight, I set a goal.  According to medically approved charts and generally accepted percentage ratios, my ideal weight is somewhere between 117 and 139.  Split the difference (wow what a spread!) and you come up with about 130lbs for my ideal weight. Fine. I set my goal, counted points, calories, and even sometimes carbs and lost my first 30lbs.  I added more exercise and discovered that I really loved running.  I started weight training - to keep from hurting myself while I was running - and saw the next 30lbs go...but at half the rate of the first.  Still with my goal in mind, and a new athletic skill set in hand, I set out for that magic number.  I was pretty sure at that point that I wanted to look like this: Thin.  That's what thin looks like, right?  Okay, so I've never in my adult life weighed 130lbs - so this must be what I'm shooting for.  And if I continue my steady diet of Smart Ones, Skinny Cow's and diet

Racing

Image
What an amazing day, the Lord has made! My day started out with my weekly weight in.  I am down another 1.2lbs to make a loss of 2.6 in two weeks.  The training in week 3 of Racing Weight  starts to ramp up the weight training - but I'm ready!  I've spent the last two weeks learning how to get 30% of my diet from protein, now is the time I get to use it. Apart from the weight loss, I've gained confidence in the pool, and increased my sprinting ability on the bike.  All of this goes together to make me a better runner (okay and a triathlete). Which brings me to my race report for this weekend. Now, I don't want to forget to add that we had a wonderful Sunday service, and some great discussion at Sunday School.  I confess, I did spend much of the sermon making origami for my girls.  But, they were quiet and at least OTHER people could listen! Okay - race report:  Governor's Cup 5k 2011 David and me, ready to run! This race is kind of special to me - it w

Aqua Girl!

Image
Breaststroke Swimming, today, was enjoyable! I've been messing around getting used to the water, and very afraid to try any other strokes but the ones that I'm very comfortable. The breaststroke is one that I usually do to warm up.  It requires that I practice some rhythmic breathing and gets my face in the water. Back stroke is my other "go to" stroke.  I have placated myself lately with the notion that the backstroke is nearly like freestyle - only flipped.  I could do backstroke up and down the lanes all day long.  On my back, I can breathe.  Whenever I want. Backstroke Freestyle has been my nemesis.  Try as I may, I only make it halfway down the lane before I'm sputtering and spitting water. I've covered all my bases - I have goggles, and earplugs, a proper swim suit and a swim cap.  Each time I get in the water, I think how outwardly  comfortable I am.  The water at the Y is probably a tad to warm - like bathwater...so no complaints ther

Thursday Thinkin'

Image
What a hell of a week.  No time to talk, just keeping on.  Not really that terrible in it's parts, but all put together - thinks have been pretty exhausting.  Here's my wah-wah...just thinking "out loud." The kids - wow, did anyone else experience any "transformations" due to the full moon??  My 9yo dear daughter has been the most resistant in school ...my 2yo has found is "screaming, whining voice," and if my 13yo calls me Mother one more time I'm going to prove to him that I'm still tougher than he is. The training - following the low volume triathlete plan from Racing Weight .  Excited to do some speed interval training on the bike and get in the water twice a week - but it's taking some getting used to.  A little different than just pounding the pavement and taking a spin on the bike each week.  Oh, and the weight training...yah. The house - what a mess.  Thank God for my husband...he does dishes and laundry and bathes kids.

One Week Review

Image
Week one of following the Racing Weight plan is hereby deemed a success. I can't say I followed it to a "T" but I did my best. I set my calorie limit at 1700/day and aimed to get 30% of my calories from protein.  That was harder than it sounds.  I had to go back to eating meat and dairy - and of course, the swelling in my feet and ankles is back. I'm going to stick it out and get this last few pounds off.  When I start training again for my next event, I will go back to the vegan diet.  It's got a great carb ratio for endurance sports. The Quick Start Guide includes Low Volume and High Volume training plans for runners, cyclists and triathletes.  Each 8 week plan has two days of strength training that is outlined and illustrated move by move in a preceding chapter. I am following the Low Volume plan for Triathletes.  I have not yet competed in a tri, but have been biking and swimming this year, and have high hopes!  The training days look like this:

Day In The Life

Image
Beth, over at Shut Up + Run does periodic posts about the "everyday wonderfulness" of our lives.  Her recent post is on par with her usual style of writing, and she even challenged other bloggers to write their own exciting post on their not always so exciting lives. My life is probably the antithesis of excitement to some...maybe to much excitement for others.  Whatever it is, it's mine and a gift from God even in it's frustrations.  So here it is - A Day In The Life of Life Is Beautiful. 5:30am - alarm on cell phone vibrates to wake me up.  I'm not a morning person.  At. All.  So I get up and immediately sweet talk the coffee maker (that HAS a timer on it that I never remember to set!) I know, I'm very sexy at 5:30am.  Try not to stare. After eating half a banana and sucking back a little coffee, I go out for a bike ride or a run.  On a swim day, I'm already in the pool halfway done with my workout by now. 7:00 - home to shower and get ready

Don't Be Confused

Image
I frequently make this mistake in naming one of my favorite Star Trek characters.  Lt. Commander TUVOC not TUPAC. Do NOT confuse either one of these.  On either end.  The tubes look the same - honest! Yikes - don't get these confused...unless your cooking - and even then. And finally...don't ever, ever, ever, let me find you confusing these two: Just a little funny for your day. Having a bit of a high stress week (ah the joys of home schooling!) so needed a little laugh. Headed for our church's Women's Retreat tomorrow - time for a recharge.  Phew!!

Racing Weight

Image
Closing up the racing season, I've decided to try another approach to weight loss.  After loosing 60 pounds in 2010 using calorie counting and exercise, I've struggled with the last 20 in 2011.  I lost 7 pounds in the first few months of the year, but have been in a holding pattern since then. I realized in the last several months, that my endurance sport activities were somewhat hindering my weight loss efforts.  I went looking for sound advice and found plenty of weight loss advice out there for those that are looking to get off the couch.  But not much to go on for those that are already working out 5+ hours per week.  I guess it's assumed that "those people" are already at an optimal weight.  Simply increasing my activity and lowering my calories is not sufficient at this point. I knew that I need to "clean up" my diet, and was curious about timing my nutrition around my workouts.  I've been swimming and cycling more, and don't want to

Market to Market Relay

Image
Market to Market is an 86 mile relay race that is run from the Old Market in Omaha Nebraska, to the Haymarket in Lincoln Nebraska.  This is the 4th year.  About 200 teams of 6-8 runners run 2 or 3 stages of an average of four miles each stage. Lynn, Chris, Aaron, Mark, Shaun, David, Myself, Dave Our team was named the Southview Striders after our church Southview Baptist Church.  We were in the first wave that began at 6am from Omaha.  I don't know how the other six participants slept the night before - but combine nerves with a sick 2 year old - and David and I didn't get much sleep.  Our alarm was set for 3:30, and coffee was a must. I didn't get any pictures of the first two exchanges due to it being dark and heavy fog.  The temperature was about 40 degrees and there was little to no wind.  A perfect day for a race!  My husband, David, was runner #3 and had three legs of the race.  I was runner #7 with two legs. David takes off on his second leg of the race j