Just finished an 8.50 mile

Just finished an 8.50 mile and a hilly 8 mile ride! Woo hoo! My lungs are burning from the cool fresh air.

IMG00714-20110901-1902.jpg

IMG00711-20110901-1754.jpg

It's go time.

Slow and Steady gets faster

Well, things have been going pretty well with running these past couple of weeks. I've been working on my mile to build some strength and trying not to overdo my distance and avoid injury. Ive been trying to pay close attention to my form and it has really made a difference.

When I picked back up on running this summer and started to work on my mile I was running about a 10 minute mile. I've been working that down to low or mid 9's. Quickest mile thus far has been 9:07. Now that I feel a little bit better about my mile time and I feel my legs are a teency bit stronger, I'm going to start picking up those runs to 1.5 and 2 miles.....still throwing one milers in there to work on my speed progress.

I'm capable of running further..but right now, distance is not my goal, it's strength and speed....once I can elevate those areas, distance will come more quickly and less painfully. 

New goal for my mile is sub 9 minute...should come along shortly with the way I have been progressing.

I still have not had a bike ride for a couple of months and I am really excited to get back on my bike. I'll have a great opportunity this week, we are going up to Houghton Lake for the whole holiday. I'm heading up tomorrow night and Kath will be meeting up with me Thursday night. There are plenty of gorgeous areas to ride and run there.....I plan on taking advantage of them. I'll be driving up in the jeep with half doors and no hard or soft top and my bike on the back!  VERY Excited!

Run-Swim-Et-cetera-etera-era

Today was one of the loveliest days of summer. The temp was perfect, the breeze was perfect, and the night air was perfect!

I ran outside for the first time in a long while. It felt nice, my pace was not terrible...it was hot. I'm used to being inside, out of the sun, most of the time with air conditioning(spoiled). I want to run outside more, it gets boring on the treadmill. I ran about a mile and a half at about a 10:30 pace and then jumped in the pool when I got home. Jumping in the pool felt like heaven. After skimming out some bugs and leaves I swam 10 laps the length of the pool and back, One lap, back and forth, is about 90 ft total. Both exercises were very enjoyable...which is the goal.

I have a sheet I've been using to keep track of my "tv" exercises. I mentioned before that I am doing basic free weight and floor exercises when I watch tv, two birds. I have this sloppy page of paper listing each exercise and a hash for each set of reps with a line between days. I find that hashing down and having a visual "journal" of my "leisurely tv exercises" encourages me to do more and makes me feel accomplished. Yippee!

July was a fun month, lot of company, lots of parties by the pool and lots of drinking. I decided to take August off to give my liver a break : ) I haven't drank any booze for almost 3 weeks now, which for me is like a season.

I still have yet to get on my bike in weeks and I'm really looking forward to it!!

Please feel free to comment below and share your exercises, eating tips, experiences, thoughts, etc.

Thanks Chuck Norris

Although I have not checked in for several days, I am indeed keeping to my fabylous efforts. I have ran a few times since my last post, chipping my mile down a bit; 9:44, 9:34, 9:32. It seems that just above 9:30 is where it's at for me right now, I'll try to shoot for that range when I incorporate a quick mile into my workout. Right now I know I couldn't hold that pace, my goal for now is to work toward being able to hold a 10 minute pace for a 5k. I plan to continue working on my mile and getting used to a little more speed and then pushing myself a little further when I feel ready.

In addition to light running; I'm working on some pretty simple leg, core and upper body exercises. I love having a total gym....there are a lot of jokes about Chuck Norris, really good ones actually ! All joking aside, Chuck created the Total Gym and for working out at home it's really great. There are a ton of strengthening exercises you can do all on one machine. There is certainly more room for error with the total gym versus using a bunch of different machines that are all specified for certain exercises. For me, it gets the job done as long as you do your homework and make sure your positioning and posture are correct. The brightest side is being able to target so many areas and still work out at home. My parents have a total gym and I used to use it when I lived with them, I found someone selling a used one online for something like 60 bucks years ago....smokin' deal.

Something else I've been doing for years, but am doing with a but more vigor and diligence now, is doing crunches, leg lifts and lifting free weights while watching tv. It's nice to be accomplishing something while you watch the death box.

They once made a Chuck Norris toilet paper, but it wouldn't take shit from anybody.

Midnight Snack

A big downfall for me has always been eating at night. This is partially from getting home after 8 or 9 pm and being hungry from a days work. I really need to break this habit, because that is really what it has become for me, a habit. A fat habit.

Eating before bed can be problematic in multiple ways. First; your body will not likely properly digest the food that you ate, causing bloating, gas and cramping in the morning. blagh... Secondly; Your body is working to digest food while you are supposed to be resting and recuperating for the next day, not only will you feel bloated, crampy, gassy and fat in the morning, but you will be tired throughout the day. This is really not sounding worth it at all. Lastly; all the extra NON-BURNED calories have to go somewhere......I have a couple key areas it's evident they like to go.

Lots of people like to say NO EATING AFTER 7! Well, it's really more like "Don't eat meals or heavy foods 3 hours before bed." If you usually don't go to bed until 12 or 1.....you can still eat a small meal up to 9 or 10...I would also consider how active you'll be those 3 hours leading up to sleepy time.

After work I got a mile in before getting too relaxed. Tonight was faster at 9:44...I was happy with that. I also did some stretching and leg lifts, 3 sets of 20.I was feeling very snacky tonight, I'm happy to say I had a nectarine!

Take the edge off

The last two days were really nice, what a great weekend. I find that when I've had a run, long or short, it really smooths all my edges. Areas where I may be feeling moody or cranky or edgy, even a quick run can really sand those puppies down.

Yesterday I ran a mile and did forearm pulls on the Total Gym, 3 sets of 25, I felt that today in my arms. My mile was 10:50.....not fast....but decent for me. I added another quarter mile after doing my arm reps for good measure. Later I shot some hoops outside for about half an hour, I am REALLY rusty...but I love bball, later I went for a nice dip to cool off.

Today I ran another mile, sped it up a bit to 9:59. This is actually a pretty decent mile for me. My goal with these single mile runs is to make myself run a little faster and get used to running faster before I increase my mileage. I'm also running in my WT10 minimus shoes, which are a strengthening tool all on their own. This is a different approach for me, but I like it so far. I also did bicep pulls on the total gym, 3 sets of 25.  Right after my workout I played some more bball for about 45 minutes....my shots improved but I am still VERY rusty.  My GAGA remixes definitely had a part in me bringing down my mile time. : )

Those two days of some fun exercise felt great...I can feel that my body is stronger from all the effort I put in during April and May. I'm really looking forward to a decent bike ride...soon.

Now to balance my athletic efforts at fitness.....I'm going to make mini cheesecakes, they will take another kind of edge off....and I'm sure they will help "round" me out.

I'm a nerd.

I'm not Slim Shady, but I'm back ...just shady.

Hey y'all.

Well I took myself a break from blogging and a break from my intensive workout program. I am proud of what I had accomplished back in the spring. I tend to be all or nothing when it comes to exercise and nutrition, I need to teach myself that it doesn't have to be that way, small steps are ok and not a fail. It may take me some time to convince myself that I can be both, intensive and non intensive, simultaneously, and still have results with both fitness and physique. For some reason I feel like I need to workout for 2 hours to really have it be worth while. Inside myself I know this is not true and I need to re train myself to be alright with a quick mile run and that's all, or swimming for 20 minutes and that's it. I feel so accomplished by completing a challenge that I set for myself and sometimes when I don't feel challenged I want to give up. Well, time for a new leaf.....this is all part of the experience of this blog....my journey...every part of it...

This doesn't mean I'm giving up my long bike rides or running or anything.....I'm just going to try and let things flow a little more smoothly so that exercise and nutrition do not feel like an obligation, but a privilege, and a thoroughly enjoyable one.

Today I went swimming for about 20 minutes, did a couple of laps and some fun flips and some swimming under water. Later I ran a mile and then went swimming at night with some friends. As we were floating in the pool chatting I was doing leg lifts and treading water off and on for about half an hour...I see this as a good and active day and I'm happy to say I'm getting back on my fitness horse!

yee haw!

.

101 Mile week and BURNED!

Well, I did it.....and it was great! 6 days, 101 miles, 96 on a bike and 5 on foot. I am happy that i set a high, but obtainable goal, and accomplished it, plus 1!

Some friends and family thought I was putting too much on my plate too early, some thought I was CRAZY and going to hurt myself. I'm not really one to set myself up for failure, I like to succeed, I knew I could do this and my body feels great.

Some of you who are avid runners and cyclists think 100 mile week is like a vacation, so there are always multiple perspectives. My goal is to challenge and strengthen myself  where I am (my body), not compared to what anyone else thinks, or can, or can not do.

All of that being said; here is my week in review:

Monday 5/2/11 -      27.5 mile ride

Tuesday 5/3/11 -      2.5 mile run

Wednesday 5/4/11 - 17.5 mile ride

Thursday 5/5/11 -     30 mile ride

Friday 5/6/11 -         10 mile ride (on indoor bike SUCKED) and 2.5 mile run

Saturday 5/7/11 -     11 mile ride and the most rewarding thus far!


Sunday was the first day I have not exercised in 3 weeks, I thought it was well deserved. I suppose scrubbing our pool with a long pole and brush and taking a leisurely 4 mile bike ride with Jake and Kath could count as some form of exercise, but not focused. We spent the latter portion of the day BAKING in the sun. I am VERY burned, WoW and OUCH! It is going to be gorgeous again today and I'll want to be in the sun, I'll have to cover up, or hide in the shade.

So now for WEEK 4 of Flabby to Fabbylous.

My plan for this week is not as intense as last week, but equally as important. The focus this week will be core strengthening, general strengthening and stretching. I will be incorporating yoga, lots of free weight exercises, some total gym and of course some cardio, like running and biking, but not a set amount, just whatever comes. I also want to continue to focus on some detoxification using dandelion tea and lots and lots of water and water with lemon.

Time to keep on truckin' toward Fabbylous.

Closer to the finish

Yesterday I had two separate adventures totaling 30 miles.

I went to the Trans Canada Trail, which is pretty cool, it is a trail over old railroad tracks. Once the trail is complete it will connect across the entire country of Canada. Much of the trail is complete already, the one in Windsor goes out to Kingsville, which is about a 40ish mile ride round trip. I had never ridden this trail so I drove out to it and gave it 13.5 miles. It is not paved and a little pebbly, thus slowing me down a few MPH. I enjoyed the lack of traffic and the scenery, I did not enjoy road crossings every couple miles and the terrain slowing me down.

Check out the trail http://www.tctrail.ca/tlocator/tlocator_en.html

After stopping home and taking the pups out for a tinkie, I went back to a local area where I like to ride, gave that 16.5 miles, putting me at 30 for the day.  I was previously at 47.5 so adding 30 puts me up to 77.5 out of 100 for this week. Now I am on the home stretch!

It is supposed to rain the next couple of days, I won't let that stop me from reaching my goal.

Progress....and some Bitching

Ok, so Tuesday I decided I was going to run. It was NOT enjoyable. I felt like a slug with zero energy, I figured it was because I had rode a fair distance the day before....after some more thought....I think it was just because I hadn't had any coffee that morning *insert cheesy shrill horror music* I ended up rounding my 27.5 mileage tally up to 30 with a 2.5 mile run that felt like 100, ugh.

Last night I went out for a ride after work, did my best to get as much in as I could with the remaining daylight. I ended up with 17.4 brining my tally to 47.4 out of 100 for the week.

 There were people everywhere! I get annoyed when people get in my way, even if they have every right to, I'm just a bitch that way. I get really irritated when there is a 10 foot wide path with a yellow line down the middle and one group of people blocks the entire roadway. HELLO, this is not considerate of others! Not everyone wants to walk, Rollerblade, bike, walk dogs, meander aimlessly at your friggin pace! Kill!
So, needless to say, as the weather gets nicer I need to find a less congested area to ride. The congested area only makes up for about 8-10 miles of my ride, but still.

Not to bitch and bitch, but there is another thing I would like to address about public trails. If you are strolling along a trail that people use for fitness of any kind, how do you think it is ok to SMOKE on these trails? OK, I used to be a smoker, I understand that "hey, it's outside" or "I can't even smoke inside anymore, now you wanna bitch about smoking on a trail?" YES, I want to complain big time! Step away from the trail please, be courteous. If I wanted to inhale stomach wrenching fumes, I would find a big stinky semi or a garbage truck to follow throughout my ride or run, I wouldn't go to a public athletic trail.
Smokers- You have no idea how stinky you are, until you quit. I had no idea how my stench carried and embedded into my clothes and went up everyones noses until I stopped smoking, now I know what it's like and let me tell you, it is very offensive. It is doubly offensive when your body is working hard and vulnerable to smells and tastes. I know what it's like to be on both ends of this equation, it is much more difficult to stomach smoke stench during exertion, than it is to be courteous and move your ass 20 feet to the side of a trail, so others aren't negating their fitness efforts.


Bitching Over. Nuff Said.

Week 3, 100 miles and detox!

I have set out to complete 100 miles this week between running and cycling (cycling obviously being the lions share). Monday I rode 27.5, and I worked hard for almost all of it. Half the ride I was staying between 16 and 19 mph, the wind was at my back, so that helped. Heading back into the wind was far more resistance but I still pushed to stay around 14 or 15 mph. I know I could go faster with a road bike, but I don't like the limitations of a road bike, some of the places I go can get pretty rocky and I would not want to cut those routes out for a faster ride. I'll stick with my hybrid.

I'm starting to get to the tipping point where my body is tapping into some fat and releasing some toxins. Our fat stores nasty amounts of toxins and when we start to melt it away those toxins seep out into our body. This can make us sick and getting sick will really mess up my 100 mile week! Toxins are like poison, kryptonite even! Rigorous exercise, with sweating and panting and all of that, is an awesome way to release excess sodium and toxins, this is why sweat is so salty. When you are burning a lot of fat, sweat alone is not enough to get rid of the toxins.

A couple of things that I am doing this week to expel toxins are;

1. Drinking lemon water

2. Drinking dandelion tea

Lemon is a natural detoxer, it breaks down toxins in the liver and pulls them out through your urine. Lemon is actually a natural diuretic as well.  Lemon juice also improves the alkalinity of our bodies.

I'm not talking about squeezing one dinky dried out lemon slice into your tap water at the restaurant, you may as well just order a martini.

Get yourself some fresh lemons(2 or 3 big juicy ones), squeeze the heck out of them and add 24-36 oz of water. Drink up, this will help detox your day.

 Dandelion tea is also a natural diuretic, it cleanses the liver and is a natural antioxidant. Dandelion tea is also full of vitamins and potassium which is often greatly reduced by other diuretics. For more info on the health benefits of Dandelion Tee (and there are MANY) go here.  To purchase some Dandelion Tea through Amazon click here.

A week in running

I consider Saturday to be the official end of my workout week. I have decided that Sunday is bonus day. This does not mean that Sunday is a slack off day, but I figure I just won't really have expectations for Sunday. If I bike 30 miles, GREAT, if I just run a quick 2, that's fine too.

Week 2 of my Flabby to Fabby transition has come to a close and I feel moderately satisfied. I ran a neat 20 miles this week and that is probably in my top two or three longest running weeks for the past ten years. I feel good about hitting a five mile run this week as well. I'm not thrilled that the past two days I only ran 2 miles each day, but I don't want to push too hard out of the gate and get injured, especially while doing strengthening runs with my WT10's.

My legs feel pretty good, I am having some tightness on the inner side of my soleus muscle (lower calf muscle) on my left leg, so I'm taking the mileage a little easy. Next week will be back to biking. I have a set a goal, I would like to complete a collective mileage of 100 miles next week, between running and biking.

Week in review 4/24/11-4/30/11:

*Each day includes some variation of strength training other than a run

Easter Sunday - 2 mile Run (wt10 strengthening) **bonus day, I don't count the mileage toward my week

Monday -  4 mile run

Tuesday - 5 mile run

Wednesday - 3 mile run (wt10 strengthening)

Thursday - 4 mile run

Friday - 2 mile run (wt10 strengthening)

Saturday - 2 mile run

20 mile week, not too shabby for a Flabby

STOP! Don't Brake!

There are two major things that can REALLY slow you down AND contribute to injury during running or walking.

1. Allowing your heel to absorb the majority of impact.

2. Over extending or Locking your knees.

Both of these actions are equivalent to putting on the brakes in your bodys movement.

Say you are sledding down hill and you need to stop ASAP. How do you put on the brakes? You dig your heels in. So why would we dig our heels in when we run or walk? are we trying to stop? Why would we want to extend our heels out on an angle that causes our body to jar and essentially stop the flow of our bodys movement? Bad habit I suppose. Such a difference it makes removing this habit from your running or walking form, and what a difference it has has made for me.

As bad; or worse, is the locking of the knees. Our knees absorb 3 pounds of shock for every pound in our body. Have you ever jammed your finger? Those connecting bones in your finger are not supposed to slam together, that's why it hurts so damn bad. Similar story goes for the knee. When you lock your knee back, your bones nearly bang together(or they DO, depending on how damaged)....your bones collectively absorb that 3x body weight. There is some padding there, but not nearly the amount available while your knee is bent. Even worse, is landing full weight onto a locked knee......*cringe* landing on that bent knee absorbs the shock, landing on a locked knee sends shock waves through your body, typically channeling that shock into your weakest areas.

High repetition of these motions can cause multiple injuries that stop you, slow you down and excuse your lazy alter ego.

After my 4 mile run today, I am at 16 for the week. Since following these two rules, my legs and knees feel great!

Wake up and stretch!

I am feeling it today.....had to wake up and stretch this morning! My running distance this week has been more than I have done in over a year, plus the strength training. It feels good to have sore muscles, this means I am getting stronger! I like strength training, but there is nothing like a good cardio workout to really get your blood circulation going and boost your fitness level.

Stretching is so important, yet I hate doing it. It is hard not to half a$$ through stretching and cut it short. I'm trying to take more time with it, but I just get bored.

If anyone has any stretching techniques that you enjoy, please share!

TIP:  If muscles start getting really sore and uncomfortable, sometimes you stop being proud and it starts to put a damper on your day. I learned this from my old man; take a Motrin and a Tylenol or two. The Mortin is an anti inflammatory, takes down the swelling, and the Tylenol is a pain reliever, combined they are magical....just magical.

Off to another day in the life of Flabby2fabbylous!

Lazy Alter Ego

Yesterday I set out to run another 4 miles. I wanted to tell the whiny 2 year old inside of me who was boss, me.

Well, the whiny 2 year old is more like a Lazy Alter Ego. We all have at least one. That jackass- really knows how to work it. We get excited and we get motivated to change our lives and then LAE swoops in and knows just which justifications to push. I'm too tired, cleaning, kids, I had a good workout yesterday, I've made progress, I just don't feel like it, I don't have the right clothes, the right shoes, the right equipment, it's too cold, I'm hungover, on and on and on it goes until we are stereotypical FAT fools wondering what the hell happened. We gave up, gave in, succumbed, or are just plain lazy.

I've decided that I am the boss of the LAE and that fugger reports to me.

So as I was saying, I set out to run 4 miles yesterday, in the spirit of kicking the LAE's A$$, I did 5. It felt good, and I really didn't run into any worrisome pains or cramps, I think it was karma.

Today I ran 3 miles in my WT10's again. I am really starting to enjoy this shoe. Let me tell you, I felt the difference. My left ankle was letting me know how it felt about the lack of support(intentional in this footwear line) as mile 3 approached, I also had some cramping in my left hamstring after I finished. Surprisingly I am not experiencing any shin discomfort at all thus far, I think this is attributed to the amount of focus I have been putting on my form.

Important TIP:

-USE BODY GLIDE! Body glide is the best stuff for an athlete! Who has had a blister? Every human, athletic or not. Who has worn the wrong clothes in the wrong weather and had serious chafing? Most humans! Body glide goes on like deodorant but it is clean, not greasy, odor free and SAVES YOUR ASS, literally! When you run/walk a distance, and you have a big bootie,....well....sometimes you can run into a chafing issue. BODYGLIDE. When you wear the wear cotton anywhere on your body that can rub, the cotton is absorbent and holds sweat against your body, your skin gets soft and moist, as it rubs together you chafe and blister. ewwww and ouch! BODYGLIDE! Your bra line, your nipples (male or female), underarms, between legs, bootie cheeks, FEET most of all, feet! This stuff is gold! Put it on and suit up.

It's been 5 straight days of running, I'm ready for a bike ride!

Sweat gets in your eyes.....

Yesterday was a dreary mofo of a day. Rain..blagh...rain. Looks like it's going to be that way until Saturday. I am blessed to have a room tucked away in my basement where is can workout. I have enough equipment to cover my basis. I have a treadmill, total gym, stationary bike, couple free weights, an ab roller and a PUNCHING BAG! I love my punching bag....it has helped me through some times. I have collected all this stuff over the past 10 years, it sounds like a lot, but it took time to get it all. I'm telling you about all this crap because I want you to know, I have ZERO excuse not to workout. I don't have to leave the house, it doesn't matter what I look like, what the weather is doing, unless I am sick or away from home, there is no excuse.

I wasn't really 'Feeling it' yesterday. Wanted to play on the computer, tidy about the house, play with the dogs, twirl my hair, ANYTHING other than start running. Well, I got my a$$ up, suited up and went to it. I did some strengthening BS, some total gym and leg lifts and some free weights, stretched and got on the mill.

I like to start out with weights on my arms. This may sound odd. I have two 2 LB weights, the kind you can wrap around your ankles. I wrap these around my hands and run with them on for the first mile. This contributes major toning to my arms and upper body, it also makes me feel weighted down and extra laboured through the first mile. This sounds sucky....it really isn't so bad. Once I throw the weights on the floor, I feel super light and invigorated to pick up the pace for the remaining mileage.

After I threw the weights off, the next mile and a half were tough. I was feeling tired and I didn't want to focus on my form at all. It was like arguing with a 2 year old inside myself. I set out to do 4 miles. The 2 year old wanted to call it a day at a 5k. A 5k is a respectable distance, it's even long enough to be an event.

My stubborn mule willpower won out in litigation against the 2 year old and I did all 4 miles. It felt good all in all and I was really sweating! I hope you can't get pink eye from sweat getting in your eyes, even with my headsets headband I was still getting an eye full. Tobi, our 4 month old lab, was hanging out with me while I ran, he kept threatening to try and get on the treadmill. He was helping me stretch afterwards, photo below.

Today I'm gonna do another 4, just to show that 2 year old who's boss!

IMG00343-20110425-1439.jpg

Tobi is helping me stretch

Easter foot, ankle and calves

So yesterday I took it pretty easy. Easter was a really lovely day, it was supposed to be cloudy and crappy all day and it turned out to be perfect weather! My day started with coffee, a workout, cleaning and cooking a delicious chicken vegetable soup, again. I made this soup last week but still had a lot of the ingredients and I didn't want them to go to waste. Kath's parents came to eat and visit with us, I got an Easter Lilly from Kath's Mom. :  ) The day ended with loved ones on the front porch with great conversation and a fair amount of tequila. Solid day.

I wasn't planning on doing much in the way of a workout since I was happy with my week and wanted a nice rest. I did end up doing a couple of miles in my WT10, this is a new shoe for NB in their minimus line(click link for more info on this product).  I use this shoe to strengthen my feet, ankles and calves. How does this work? Without going into too detailed an explanation, I will compare this style of running shoe to your typical running shoe.

Imagine you are running barefoot along the beach....every step is carefree (as long as it is a clean beach) and you know you can rely on the sand to absorb the weight of your body. (similar to your typical running shoe)

Now imagine you are running barefoot on a paved or concrete surface, your body becomes much more tentative, you know each impression of your weight upon that hard surface is going to wrack your body with the shock, not to mention the discomfort on the bottoms of your feet. (minimus running shoe or vibram 5 finger)

Which running style requires better form, control and strength? The answer is clear.

So, using this shoe is quite(5 finger is closer, not quite ready for that) close to running barefoot. I would not run more than a handful of miles this way until I have reached a new level of strength in my calves, ankles and feet. This will ultimately make be a better athlete in all facets, being that the foot, ankle and calves are the foundational support of my body.

Looking forward to another great week of my transition from flabby 2 fabbylous!

29.5 The wind is my enemy!

Today I rode out to the Belle River Marina (photo below post) 29.5 miles. The first 15 were smooth as silk, the wind was at my back and I was flying with ease. The 15 back were HELL.....the wind was continuous and gusting. I must say, the wind made for one hell of a workout, but I have dubbed the wind my enemy.

I am happy with my week:

Tuesday - ran 4 miles (2 and 2) and strength training

Wednesday - Yoga *sorta

Thursday - 20 mile bike ride

Friday -  5k and strength training

Saturday - 29.5 mile bike ride (15 in the WIND!)

I'm now rewarding myself with a delicious margarita and will relax for the night with my wonderful girl.
Tomorrow will be a day of rest. I may hop on the mill for a couple of miles at most.

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Cheers!

IMG00336-20110423-1450.jpg

Destination. Belle River Marina. It is windy but beautiful! 15 to get here, now 15 back to the jeep.

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

IMG00334-20110423-1429.jpg

Quick stop to scope the view. Mile 11

5k today....poor girls

Howdy from sweatvillle!

Before I talk about the workout I just want to say a couple things about this blog.

1. Comments are now open to everyone, I didn't realize before that you had to be a member, so that is now fixed and anyone can comment and share thoughts and experiences.

2. I'm sorry that the first day and a half was a little tough to read, I didn't spend much time increasing the visual appeal, hopefully now that is all fixed up.

So today I ran a 5k on my treadmill, since the weather is still depressing as He((.  I did a couple things right, and a couple of things wrong, going into this run today.

On the positive side, I still pushed myself to work hard and not slack off on this run, even though I was feeling good about my 20 mile ride yesterday. Sometimes when you have a really good workout you feel like it is ok to slack off the next day, or next couple of days. I am trying to put that mentality behind me and push hard without sustaining injury.

Another thing I was working on doing right, was to focus on one small area straight ahead of my vision, with my head forward, and focus on keeping that line of vision steady. If you are looking, say, at a stop sign up ahead, during a run or walk, and your vision is bouncing around that object, then your form and posture are OFF and you are wasting a lot of energy that could be driving you a further distance. I've learned the importance of this form tool from two parts of my life. First; from Miss Ann's dance lessons, learning posture and balance for dance moves and turns. Secondly; and later in life, through good form walking and running, taught by New Balance and Playmakers (my employers).

Now for the naughties.

I was wayyy under supported. My poor girls were all over the place. I know better.....I don't know what I was thinking, running in a sport top with a shelf bra that was built for pre-teen girls, I won't make that mistake again.

I was not musically prepared. I had a weak playlist and when I run, music is so key in my ability to maintain a great tempo. I had to keep flipping through songs and was wasting energy and losing track of my form. Messy.

So....next run over a couple miles, I will have the girls on lock down and a playlist full of hot tempo music that will keep me motivated.

20+ some extra Protein

I was so excited to finally have a sunny and supposedly warm day to get out and ride. Well, I went today and whooooo it was cold when I left! There was also this B!tchin' 20 mph wind providing some serious resistance! All in all, the first 20 miler and longest ride this season is behind me and it was rather enjoyable.

I received an extra dose of protein along the way. After leaving my parking spot, I had ridden about 1 mile, when I realized I had left my water bottle in the Jeep. I thought, ehhhhh, I'll just follow this loop and stop at the jeep after about 5 miles and grab it. A mile or so after this internal conversation a HUGE, NASTY bug flew right into my throat!! AGH! I was really grossed out by this and really regretting my decision not to turn around for my water. So I got to ride another 3 miles with this creeped out feeling and no water.

I mean, this bug was big enough that I saw its body before I ATE it!

Suit up.....

Nothing is less inspiring than heading out to exert yourself without well fitting, comfortable and functional athletic apparel. Those who know my occupation may see me as biased here and schluff off this comment, but there is none more true. When you are busting your @ss you definitely don't want to be wearing some sweat absorbing crap apparel that is going to cause you to chafe and blister and feel nasty. You also don't want to be busting your @ss looking like a bum, I mean really....sloppy sweats and ratty 90's clothes will not make you feel confident about your workout. My advice, invest in something that makes you look and feel good about whatever activity you are doing. Don't fall out from sticker shock either. If you're buying quality athletic apparel, the price will not be low, but it will outlast any other crap you buy and function x1000.

I just suited up in my weather appropriate tights and top to go biking. I'll also be sporting a thermal hat because it is still quite cold and windy out. My most important suit-up-item? My phone. #1 because it has music and music is what inspires and drives me through life. #2 if I fall and break my head, arm, face, and legs...having my phone is a bright alternative to not.

and so it goes...

Well folks, here goes somethin'.

You know what? I used to be in great shape, had a nice bod *blush* and felt pretty good about my physical condition. 

Now....well....now I am fat. Being fat sucks. It's harder to bend down and pick things up, it's harder to move quickly, not to mention how hard it is on your joints and overall health and well being! UGH! Worst of all you feel like crap about yourself and it really gets you down!

SO, it is high time to whip this flabby into shape.

What is my plan you ask? Well, I feel that so many people set out to 'diet' or 'workout' with unrealistic expectations. I'm not going to be jumping on this blog every other day crying about how I didn't lose a pound or how I gained 2. I am going to talk about what I'm doing to make myself healthier, more physically fit, and ultimately less flabby and more fabbylous!

If I focus on health and fitness, without obsessing over one pound here and one there....I'll experience less frustration. I know that if I put my best efforts forth, I will reach positive results, THAT is my plan.

To talk a little about what has happened so far.....I have started biking, running, and doing strength training again. None of these things are new to me, my relationship with running has ebbed and flowed and I have enjoyed cycling more and more over the past few years.

At this point in time, the furthest I have ever run in one instance is 6 miles, 6 miles without walking or stopping. This was a couple years back when I was running about 20 miles a week. Right now I could give a $hit about my time....I feel accomplished by distance and ability to create stamina....once I have overcome those mountains, then I will start looking at times. Right now a 5k (3.1 miles) feels like a hefty amount of running to me, this is because I have not been running with any regularity for a long time.

At this point in time, the furthest I have ridden on my bike in one instance is about 25 miles. This distance was an enjoyable workout that I did somewhat frequently throughout the spring/summer/fall. I would like to push myself quite a bit further when it comes to my distance ability for cycling.

I do all sorts of mild strength training activities which I don't feel are worthy of too much discussion at this point. Kath and I just started doing yoga last night. I think we are gonna love it, so far we are so inflexible, we are like two bricks trying to stretch our bodies out into yoga poses. We will work at it and get stronger and more flexible!

When it comes to food, I'm not going to dive into some extreme or ultra restrictive diet. I do plan to be very conscientious of what is going in and what comes out, I'll leave it at that for now. : ) I think that bombarding myself with both a physical and a dietary overhaul could cause me to feel overwhelmed, so I plan to take it one day at a time and monitor my progress.

I am a VERY private person. Writing about my weight and my struggles and my private life will be outside of my comfort zone. I am also a proud person....and admitting I have some serious things to work on is not easy for me to do. I am purposely pushing myself outside of my comfort zone as a launch of my new fabbylous self. I hope that you will feel encouraged by my journey, and encourage me to push through any upcoming challenges.  If you are someone facing similar self-image and weight struggles, I would like to challenge you to join me in this journey to health, fitness and overall fabbylousness.