Meg in Training

Fight Gone Bad

2011-09-17T17:46:00.001-05:00

Today was my first ever Fight Gone Bad experience. For those of who who may not know, here's the official explanation:

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. We've used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)Row: calories (Calories)The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

The reason we did this workout today is to raise funds for FGB6 - a fundraiser that supports the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Infant Swimming Resource and Camp Patriot. Today, 15,000 CrossFitters throughout the country raised over $2.1 Million for these three charities and participated in this unforgettable workout.

Being my first time for FGB - I had no idea what to expect, but I walked in the gym knowing that at least I would PR! My personal goal was to at least reach 200. I knew that was completely possible.

Starting out round 1, everything was fairly simple except the box jumps. I hit 25 perfect wall balls, 20 SDHP, 15 box jumps, 20 PP and 15 calories on the rower. Round 2 was miserable. My wall balls dropped to around 15, I could hardly catch my breath to do sumo's, I swore that doing one more box jump would kill me. Push presses, which I normally dominate, made me feel like I was going to fall over. Lets not even mention rowing....

Luckily I had a great cheering section and a great judge. He really pushed me to keep going when all I wanted to do was collapse. When I made it to round 3 he looked at me and said "Round 3 is all guts. You got this. I can tell this weight is easy for you."

While round 3 sucked, it did not suck nearly as much as round 2. I pushed to finish as much as I could and I really think my only fault was not timing my breaks correctly. Had I planned it out what number of reps i wanted to reach along with break times, I would have paced myself for a much stronger workout and maybe 10-20 more points at least.

All in all, for my first time experiencing Fight Gone Bad, it was pretty memorable. I had a great time and it was for an amazing cause. Now, I look forward to raising my PR to 250 :-) I loved the competition setting of it and its really got me looking forward to our team competition in November.

9,300 CrossFitters and 31 Kids

2011-08-30T11:20:00.000-05:00

by Scott Zagarino

On August 6th 31 children lost their fathers in the same day. As it is, most of us don't stop long enough to breathe, much less ruminate for just a second what it would be like at 10-years old to watch as two uniformed men inform your mother that a grateful nation is telling her that her husband will never return, or that before she could even grasp the enormity of that grief, she had to tell her children. Since you may have read this far, ponder for a second the breaking hearts and the fear that goes from stunned to crumpled.

I have to apologize to you all, here and now, for doing something I had no right to do. We committed to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation that we would fund 60 college scholarships this year from a portion of the proceeds of Fight Gone Bad. On Aug 7th I called Steve and gave him my word we would fund 31 more scholarships. I had no right to commit to that on your behalf, but I gave my word and if it costs us everything, those kids are going to school.

More than the money, more than the scholarships, it's our friendship, our support and our thanks that these families need now. So, on Thursday, September 1, we're going to publish an open letter listing team by team, box by box, the 9,300 (or thousands more by then) CrossFitters who are teeing it up on September 17 first on the FGB6 Blog. We'll include a list of every registered team and what we've raised so far with an introduction that lets every one of the 31 children know how much we appreciate their sacrifice. We want them to know how much we want to help, and how much they can count on us, not just this September, but ever September until they graduate.

Come Thursday, please comment on Facebook and the blog, let them know who you are and why they matter to you. You may never again have the opportunity to do so much good in 17 minutes. There are more than 1,000,000,000 CrossFitters out there and we can change at least this small part of the world together on the 17th.

www.fgb6.org

Competition

2011-08-29T11:20:00.002-05:00

Last week I got an email from the gym that was sent out to our training team. It was about an upcoming competition in November. I expected to see something that was urging us to form teams and sign up for the competition. It explained a little bit about the competition and that the gym was going to put together an Rx and a scaled team and possibly a second scaled team. The coaches went ahead and chose the members for the Rx and first scaled team. The rest of the team would have to try out for the second scaled team.

I scrolled down to read the teams they had chosen and there it was. My name!!!! Surely this was a mistake…. I rubbed my eyes and yes…. It was correct. There it was under the scaled team. I couldn’t believe it! We have some really amazing crossfitters on our training team and it’s really a huge honor to be picked out of the crowd like that.

I’ve never participated in a CrossFit competition before and to be quite honest, the thought of it really excites me! I have to make sure it’s not too expensive before I choose to go. The competition isn’t local so I have to factor in lodging and the fee for the team to participate. Hopefully I’ll have a decision to share with you all very soon and I hope that the answer will be yes! I’m not sure if competing is something I want to start doing, but I feel like I should give it a chance before I rule it out!

Do you CrossFit? Have you participated in a competition before? What was your experience like?

Week 3 is over!

2011-08-28T12:33:00.000-05:00

Week 3 of our challenge is now over. I was hoping to experience more energy this week, but I didn't. I still felt less energetic than normal and that's not making this whole food challenge any easier. I'm starting to feel like I'm gaining weight rather than losing it.

We had our regular Friday night cheat meal (Pizza) and while other people in the challenge usually feel disgustingly sick after eating a cheat, I do not. I have to admit, Saturday was the best I have felt in all 3 weeks. I did have some leftover pizza for lunch when I got back from the gym too.

I'm not sure what's going on, but I can definitely say that this is not a lifestyle I want to continue. While I do enjoy eating clean and not feeling like I ate two cups of salt for dinner, I'm bored with the food I've been making. Some recipes have been great, others have been not so great. Mostly I miss having food with flavor. I guess I can partly blame it on my lack of culinary knowledge, but even some of the recipes I've tried are seriously lacking any type of flavor.

I've sent a copy of my food journal to my coach at the gym to see if they can help me out with my lack of energy. I've already decided that I'm not winning this competition, so I might as well focus on getting something helpful out of it for my own good.

My points weren't as good this week. My total was 172. Lost more points than usual for drinking non-water beverages (tea + coffee). Also, forgot to take my vitamins most of the week, which never happens.

I think this coming week, I'll add more potatoes and dairy back into my diet and see how my energy levels are looking. I think that maybe I've cut too far back on my carbs. Some people function better without carbs and others need more. I think I'm someone who needs them.

In other news, I'm attempting to make homemade mayo today. Will let you all know how that goes. It should be interesting!!!

Paleo Comfort Food

2011-08-24T08:49:00.001-05:00

I’ve been really struggling with the food challenge this week. It’s been hard to come up with new recipes that sound good. I’m not very adventurous when it comes to cooking and many times I won’t try a recipe if it has unusual ingredients in it. That’s mostly because I don’t want to buy that ingredient to make one meal for two that I may or may not like.

I’ve been really longing for comfort food, but we plan out our cheats for Friday nights. I also don’t want to waste a cheat on something I have to cook. I found this recipe last week and thought it sounded pretty good. I wasn’t sure about the coconut milk, but I’ve been coming across lots of paleo recipes asking for it, so I gave it a go: http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/03/29/everyday-paleo-salisbury-steak/

The kitchen was a mess, and it took me about an hour to make these. I’ve never used my food processor much since I got it a few years ago. Now it’s starting to get daily use. It’s just a tiny one that doesn’t hold much – I had to chop up the spinach in 4 batches just to get a cup of it chopped!

I did have problems with the patties trying to burn while they were frying in the pan. The directions want the pan to be very hot, but the oil starts to burn at such high temperatures. That’s something I’ll need to figure out next time. Perhaps I could make the patties even thinner for a faster cooking time.

Then, I forgot to add the mushrooms to the pepper and onion while they were sautéing. When I poured in the beef broth, I looked over and saw those mushrooms sitting there. Oops! I tossed them in while the broth was boiling and I was deglazing the pan and everything still turned out just fine!

Once the steaks and the gravy were done, I was super excited to give them a try. The sautéed veggies looked pretty good.

My plate doesn’t look quite as pretty as the website, but these sure did have a lot of flavor in the meat and the “gravy”! This is the first meal since we started the paleo challenge 2 ½ weeks ago that my husband has referred to as “delicious.” I would absolutely prefer this dish over a non paleo version any day!

Food Challenge Week 2

2011-08-20T16:22:00.000-05:00

I made it through the second week of the food challenge. I'm surprised really that I made it this far without quitting. My husband and I were looking forward all week to a cheat dinner and we ordered pizza last night. and garlic bread. and toasted ravioli. and a salad. It really tasted amazing and was worth the wait. I also had 2 glasses of tea yesterday, which is more than I've allowed myself to have since the challenge started.

I couldn't sleep a wink last night.

I don't know if it was because of the cheat dinner, or maybe it was the caffeine in the tea? Before the food challenge i could drink a gallon of tea before bed and it wouldn't keep me awake. Last night was just restless, crappy sleep. I tossed and turned all night and kept my poor husband awake.

Today, I went to team training at the gym at 8am, when that was over, the 9:30 rehab class was starting so I joined in on that too. Then went to the mall at 12 to help do demonstrations at the Reebok store. I'm plain exhausted. I want to nap, but I'm hoping that if I stay awake it will make it easier for me to sleep tonight.

Looking back on my food this week, I'm pretty satisfied with my choices. I kept away from grains again, but dairy is really hard for me to get rid of. I like having milk with my protein shake and cheese on my burger sometimes.

I only had 2 cheat meals this week (unless dinner turns into one tonight - we're out of food and grocery day is tomorrow) which is way better than the 6 we had last week (2 full days of cheat meals!). I had no deductions for alcohol or sweets though, and i took quite a few of those last week.

Really my only deductions on a regular basis are my cup of coffee or tea. I'm really tired of drinking water, so I don't really want to give up those...

Everyone at the gym was feeling tired and sluggish last week, but it seems to have waited to hit me until this week. I feel just plain yucky. While I don't get the feeling in the middle of the night anymore that I've had too much salt, I just don't really feel satisfied with the food we're eating. I'm always hungry, I can't seem to find a way to get flavor into our meals either. I'm getting bored with meat and veggies for dinner and none of the recipes I've been finding look or sound tasty to me. I'll keep trying though.

Onward to week three.

Carb withdrawals?

2011-08-16T13:56:00.000-05:00

Here I am, 3 days into week 2 and I've already almost quit this challenge 3 times. The only thing keeping me in it right now is my hubby. He's been incredibly encouraging and very supportive.

I am having a very difficult time finding things to make for dinner. I like cooking with fresh ingredients, but I just can't find anything exciting to cook at this point. Last week we had bun-less burgers, steak and shrimp, chicken breast, taco salad, ribs and sausage links.

I went to walmart and picked up some more produce today and that helped me get in the right mindset. I also found almond butter, which I've been trying to make myself for a few days with no luck. It's delicious!

I need to stick this out at least a full week before a cheat meal. I'm dying for anything with cheese or carbs in it really. That can wait for the weekend.

I don't miss bread as much as I thought I would, it's getting easier to have breakfast without it. I've found a few recipes that look pretty good that I think I'll try this week to give us something other than a plain meat + veggie meal.

I made stir fry last night and it turned out pretty well. I had a load of chicken, so I made it all, but wish I had added more veggies so there would have been more left for my lunch!
I've gone without tea for a few days now, but still can't let go of my coffee.

I really thought I would feel better by now but it just seems like I'm hitting the carb withdrawal phase tha everyone else experienced last week. Why can't this be easier?! Why do I hate veggies so much?!

9 Week Eat Better/Perform Better Challenge

2011-08-12T20:29:00.001-05:00

Its been a long time since I've posted. Life gets busy and it seems like my blogging is something that always gets put on the back burner first.

Over the next 9 weeks, I think I'm really going to need this blog along with some feedback, encouragement and support. At times, I'll probably also need a big kick in the head and someone to tell me to pick myself back up and keep working.

Our gym started a 9 week "Eat Better/Perform Better" challenge. We did a workout at the beginning of the challenge and we will repeat it at the end and compare our scores along with our weight and body fat percentage. There's about $500 in the pot for the winner and its all based on a points system. We gain points for paleo meals, but the stricter and cleaner the food, the more points. We get points for eating 5 times a day, having 4 or less hours between meals, sleeping 8 hours, taking vitamins and drinking 64 oz of water. We lost points for cheat meals, processed food, sweets, alcohol, no food within 30 minutes of working out and more.

I think this is going to be a great challenge and learning experience for all of us. For this week, I'm starting and ending the week with cheat days. Sunday was our first wedding anniversary and tomorrow is my best friend's bachelorette party. However, I think that with plenty of determination, I can continue to make up these points over the coming weeks and things will turn out OK.

I was surprised how easy carb cutting went for me this time. In past experiences, when i tried to cut out my carbs, i would get terrible headaches and feel like i was a walking zombie. This week, I've been getting between 70-100 carbs a day from my fruits and veggies and I feel pretty good. Wednesday was a little rough for me, hunger hit me late in the afternoon and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I tried drinking a ton of water, hoping that would help, but instead I ended up waking up through the night to make 5 trips to the bathroom.

This morning, I tried to make my own almond butter. I'm not sure if maybe I was not patient enough or maybe I need a stronger food processor, but I just couldn't get the almonds and honey ground into a creamy consistency. I'm left with a bowl of yummy stuff that somewhat resembles homemade protein bars though! I'll definitely give this a shot again, along with homemade mayo!

I did have a pretty big victory today. I went with co-workers to a mexican lunch for a good friend who is moving this weekend. I didn't eat a single thing while i was there. No chips, no salsa, nothing. Stuck to my plan and drank water, stayed for a limited amount of time (had to get to CrossFit on time!)and everything turned out swell! I am going to miss my pal though!

Thanks in advance for all your support over the next few months :-)

PR day!

2011-06-24T17:23:00.000-05:00

Today was a great day.

Worked half a day at work and then I headed to crossfit for 1pm class. I arrived around 12:30 so I decided to work on some skills.

I've been wanting to be able to kick up into a handstand for a long time, but I've been nervous about doing it without anyone to spot me. Today I decided to get over that fear and worked through it. I starting with progressions that I had seen on youtube. Practiced getting into the lunge and putting my hand on the floor in the correct position. Then as time passed i tried to kick up higher and higher.

Finally, this happened:

If you notice my head moving around a lot while I'm upside down, its because I was so excited!!!!

After the handstands I decided to work on my double under. I've been practicing and I know that I'm so close to getting them to click.

I took video of this as well, because i'm not sure exactly what i'm doing wrong. That was a huge help. Turns out I'm turning the jump rope with my arms instead of the wrist. My arms flail around in big circles! Eventually I put the camera away and just tried a few. I imagined that my arms were tied to my chest and I had to use my wrists.

I couldn't believe it.

I did 17 double unders in a row.

I might have done more if I hadn't started screaming once I realized that it was working.

I tried again and did 10 more. WOOO HOO! I got my handstand and my double under today!!!!

Exciting news.

2011-06-05T21:04:00.001-05:00

I haven't been posting nearly as often as I'd like, so I have a lot of news to share!

This past week I had my monthly measurements done and I'm happy to announce that I've officially lost 12lbs and 11 inches and nearly 4% bodyfat since I started CrossFit. I feel amazing, look leaner and everyone says I look like I've lost much more than 12 lbs. I have to attribute that to the fact that I'm much more muscular than previous times I've attempted weight loss.

Many women seem to look at "muscular" as a bad word. Well let me tell you something... Take a look at pictures of the women of the crossfit games and tell me what you think they look like... No, they aren't a bunch of Arnold Schwarzenegger's with boobs, they look healthy, strong and lean. (see video below if you don't believe me!)

Speaking of the CrossFit Games..... Here's my other piece of good news. I've been invited to join my gym's team to begin training for the 2012 CrossFit Games. I'm super psyched about this and squealed when I read the email from my coach. Its a great honor and I'm really looking forward to improving myself as an athlete over the next 12 months. It won't be easy, but I'm looking forward to mastering all the moves that have been giving me trouble over the last 6 months. Its going to be an amazing process, mentally and physically.

"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."
- Arthur C. Clarke

Stronger

2011-05-21T13:04:00.000-05:00

I've now been an official crossfitter for over 6.5 months. While I haven't lost a ton of weight, I am proud of my body. Three times a week I put it through rigorous workouts and it gets stronger and stronger.

My body is not the only thing getting stronger.

My confidence has skyrocketed over the past few months. I feel amazing and I'm always looking forward to my next workout. I've gotten complements from the others at the gym about how skinny I'm starting to look. Being an athlete since kindergarten (t-ball!!), sports have been a regular part of my life through high school. When I made it to college and realize that I had to start working out or turn into a lazy, overweight, miserable person, I got my first gym membership. It was ok, but I missed that competitive edge.

Fast forward nearly ten years and insert CrossFit.

Before, everything seemed to revolve around hitting a certain number on the scale or fitting into certain size pants. I'm tired of being defined by numbers. This is my body and I will do my best to fuel it and make it stronger and the rest is history. I honestly don't care anymore if I never make it to that magic number on the scale. I just want to get my kipping and strict pull ups. The only numbers that I will care about from now on are all WOD related. How much can I dead lift? How many push ups can I do? I want to compete against myself and the others in my class. I want to fill my journal with pages and pages of "Rx's". This is real competition and real fitness. For once in my life, I want to focus on my performance and not my looks.

I'm not saying that I'm going to let myself go by any means. I'm still counting calories to help myself learn to eat the right amount of food each day, but I'm through with torturing myself over drinking a beer with my husband once in a while or feeling guilty because I went over my calories once this week.

I am focusing on being a stronger woman, a better athlete and a great person. I don't want to look back at the end of my life and see wasted years full of dieting, and low self esteem.

Athlete of the Month

2011-05-02T18:59:00.000-05:00

I was completely shocked and honored to find out that my CrossFit box chose me as "Athlete of the Month" for May!

I have met some truly amazing people since starting at CrossFit and I’m so excited for the future. Thank you so much!

When I started at CrossFit in November, I was a little scared at first. The workouts looked impossible, and I thought that there was no way I could possibly do some of the things that these people were doing. I finished my foundations classes in just a month and though I was anxious at first, I jumped right into group classes. The first thing I learned is that no matter what the WOD is, I can do it. Nothing is impossible.

From my first week at the gym, I was hooked. I’ve seen amazing improvements in the gym and when I go for runs on my own time. CrossFit has really brought out the athlete in me and I couldn’t be happier with the results. In March, I participated in the “Master the Met” stairclimb. I estimated that it would take me about 12:00 to climb all 40 flights of stairs, but I told myself I would really like to make it under 10:00. I attacked this challenge like it was a WOD and pushed through it. I made it to the top in just 9:16!!! I am proud of my body and what it can accomplish and I love pushing it to its limits each time I’m at CrossFit.

Another thing I love about CrossFit is the support system there. I’ve always felt like I fit in, no matter what my fitness level has been. Everyone is accepted for who they are and they are respected for simply being there. I look forward to spending at least 3 hours a week with my CrossFit “family.”

Though it sounds cliché, CrossFit has literally changed my life. The “I can accomplish anything” attitude that I’ve found at the gym also spills over into other parts of my life.

My first 10k!

2011-04-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago when Alyssa talked me into signing up for this race, I was a little nervous, but now, I'm so glad she did! This race was really fun. It was my first time running with her and she's a great running buddy! I'm so proud of her for her performance today! She is one hell of a runner!

The course for this race was really nice, a few hills, but not too many and they weren't too steep and there was a ton of police presence along the route. I can't wait for this race to get bigger and get professional timing, because really, that's the only thing missing from this race.

When I woke up at 5:30, my head hurt like hell. I had gotten home late from helping at a fundraiser and I did drink a few beverages. I popped some ibuprofen and chugged a glass of water and took my time waking up. Surprisingly, after drinking the water, I felt pretty darn good.

I saw that the forecast was windy and in the upper 50's, so I opted for my short sleeves, which was a very good choice. The wind turned out to be a blessing actually, because when you were not running against the wind, it started to get hot!

Our goal was 1:15, which i was pretty confident we could beat. We started out at a pretty speedy pace, but it felt good and Alyssa wasn't complaining, so we just let the miles fall into place. You can tell on our splits when we started to hit the hills!
Mile 1 - 9:54
Mile 2 - 10:50
Mile 3 - 10:56 (we hit 5k right around 34:00)
Mile 4- 11:14 Somewhere between mile 4 and 5 we saw a guy almost get hit by a car, and I guess I got so excited that I got a side stitch. Luckily, it faded away pretty soon after.
Mile 5 - 11:37
Mile 6- 10:42
last .2 - 2:05
I was really pleased with how the run went today. Even after I got home at midnight from working a trivia night and drinking draft beer (devil!).

As we neared the end of the race I really felt like I could keep going. I wonder how far I can push myself next time....

Difficult

2011-04-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

This week has been... difficult.

It feels like everything and everyone has decided at one time to make my life difficult and my patience is wearing thin.

I look forward to my 3 cross fit classes each week. For that entire hour, I think about nothing but the workout that I'm in the process of completing. Its wonderful for stress relief.

This week, we did an incredibly challenging workout on Tuesday. It was 101 push presses and each time you put the bar down to take a break, you had to do 3 box jumps. It was a painful WOD, and needless to say, I'm still feeling it 4 days later.

Thursday was probably my worst day. I had a frustrating day at work and really looked forward to the gym to get my head right. The WOD was "Helen", and I thought that it sounded like a fun workout. Running, kettle bell swings and pull ups, not bad! I skipped my lunch workout because my arms were just completely wasted and I wanted to have a good performance at the gym.

I started out "Helen" at a good pace, it took about 3 minutes to finish round 1 of three, but then when we did round 2 and three, I fell straight to the back of the pack. I couldn't hold on to the bar to finish my pull ups. It was excruciating. I finished dead last of the group, which had never happened to me before.

I tried to just shake it off as "one of those days" but my down in the dumps feeling is still lingering a few days later. I feel like the weight of the world is pushing down on me and I don't know how to fix all these things that are making me feel so frustrated.

I don't have an exact reason for my bad attitude this week, i can imagine that its the culmination of many things. Perhaps its the fact that we've had a foot of rain, two hail storms and a hundred tornadoes this week. Perhaps its the measly 4 hail dents in my car. Perhaps its the fact that I just feel burned out. I don't know, but the fact that its spilling into my workout time is more upsetting than anything.

I know that I have so much to be thankful for and its about time that I start realizing it.

"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
- Martha Washington

Extreme Couponing

2011-04-08T20:23:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this show seems to be exploding in popularity. If you haven't hear of "Extreme Couponing" its about people who literally go to the extreme with their coupons and get hundreds or even thousands of dollars of groceries and other items for just dollars.

I just watched this show for the first time last night. Its INSANITY. Seriously, why do you need enought deodorant for 150 years or 500 bottles of ketchup?

I want to get into couponing, however I have no desire to create a massive stockpile. I just want to start saving on the things that I buy anyway.
This would be items like paper products, healthy/beauty stuff etc, but I have no clue where to start. I'd also like to use them for food but it seems like theres usually only coupons out there for items that aren't particularly healthy.

Are you into couponing? What are your top tips for a newbie like me?

Voices in My Head

2011-03-30T09:12:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend, I was having a lot of emotions about changing my eating habits. I do not want to be a yo-yo dieter and I don't want to spend the rest of my life counting, measuring, obsessing.

I was so tired of eating things and then always feeling guilty or second guessing my choices. It's driving me insane!

After sharing my worries, it was recommended that I look into the book "Naturally Thin" by Bethenny Frankel.

I had a credit on my kindle account so I decided to give it a chance.

After reading the first two chapters I already felt better. It was refreshing to hear someone that you can eat whatever you want, as long as you balance it. I've started trying to practice the first key rules in the book instead of trying to implement them all at once.

I already am starting to feel better about the choices I am making and I'm trying to listen to my "food voice" to gauge whether I really need something vs wanting it and also knowing when I have had enough.

Last night was my weekly weigh in at the gym, and I felt good about it! I'm down 1.4 lbs from last week! Next week is my monthly weigh in and measurements. I'm looking forward to it!

My First 10k

2011-03-28T12:59:00.002-05:00

Today I signed up for my first ever 10k! I'm a little nervous about it, but I'm sure it will be fine.... Right?

So, looking forward to April 30th.... My goal is to be finished in under 1:15:00. That should be totally reachable!

I chose this race for a few reasons, close to home, cost is just $20 and because I wont be running alone! Thanks to Alyssa for allowing me to run with her! I'm looking forward to it!

Any tips on how to get myself ready for this?

Goal Setting- Round 2

2011-03-27T11:21:00.001-05:00

Today was my goal date for my first CrossFit goal.
"By March 27, I will be able to do one Strict Pull up and one Kipping Pull up"

I'm happy to announce that over a month ago I reached the second half of that goal, however, the first half is still a work in progress.

I knew that the strict pull up was going to be the most challenging for me, and i'm committed to giving this goal more time. I've NEVER been able to do a pull up in my life and I WILL change that!

So for round 2 of my goals -

By June 27, I will be able to do one Strict Pull Up and 5 consecutive kipping pull ups. I will also be able to do 10 full chest to ground push ups.

Since November, I honestly can't believe the improvement I have seen in my fitness level. I'm really looking forward to pushing my limits as we work into the summer months!

I've decided that I would like to start signing up for races again, and as my first order of business, I am going to run my first 10k!

Thanks to all of you for your support. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.

Mastering The Met

2011-03-19T14:09:00.000-05:00

Today I participated in the "Fight For Air Climb" hosted by the American Lung Association. This is a unique race because instead of running for distance, you are running up 42 flights of stairs in the Metropolitan Building in downtown St. Louis. I signed up a few months ago for the race and raised my $100 in just a day or so, and then kinda pushed it to the back of my mind. But as this week approached, I started getting pretty scared! I mean, I can run, but running stairs? That's not something I am used to. I knew that I could at least finish in 12 minutes, but I thought that I would really put my CrossFit endurance to the test. I pushed my goal to 10 minutes, but was rethinking that over the past day or two.

A member of our team, Terrance, is a firefighter. So he ran in full gear and was in a different wave than us. It was inspiring watching the firemen in all their gear head up the stairs one by one. It was at that moment that I decided to go for it. If these firemen could do it in all their gear, then I could at least try to make it to the top in 10 minutes!

Waiting to start was pretty nerve wracking! I had a huge knot in my belly as we got closer and closer to the starting line.

Before I knew it, It was time for me to go up and I took the first few flights a little too ambitiously. I ran to floor 5 and starting walking them, two steps at a time. Then came floor 9 and I skipped the first water station. I began passing a few other members of my team and just kept my eyes on the stairs.

Around floors 15-21, I passed this lady - What the hell was she thinking?

My legs were jelly way before I made it to the 21st floor water station. I did take some water here but didn't stop. I was afraid that if I stopped, the fatigue would set in my legs and I'd be screwed for the last half of the race. Once I passed 21, I started counting down to myself each time I topped a floor. Somewhere around the last water station at 29, I got seriously lightheaded. I felt like I was going to pass out!

I knew that stopping wasn't going to help the lightheadedness either, I just needed to push through it, like I do at CrossFit and get it done. Floor 30, 31, 32, holy crap! 33-37 were even worse. The lightheaded feeling was so bad that I didn't notice the burning in my legs. 38-40 came so fast that I can hardly remember. At some point I finally decided to just give it what I had left for the last few floors and get it over with as soon as possible.

The feeling you have in your chest and throat after running up 42 flights of stairs is pure torture. Burning, tight, pure evil. My lightheadedness went away once I got to the top and took a seat next to Terrance, who was waiting for all of us to finish. I chugged my water and sat there for what feels like an eternity!

Once we finally all finished, we headed back to the lobby and outside for the "after party." I grabbed a free beer (which tasted like ear wax, ew) and a slice of pizza and planted my butt in a chair!

I was anxious for them to post times because I couldn't really guess how well I had done. I knew I definitely did better than 12, but I was a little iffy on whether or not I hit finish by the 10 minute mark.

We took some fun team photos, ate and drank and when updated times were posted, I anxiously headed to the board. After searching through the list by time, I couldn't find my name and the suspense was killing me. I grabbed the alphabetical list and found my name and did a double take. not only did i beat my time of 10 minutes, I smoked it!!! My official finish time was 9:16!

I am so proud of my time and I am glad to have participated in such an awesome event for a great cause. Now I'm going to lounge around the house and cough up my lungs for the rest of the afternoon.

The Metropolitan Building

I finally broke...

2011-03-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

Last week I was debating whether or not I should start weighing myself again. After 2 weeks of no scale and also starting a new diet, my patience and motivation was wearing thin. I started weight watchers last week and I was somewhat struggling with the new plan. I started wondering if re-introducing the scale one day a week would be beneficial to my sanity.

I decided that since my weight is being tracked at the gym that my weekly weigh in would be done there. This way, the time of day, layers of clothing, hydration levels etc are at least like comparing apples to apples.

Last night I stepped on the scale for the first time since March 1st and I'm happy to report that I've lost 2 lbs! For me, thats a lot!

During my first two months at CrossFit I lost close to 4 lbs each month, so it looks like I'm back on track again!!!!

I like the way weight watchers works, but there's a lot of thinking involved. Things that I once thought were good healthy snacks are no so with the points plus program. I feel that it's helping me develop good habits, and that's what I've wanted all along!

Advice

2011-03-12T16:40:00.000-06:00

I'm looking for advice today.

I'm almost half way through my no scale challenge, monday marks the end of week #2. I haven't stepped on the scale since March 1st, but now I'm second guessing that promise to myself. Earlier this week, I started Weight Watchers. As I near the end of my first week with the program, I'm wondering if I should weigh in weekly, as they suggest.

If I could truly keep my weigh ins to just once a week, I think this could be good motivation for me. If not, I'm back on the same crazy cycle I was before.

What do you think? Should I attempt to weigh in once a week or just stick to my original plan?

Weight Watchers!

2011-03-08T10:46:00.002-06:00

I've decided to try something different to get my eating back on track. Starting today, I'm following Weight Watchers! I'm looking forward to this new approach to eating. It encourages me to snack on veggies and fruits and also I earn points for working out. With the new points plus program, I get 29 points per day and 49 extra points per week to use however I want.

I'm excited to try something new. It may be just what I needed.
Are you following or have you followed Weight Watchers in the past? What did you think of it? I'd love to hear about your experiences with the program!

No Scale Challenge, Week 1

2011-03-07T10:35:00.002-06:00

For the month of March, I decided to give up the scale. I had my monthly weigh in at the gym and started the month on a positive note, down a little bit and my measurements were down even more.

There's been a few times over the week where the scale crossed my mind. However for the most part it was easy to forget about it. My moods have been better overall.

However, another problem has surfaced in the absence of my scale. My sweet tooth seems to have made itself present again in my life. For the longest time, I've pretty much given up cookies, cakes, sweets etc. I used to have them on a daily basis, but then I made the change in my eating lifestyle to where I was eating sweets just once a week or less.

I'm not sure what brought my sweet tooth back, my best guess is girl scout cookies. I threw a whole box of Carmel DeLites (they'll always be Samoa's to me) into the trash can today. When hubby and I were at the grocery store last weekend, I pointed to my favorite cookies and hubby grabbed them off the shelf and put them in the cart. I groaned and he said "just eat one."

I wish that it was possible for me to just eat one. I find myself grabbing two, three, five at a time. I don't have the scale to yell at me when I'm being bad anymore, so I think its time for me to find my willpower again. I need restraint.

This week, I need to work on sticking to my plan. I need to prepare. I need to eat food that satisfies my body.

How did your first week without the scale go?

I've Still Got It!

2011-03-06T10:18:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been getting the itch to run again. This morning, my husband woke up early and cooked us a yummy breakfast before he had to go to work and I knew that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. Instead of lounging on the couch or tackle the pile of laundry in my basement, I dug out my winter running clothes and loaded Harley up to head out to one of my favorite running routes.

The last time I ran was on February 16 and I went about 1.5mi. Thats all I can really stand to run in my boring neighborhood anyway (see "Demon Dog From Hell" for background story). After that run, I wasn't out of breath or anything, so I thought today that I could at least go 3 miles, but for a challenge I set my goal at 4. Since my favorite route is 4 miles long, what a perfect fit for the day!

My first 1/2 mile was a little awkward as I was having a weird pain in my back/hip. I stopped and stretched it and finally, it subsided.

My splits were: 12:45, 12:15, 12:30, 12:12. The only part of the run I had trouble with was just after I hit mile two, I got super bored and had to fight the urge to quit. After all, it would be much more boring to walk all the way back to the car in twice as much time than it would be to suck it up and just run back. Harley was having a great time, but at parts of the run, it seemed like she was getting spooked by things and would jerk away or keep looking behind her. That is not good when you have a dog leash tied around your waist!

The whole time, I told myself I was getting in 4 miles and I can't believe how easy that was! Next time, I might go for 5!

I really owe my endurance to CrossFit. Seriously, I haven't ran more than 3 miles since November and I've only ran about 3-4 times since I started CrossFit on November 4th!

I'm ecstatic and looking forward to making this a regular occurrence.

Month 4 Recap

2011-03-01T20:11:00.000-06:00

Today marks the start of my 5th month at CrossFit. Last week I officially became a member of the gym and signed myself up for a year of classes. I'm really excited by my progress in these past 4 months. I feel like i'm beating that phrase to death, but honestly, I couldn't be happier.

CrossFit has made a huge difference in the way I feel. Its unbelievable how much my strength and endurance has improved and overall, my moods are way better. I'm just happier all the way around.

Last week I blogged about a serious and unhealthy obsession I have with my scale. Starting today, I will not come near a scale until its time to do my April weigh in and measurements. Actually, I'm thinking about tossing my scale in the trash permanently :-) Baby steps....

Speaking of weigh ins and measurements, today was my day to weigh in at the gym! I was not really sure how it would turn out, but I've been feeling thinner and people have been noticing that I've lost weight, so that's been an awesome feeling.

Here's the breakdown:
Weight -1.80
Body fat -0.20
Neck -0.00
Bust +0.25 thank you Jesus!
Waist -1.75
Hips -0.25
Thigh -0.15
Calf -0.15
Forearm -0.05
Bicep -0.00
Overall change from last month -2.10in

Since starting CrossFit in November:
Total Inches Lost -9.15
Total weight Lost -9.20
Total BF % Lost -2.6%

Month 4 held a lot of amazing memories for me - My FIRST kipping pull up! I did my first Hero WOD, I also met the girls "Nancy" and "Grace." Last Saturday we had a great time at rehab and pushed a 17,000 lb big rig across the parking lot. I feel so blessed to have discovered such a wonderful gym that treats everyone equally and like family. These people have pushed me to my limits and beyond and I love them for it!

Here's to 12 more months of this CRAZINESS.

Letting Go of the Number on the Scale

2011-02-20T12:04:00.000-06:00

I'm like millions of other women in the world. I step on the scale and whatever number pops up usually determines my mood for the day. If its up, i'm mad, crabby. I feel like a failure. If its the same as the last time I stepped on it, I'm also mad. But why?

To me, that number yells out first thing in the morning "You're fat" "You're never going to make your goal" "Why did you eat that." It starts a nasty string of negative conversation within my head that is in no way constructive or healthy for me.

Why do we let the scale define us? What is it about that number that makes us feel good or bad?

I want to change this behavior. I'm on this journey to get healthier. What really matters is getting myself in shape. Losing inches is a far better indicator of my progress than pounds are. Just because you lose one, doesn't mean you lose the other. I saw that first hand in my February weigh in. I lost 3 inches, which I should have been ecstatic about. However, i gained 1/2 lb and I let that ruin what should have been excitement for my month's progress.

So, I have a challenge.... For the month of March, I am hiding my scale. I will weigh in at the gym at the beginning of the month as usual, but beyond that, no more scale until my April weigh in and measurements.

I'm tired of letting numbers run my life. I need to focus on being healthy, happy and living to the fullest. Life is too short to define myself with a number on the scale.

Its time to let go. Will you join me?

Demon Dog From Hell

2011-02-13T10:48:00.000-06:00

This morning, the weather was beautiful! The last run I did was in November or maybe early December, so I wasn't sure what kind of endurance I had left.

I grabbed Harley, my trusty golden retriever sidekick and we hit the pavement. It felt AMAZING outside. The temp was about 40 and the sun was shining. My pace was nice and easy, I started around an 11:00/mi and my final average was 10:17. I went about 1.25 around the neighborhood.

It felt awesome to be out and running again. Harley was in heaven, though the squirrels were catching her attention a little too much. As we rounded the neighborhood, everyone's dogs started barking - it was about 8:45ish. Sorry sleeping neighbors!

Anyway. Things were going perfect, my breathing was good, the pace felt great. I turned on the next street over and the neighbors dog from hell came busting out of their yard. This dog is a nightmare. Its a mini beagle that I wholeheartedly believe is the devil reincarnated. They just let it roam the neighborhood. It charges at you like its going to attack you and then it FREAKS out if you get too close to it and howls like you are trying to murder it. Many times, demon dog roams the neighborhood in the middle of the night and it ventures into our yard. It smells the rabbits that nest under our deck and howls the night away, right outside our bedroom window. Its the most annoying thing EVER. You can run outside and shoo it away, but it just keeps coming back. The rabbits are not under our deck anymore, but the little nuisance won't stay out of our yard.

It just annoys the crap out of me, because I worked so hard to train Harley to be a good dog. She listens, she doesn't bark, she's very polite to other animals and people. She is a GREAT dog. And this dog.... its almost the exact opposite. I wonder if the people take care of it at all.

This is what I get to see, every time I run in my neighborhood.

Anyway, while running this morning, demon dog came running across the neighborhood baring its teeth at me and Harley. This gets Harley all confused and excited, because she thinks the dog wants to play (she thinks everyone and everything always wants to play with her). I keep running, Harley does not. That's not conducive to good running. I shoo the dog away and it still chases us, snarling the whole way. Harley is practically leaping in the air in excitement+confusion. More barking, more leash tugging ensues and so finally I threw a snowball in its general direction to get this dog away from us. Not because I'm scared of it, but because I run for the relaxation of it, not to be harassed by other people's unruly dogs. (Just for the record: I would NEVER hurt a dog.)

So, I was really pissed by this point. I finally got Harley to start running again and we got away from the nagging, barking, growling little beagle. When I made the loop back to the house, I wanted to keep going, but was tired of the beagle ruining my run. Since our neighborhood is small, its not really possible to stay away from the area where the demon dog lives. I didn't want another lap of that.

Has this ever happened to you? How do you deal with unruly dogs during your runs?

GREAT NEWS!

2011-02-03T21:27:00.001-06:00

I have good news to share today. Maybe it doesn't seem like huge news to you, but to me, its amazing and a great show of my progress.

I went in to the gym today to get my measurements and to work out. When I arrived, we took my measurements (which I'll go into more later). Then I had a few extra minutes so I decided to test out my pull up progress.

I jumped up on the bar, activated my shoulders, and it happened. I DID A KIPPING PULL UP. I jumped down and squealed "I did it! I did it!" Of course, no one saw it! Once they saw my celebration though, everyone turned and I told them what happened. AND THEN I DID A SECOND PULL UP! So in just 3 months, I went from barely being able to swing on the bar to getting my chin over it!

My goal for pull ups was March 27, and I've already reached half of it! I've never done a pull up of any type in my entire life!!!

Next goals - strict pull up and chest to floor push ups!

On to my measurements:
Unfortunately, my weight was up about 1/2lb. Not thrilled about that, but I can look past that.

Neck - lost .25in
Bust- lost .5in :-(
Waist - lost .4in
Hips - lost .4in
Thigh - no change
Calf - lost .3in
Forearm - up .05in

So, even though the scale wasn't my friend today, the tape measure treated me well!

Time to focus on healthier eating. Do you have healthy meal and snack ideas? Please share!

Yes, I Can

2011-01-17T16:45:00.000-06:00

Everyday, before I head to my crossfit box for group class, I check out the WOD to see what I'm in for. It usually helps me prepare mentally for whatever's awaiting me at the gym. Sometimes, there are workouts posted that scare the crap out of me. I literally dread them until the minute the clock on the wall beeps to signal the beginning (or end) of the workout.

Today was one of those days. I saw the title: "I Love Burpees" and my heart literally sank. 10 rounds, each lasting 1 minute. During each round, you must complete 10 burpees and then you rest whatever time is left until the next minute begins.

If you miss a round, you make it up at the end, PLUS row 1,000m. If you complete them all, you skip out on the rowing, PLUS you get a free t-shirt. Burpees are a huge weakness of mine. They literally take every ounce of energy you have to complete. There is nothing easy about them at all.

I've been eyeing up the shirts at the gym for sometime and as silly as it sounds, that was great motivation. Not to mention that rowing 1,000m sucks!

Starting today's warmup, I was struggling through it, rowing 500m was rough. I was panting through the squats, push ups, toes to bar... Another round? Oh my word.

I worked on getting my head in the right place throughout the rest of the class. I told one of my classmates that if we could complete the 200 box jump workout, we could do this. Its only 10 minutes right?

Turns out, that little peptalk was all I needed. Minute one started and I threw myself on the ground with the most determination I've ever had. 10 burpees done, 36 seconds left to rest. I figured that the harder I pushed, the faster I would finish and have more time for rest. I can do this, I told myself over and over again. Yes, I can. minute 2,3,4 all done with 31 seconds of rest left. Minutes 5,6,7, down 26 seconds of rest. Minute 8 and 9, 20 seconds of rest and finally the buzzer hit and I fell on the ground in relief. I couldn't feel my arms during the last round, but there was no way I was ruining my whole workout on the last round!

My face was bright red, my body was completely exhausted, but I did it. I did it! Every minute of that workout sucked, but I continued to push and it was absolutely worth it.

This was a proud moment for me. Each time I complete a seemingly impossible workout, my confidence grows tenfold. CrossFit isn't just making my body stronger, its making my spirit stronger. I know that if i set my mind to something, I will achieve it.

Slowly but surely, I'm replacing each "I can't" in my vocabulary with "Yes, I can."

Still Loving It

2011-01-15T14:42:00.001-06:00

This is month 3 of my 3 month membership at CrossFit (until I win the 4th month) that I won back in early November ( refresh your memory here). It has been an amazing journey and its one that I want to continue after my free membership is over.

I've noticed things about myself at CrossFit that I haven't experienced in a long time. I am totally confident at the gym, working at my goals and they are coming in time. I've almost got my full push up and I'm getting very close to getting my kipping pull up. Last month I went from the green bands to blue bands on both my pull ups and ring dips, which I could hardly believe. I, like many girls have never been able to do much that required arm strength. I've never done an unassisted pull up or ring dip in my entire life. In two months or less, I intend to change that.

I've lost 8 lbs, 6 inches and nearly 5% body fat. This wouldn't have been possible with my regular $20 a month gym membership. I can see changes in my body. I feel better. I am STRONGER. Its the most amazing feeling ever.

One thing that I'm missing during all of this is running. Come warmer weather I'll give it a shot to add in a run or two per week, but right now I'm working on adding spin time each week. Today I did 3 miles before rehab and 3 miles after rehab. I know 6 miles on a bike isn't much, but my poor butt can't handle that seat for much longer. Anyone have suggestions on how to make that part of the bike less uncomfortable?!

Anyway, I'm seriously impressed with my progress and I can not wait to see what the next 3 months bring.

Bring it on!

Month 2 Measurements and Recap

2011-01-06T20:58:00.000-06:00

Today I had my monthly measurements. This week was the end of my 2nd month at CrossFit and I have to say, I feel AWESOME. I'm making improvements all the time. I've PR'd on the deadlift 2x in December, PR'd in Double Unders, Clean and Jerk, Push Press, Push Jerk and Snatches. I also graduated from the green bands to the blue bands in both my ring dips and my pull ups. I feel strong, confident and heatlhy.

I can't remember the last time I felt this great. This is something I'd love to continue to do.

Here's the breakdown on my measurements since last month -
Weight: down 4lbs, overall 7.8lbs
Body Fat: down 3.4%, overall 4.9%
Neck: up .15in, up .25in
Bust: no change (hooray!) overall down .75
Waist: down .95in, overall 2.55in
Hips: down .65in, overall 1.06
Thigh: down .35in, overall 1.1
Calf: down .05in, overall up .05

Forearm: no change
Bicep: down .05in, overall .55

Total Loss: 2 inches! overall 6 inches!!! (doesn't count the increase in my neck)

I'm totally proud of what I accomplished. I mean, all that, during the month of december? Surrounded by cookies, cakes, parties and booze?! I was definitely not expecting my results to be this good!!!

My resolution this year is to get my body fat into the "healthy" range. I'm hoping to get into the lower 20's, but I think that's totally reasonable and healthy for me!

Looking towards my goal of having my pullups by March 27, I think I can definitely do it if I keep working as hard as I have the past 2 months. I'm looking forward to what the future holds for me.

I'm excited to continue noticing changes in my body. I'm excited to get stronger. I'm excited to do a real pull up for the first time ever in my life.

"Angie"

2010-12-21T19:23:00.000-06:00

Today I hit the gym before heading to work as I've been doing the past few weeks. I enjoy the accomplishment of getting in a great work out earlier in the day instead of after work. It makes my day go so much better!

I have a terrible habit of checking the gym's website each day before I workout to see what the WOD is. I knew the day would come where I had to do what we call "benchmark workouts," but it still caught me off guard to load up the page and see "Angie" staring back at me.

If you are wondering what "Benchmark Workouts" are, this CrossFit newsletter explains them pretty well!

It was nice to just have myself and a friend in today's class. I was pretty anxious before starting, I thought to myself "Why are you subjecting yourself to this kind of workouts?!" The answer is, because I love it. I love the intensity, I love the variety and I love the results! The trainer picked up on my apprehension and assured me there was nothing to be scared of and the best way to get through it was to just "chip away at it."

Well, when you are faced at doing over 400 reps, I guess that's a good way to look at it. About 25 pull ups into the workout, I had to switch to jumping pull ups from the box because I just couldn't get my swing down. I was just hanging there, doing strict pull ups and it was miserable.

So, then starts the jumping push ups. My legs were shaking, my arms were shaking and I was only at 50!?! This was pretty close to torture. I told myself to just chip away at it by doing sets of 10. That really helped me knock out the pull ups. Next came my other nemesis..... Push ups.

Never before have I done pushups and had my legs tremble and shake like they did today. 20 pushups in, I was having some serious tremors in my lower half! Breaking this into sets of 10 from the start helped me speed right through.

I underestimated the sit ups. Using an abmat made me feel like I was getting punched in the stomach after the 30th rep. I saw the clock at the 15 minute mark and sped through them as quickly as I could, but this is the part of the workout that slowed me down the most.

The time I lost in situps, I'm pretty sure I made up for in squats. When I saw the clock was creeping up on 23 minutes, I really turned on the turbos! My workout partner was about 20-30 reps ahead of me the entire workout, but I finished just 20 seconds behind her at 24:16.

Overall, my first experience with "one of the girls" was not bad at all. Its an awesome feeling at the end of class when you can look at the board and see what you accomplished! I'm very proud of my progress as a cross-fitter and can't wait to see how I fare when I meet "Angie" again.

The 12 Days of Christmas WOD

2010-12-15T16:23:00.000-06:00

It's probably a good thing that I had to work all day and night yesterday.

I say this because part of my daily routine is to check my gym's website and see what the workout of the day (WOD) is. Yesterday, while eating my lunch, I opened the website and clicked on the blog to see what those poor souls were suffering through while I was freezing my extremities off at work. Here's what I missed:

For Time

The 12 Days of Christmas!

01 Burpee
02 Thrusters
03 Air Squats(20/13)
04 Med Ball Sit Ups
05 Ring Dips
06 Front Squats
07 Push Ups
08 Power Cleans
09 Pull Ups
10 TTB
11 SDLHP
12 Push Press

Weight for all movements (95/65)
Do this just like the song goes...
1 Burpee
2 Thrusters, 1 Burpee
3 Air Squats, 2 Thrusters, 1 Burpee
and so on, and so on, and so on...

Holy Mother!!! I bet you are wishing I could comment on my experience performing this WOD. Unfortunately, I was at work from 7:45am until 9:45pm so a workout was completely impossible! For reference, it looks like it took most people an average of 30 minutes to complete the workout!

I have to say, I think that this workout seriously would have killed me!!! I'm looking forward to getting back to the box though, I was last there on Monday. This week is turning out to be super crazy! Things are supposed to slow down for me this time of year!

No fear, I'll post again soon with a recap of my next totally awesome torture session :-)

Sore!

2010-12-08T19:13:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was my first group CF class.

Today, I'm so sore I can't put my coat on without grimacing.

But I did 75 pull ups. I feel like a badass.

"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."
- Arthur C. Clarke

Movin on Up!

2010-12-07T19:43:00.001-06:00

As you can recall, yesterday I was scared to death about moving into group classes at CrossFit. I made the big mistake of checking the website when I woke up to see what kind of workout I was in store for. That was a mistake. I got nervous and starting freaking out. However, I knew that if I didn't take the step to go to my first class, that I would just keep putting it off over and over again. So, no excuses!

I arrived today for the 9am class since I didn't have to work until later and was pleasantly surprised to be the only person in class. It was like an hour of personal training!

Each class starts with a warmup. Today that consisted of 2 reps of the following:
1/2 mile bike (85-95 RPM)
10 Pull Ups (green band)
10 Toes To Bar (green band)
10 Overhead Squats

Seriously? Pull ups and TTB for a warm up. I was seriously doubting my ability to do the workout by the time I was finishing up the warm up. However, the trainer gave me some really great tips on how to master my swing for TTB/kipping pull ups. (Are you wondering what in the world TTB is?)

After the warm up, we worked on a few skills. I found my one rep max on the snatch - which is such a difficult move! And that was only 63lbs. I think I could do much more if I had the movement down pat. I was still impressed with myself for my first attempt at doing snatches with real weight on the bar.
So, by this time, my arms are feeling pretty spent. But we haven't even done the workout yet. I kept looking at the board and mildly freaking out each time..... I had to scale the workout since I don't yet have a pull up, ring dip or double under.

10!
Pull Ups (green band)
Ring Dips (green band)
Double Unders (single jumps x3)
Final Time 15:36

I was really impressed that I was able to function for this workout. And 75 pull ups? Even with a band, that is crazy awesome. I am well on my way to reaching my goal of a single pull up by March 27!

Really, I surprised myself. This workout was not easy by any means, but that made the finish that much better!

Anxious

2010-12-06T19:33:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow I'm starting group CrossFit classes.

I'm scared to death.

I'm not sure why I'm so nervous about it. I guess I feel like I won't be able to handle the workout. I shouldn't be worried. Guess I just need to bite the bullet, give it my all and go with it.

Tonight I didn't work out after nutrition. I've had an upset stomach all afternoon and its still not feeling great this evening. Some of it may be nerves too, I'm not sure, but I've also been eating like crap for about 4 days straight, so I'd assume that has a part in it also.

I know I'll survive and be just fine tomorrow, but i guess the idea of now being in new, harder classes is unnerving.

Full report to come tomorrow :-)

Foundations - Success

2010-12-04T10:21:00.000-06:00

Today marked my last "Foundations" class at CrossFit!

I feel like I've made an amazing transformation over the past month. I feel stronger, look forward to working out and have been doing well with my nutrition. I'm looking forward to progressing into group class!

Never before has a workout/exercise program/gym made me feel so amazing. I love the workouts, the instructors are great and everyone at the gym is like a big family! We encourage, support and push each other in ways I never thought was possible in a gym setting!

I think I have officially found a new lifestyle :-)

One Month Down!

2010-12-03T09:07:00.001-06:00

This week marked the end of my first month as a CrossFitter and I have exciting news!!!

Yesterday we took my one month measurements and here they are:

Weight - down 3.8lbs

Body Fat % - down 1.5%

Neck - up 0.1in

Bust - down 0.75 :-(

Waist - down 1.6in

Hips - down 0.4in

Thigh - down 0.75in

Calf - up 0.2in

Forearm - no change

Bicep - down 0.5in

Thats a loss of 3.7 inches in one month!

You'll notice that I posted last week that I've lost about 8lbs over the last month, the reason for this difference is I had already lost a few lbs before we took my official weight at the gym. I weigh myself first thing in the morning at home and at my gym we weigh in the evening plus the clothes I was wearing added a bit. I wish I would have ate a little more reasonably yesterday (too much sodium) and drank more water. Today is a new day though!

Either way, these numbers are awesome!!! I'm very proud of my progress.

More news: I just got my grips yesterday from ragefitness.com to help with my pull up bar work. I put them on and decided to try a strict pull up with the green band and I DID IT! I only got one, and it was on the band, but this is major progress!!! Just last week I could barely pull myself halfway up with the green band!

I'm really excited to move into group classes next week. I'm up to the challenge that these workouts will provide. Before you know it, I'm going to be in crazy good shape!

Goal Setting Time!

2010-11-27T10:52:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted in a while because I've been CRAZY busy with work and life in general.

Since starting CrossFit and changing my diet on November 4th, I've lost about 8 lbs. I'm ecstatic about that!! I mean, 8 lbs in less than a month is absolutely stellar for me. I had completely lost my motivation and wasn't sure how to get it back, but luckily, I've found it again!!!

I'm nearing the end of my fundamentals classes, which is basically beginner's classes. In these sessions you learn the skills used in the CrossFit workouts. They are a huge help, because honestly, how many people know the difference between Cleans, Snatches, Deadlifts, Thrusters and Push Presses? Most people don't even know what those are!

I've been enjoying the workouts immensely, there is no way to get bored. Every day is completely different! One of my top goals is to be able to do both strict and kipping pull ups. Never in my life have I been able to do pull ups of any kind!

I know that my pull ups will come in time with plenty of work, but there's times I find myself on the brink of saying "I can't." I have zero strength in my arms! Its a big priority for me though. Lots of time is going to be devoted to pull ups over the next couple months! My hands are tore up with callouses from spending a ton of time on the pull up bars over the past week. I've got a few exercises I can work on that will help me build the strength needed.

I figured that I might as well set myself a goal for my pull ups so I have something to start working towards with ambition. I'm going to give myself 4 months.

By March 27, 2011, I WILL be able to do one Strict Pull Up and one Kipping Pull Up.

So, there it is. I've set a goal and want more than anything to make that goal, well before my 4 month mark!

Add it to the goal list! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu for Two

2010-11-24T12:54:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, I made Chicken Cordon Bleu for me and the hubby. We've been trying to find yummy recipes that work well with my new diet. This one was delish! While the fat is a little higher than I'd like to see, it was worth the splurge. I served this with steamed green beans and it was a great meal. Hubby gives it two thumbs up! I did make a few changes - Instead of breasts, I used chicken tenderloins because that was all I had. The grocer was out of shredded Swiss, so I chopped up slices instead.

Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu -Recipe From Eatingwell.com - you can find the recipe page here.

2 servings

Photo from Eatingwell.com

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast (10-12 ounces), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon reduced-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or thyme
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped ham (about 1/2 ounce)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon pepper and salt. Combine cheese and cream cheese in a bowl. Combine the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper with breadcrumbs, parsley (or thyme) and 1 teaspoon oil in another bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a medium, ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Move the chicken to the center so the pieces are touching. Spread with the cheese mixture, sprinkle with ham, then top with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F, 5 to 7 minutes.

Tips & Notes

Tip: It can be difficult to find small chicken breasts. Remove the strip of meat from the underside of a 5- to 6-ounce breast—the “tender,” about 1 ounce of meat—to yield a perfect individual portion. Freeze the tenders and use them in a stir-fry.
Note: We like Ian’s brand of coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs, labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets. To make your own breadcrumbs, trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, about 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs.

Nutrition

280 calories; 13 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 98 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 34 g protein; 1 g fiber; 331 mg sodium; 260 mg potassium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

Eating for Weight Loss

2010-11-17T18:05:00.000-06:00

On Monday I attended my first nutrition class at the gym. Recently I had cut my calories down to 1500 on the recommendation of my trainer until I started class. While it was a good kickstart to dieting, I don't think its something I could have sustained for the long term.

In our first class we took weight and body fat measurements and completed a worksheet to figure out our BMR, daily caloric expenditure and also how many calories we should eat per day for weight loss along with how many grams of protein, fat and carbohydrates we need.

I was thrilled to see that I was now being told to eat 2,000 calories! I almost jumped out of my chair and screamed.

So, my new numbers:
2105 cals per day
39g fat
175g protein
263g carbs

I think the hardest part of this is getting rid of the FAT!

So far I've lost at least 5lbs (according to my home scale). However I forgot to set my starting weight, so I don't know what I have lost exactly. I'm totally ecstatic about this!!!!

I've kinda splurged on dinner tonight and made homemade pizza because I've really had a hankering for it! I stopped myself at 3 pieces. The 4th is calling my name, but i'm not listening :-)

I'm looking forward to seeing how the new calories treat me.

Wish me luck!

Better

2010-11-14T15:43:00.000-06:00

So, yesterday I was having a bit of a meltdown. It seems kind of silly now, but I was on the brink of self destruction all because of a silly chili recipe.

Hubby came home last night to me crying my eyes out and suggested we go out for dinner. We almost went out for pizza but then chose Bandanas. I'm glad we chose that. I got to eat "normal" and still kept my calories under 1600 for the day... and I even have left overs!

Today I picked out a handful of new, healthy recipes to try that were husband approved and we hit the grocery store. We got a ton of healthier things and even got me some low cal beer. Its so helpful knowing that my husband is so supportive in all this. I can do this!

On the way home we talked about my goals and beyond. Its nice to share that with someone so important to me.

My Relationship With Food

2010-11-13T16:59:00.000-06:00

I'm at the start of week 2 of trying to lose weight, and today it's really getting to me.

I'm eating around 1500 calories a day, 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. Last week was a good week. I ate well, though we had trouble finding healthy dinner options, it was a success and I lost 3 lbs. I know I will continue to lose weight if I can keep this up.

Today started out well. Ate a good breakfast, had a great workout at the gym, had my protein bar and started doing laundry like a regular saturday. I decided to get out the ingredients for chili since it was cold out today and put the recipe into the recipe calculator on calorie count. I almost cried when I saw the calorie count come up on the screen - 956 calories.

After that, I tweaked the serving sizes and ingredients and got the calories down to 350 per serving, then I realized that was for about a 1/2 cup serving. This upset me even more, but I decided to try to be good and save my calories for dinner. Unfortunately after eating a decent lunch, I still ended up starving by 4pm. I decided another protein bar would be a good choice as they usually keep me satisfied for a few hours, but once I put the calories in my log, I felt guilty.

What is my issue here? I feel like food dominates my thoughts most of the day. Its like I'm obsessed with it. I constantly wonder what I can eat for my next meal that will work with my calorie allowance and I'm always labeling things as "good" or "bad".

Why can't I ever have "just one bite" or not spend my every waking moment thinking about food? I hate that I feel this way, but feel like I'm powerless to change it. Most of all, i'm afraid that I can't control my diet for the long term and that i'm condemned to a life time of yo-yo dieting.

I don't want to be that person anymore. What can I do to change it? I feel like food and I have a dysfunctional relationship.

CrossFit: Week 1 Update

2010-11-11T14:18:00.000-06:00

A week ago I started CrossFit. I admitted that I was scared after seeing videos of the ladies that workout at my new gym.

I'm not scared anymore. I'm on my way to becoming one of them :-)

In my first week as a "CrossFitter" I've lost about 3 lbs and gained an amazing amount of confidence. I've been eating healthier and I feel amazing. Luckily, the soreness went away by my third workout and I'm always excited for my next class!

These workouts are harder than anything I've ever done in my life, but they are AMAZING. I am certainly interested in sticking with this after my 3 months are up! I can't wait to see where these classes take me. In a few weeks I'll get to move out of the beginner class and I can then attend any of the classes (26 different classes each week to choose from!).

As far as food is concerned, I was doubtful that I could handle cutting down my calories to 1500 per day.
I've upped my fluid consumption a ton and its seriously paying off. The reason I had so much trouble cutting calories before was because I was dehydrated. I was mistaking my thirst for hunger. It seems weird, but its so true. I've been eating 5 meals a day with an average of 300 calories each. Drinking a ton of water, crystal light and iced tea has been a huge help.

I do have a bit of a dilemma though.

I've been struggling with finding healthy dinner options. My hubby is 100% behind me on this, but I don't want him to starve.

Monday I'm attending a nutrition class at the gym, which I hope will be helpful. In the meantime, my current mission is to begin collecting recipes that contain around 300 calories and include a carb, veggie and protein.

What are your favorite healthy recipes?

Crossfit: Day 3

2010-11-06T09:50:00.002-05:00

Holy crap. I am sore.

My First WOD

2010-11-05T20:07:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was my first day at CrossFit. Since I'm a beginner, I'm going through fundamentals classes 3x a week for about 4 weeks. These classes feature a warm up, stretching, skill work (where we learn about specific moves) and then a WOD (workout of the day).

I met with my Coach at about 4:15 and we took a tour of the gym, she explained how crossfit works etc. Then we took measurements, talked about nutrition and went over my schedule and how the classes work.

I'm horrified at my weight and measurements and can't wait to see some change. I certainly do not look good on paper! Its a little intimidating at the gym. Everyone there is skinny and in at least decent shape, though I'd say a majority are in pretty amazing shape.

I didn't know anyone in the fundamentals class since it was my first day and started to worry when I saw guy after guy show up for class. It kinda felt like high school gym class, freshman year, the first day of school. Eventually 2 more girls showed up and I felt much more at ease.

We started the class with 3 - 400m laps with a minute break in between each. We followed that with some stretches, pushups and situps. The skill we attempted to master yesterday was one that I've never been very good at : Cleans. The hang clean is a difficult movement for me. There's a chain of movements that create this one exercise. Example:

After we finished our skill session we did the WOD:
AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 12 minutes
5 Hang Cleans
10 OHWL (overhead walking lunges)
15 Situps

This was a serious effort! I gave every ounce of energy I had and by the end I felt like screaming! I completed 6 rounds in 12 minutes. HOLY CRAP THAT WAS HARD!!!!

I've never worked so hard in a workout that I was grimacing and quite literally grunting at the end. It helped that I felt pretty competitive with the rest of the class. Out of 9 of us, I had the 3rd most rounds completed.

My legs felt like jelly and started cramping up on the 10 minute drive home. I was so out of it that I almost passed up my street and just kept driving. ::::::Hello? Earth to Megan::::

Today, I'm headed to the gym to work on stretching on my own. I'm pretty stiff in the legs, so I've got a Mobility WOD to do. While stretching sounds pretty simple, I'm already convinced that nothing about this gym is easy.

The Next Chapter

2010-11-03T17:28:00.000-05:00

If you've see my dailymile page lately, you've see my latest note about a contest I won. A friend of mine is a member of the new CrossFit gym near my house. I've been thinking about checking it out. I asked her about it before I decided if I wanted to go in and check it out in person. She had great things to say about CrossFit, so I decided to check it out once my work schedule got back to normal.

A week or two later, I received an email from the CrossFit friend about a contest they were having. Each member could nominate 2 people to win a 3 month FREE pass. Those people had to submit an essay explaining why they wanted the free pass. So I thought, what is there to lose?

I submitted my essay last Wednesday and checked my email obsessively until yesterday. There it was: " Hi Megan, I'm *******, the owner of CrossFit ****. I'd like to congratulate you on a great essay for the contest. It got you one of the FREE 3 month memberships....."

The first sound that came out of my mouth was some sort of loud squeal.

Was this for real??? I never win ANYTHING. Seriously!?

I was literally jumping up and down in utter excitement.

Tomorrow I meet my trainer, make a plan of what I'd like to accomplish over the next three months and then do my first workout! I'm really excited for the opportunity. This is exactly what I needed to get myself to where I want to be.

Another cool thing about this contest? There's 4 of us who won free memberships. We'll earn points as the month goes by and at the end, one of us will win another free month! I love a challenge!

I'm not completely sure where running is going to fit into my schedule at this point, but I'm not ready to write it off yet. I'm going to be flexible and take advantage of what the next three months brings me. So, while my blog may not be 100% about running anymore, there's no doubt that I'm still "Meg In Training."

I hope everyone will enjoy the coming three months, because after watching youtube videos of bad ass chicks doing CrossFit..... I know its going to be a wild ride. Hopefully by February, I can be one of those girls.

Fyi - music in this video contains profanity. Would we expect anything less from Kanye? Really?

Race Report: Race to Cure Lymphoma 5k

2010-10-30T10:56:00.001-05:00

Today I ran my first 5k in 7 months!

I started running again a few weeks ago and decided that signing up for a race would be a good way to keep up my motivation. My training has had its up and downs lately and so I was nervous that i wouldn't be able to run the entire race without stopping.

It was quite chilly outside this morning, 42 degrees when I left my house. I arrived at the course, did a few warmup laps around the parking lot and reached for my arm to set my Garmin. That's when I realized that I had forgotten it at home. Dang!!!

I usually use my Garmin to keep me on pace when I have a specific time goal for my runs, however, today that wouldn't be happening. Maybe that was for the best?

The course was flat as a pancake! This is definitely a race to rack up PR's. However, I set out pretty slow, because my whole goal was to try to finish without walking. I think if I had remembered my Garmin, I think I might have pushed a little too hard for a specific finishing time and probably passed out before I made it to the finish!

Anyway, the first mile came super easy! There was a really great band on the course playing some great music, so that helped a lot. As I made it to the 1.5 my throat felt icky and phlegm-y. It was difficult to breath and clearing my throat wasn't cutting it. Luckily the water station was ahead and I did stop for a second to down my water and take off my long sleeve shirt. I felt great as I hit the 2 mile marker and told myself that the last 1.1 was nothing and I needed to kick it up a notch. I started to speed up, but didn't feel like I could maintain the faster pace for a full mile so I backed off a little bit.

The entire time I was running mile 2, I had a crazy dialogue going on in my head. "Lets go Meg, you are almost there, check out that dude's afro! keep pushing, ugh I am so sweaty, you can run faster than these people, go, go, go!" By the 1/2 mile to go sign, I thought, its now or never and turned on the burners!

The closer I got to the finish, the harder I pushed. I was running a 7:00m/m pace when I crossed the finish line according to my imapmyrun app. My official finish time was 33:42. In my head I had a goal time of 34:00 so that was accomplished. Also accomplished - run entire race!

Three different doctors were on site doing massages, so I hopped in line right away to get fixed up by the Pain Management Center of O'Fallon. They were super nice, asked what was bothering me today (my calfs were incredibly tight) and then proceded to work out the knots in my legs! They also gave me a card for a free massage! Woot Woot!

I registered in the Athena Division and placed 8th with my time, which is pretty good considering there were a ton of other ladies in that division. I have to say, I'm pleased with my time, considering the crappy job I've done with my training lately.

Now, its time to make myself a training plan and conquer it!

Why I Run

2010-10-21T19:13:00.002-05:00

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

Everyone has their own reasons for running. I run for many reasons - exercise, stress relief and for the sense of achievement. Few things in life have made me feel as amazing as when I crossed the finish line of the 2010 Go! St. Louis Half Marathon.

I originally started running for the exercise so I could lose some weight. Then I realized how great it was. I realized that as long as I trained I would absolutely be able to complete the distance I chose. This was comforting for me. I like the certainty of it.

When I run, my mind clears and my stress floats away. Its the best therapy I've ever had.

Sad? Run and be happy.
Mad? Run and be happy.
Happy? Run and be happier.

I can run anywhere I want to. I can run anytime I want to. My "fast" speed is probably other's "slow" speed, but I'm ok with that. I run on my own time and as long as I get from point A to point B, I've accomplished my goal. As I become a stronger runner, I hope to accomplish more goals for myself. I enjoy running and I enjoy racing. The running world has been incredibly kind and supportive of me and I could not be more thankful for that.

Running is amazing to me and I hope that it will be a part of my life for many years to come.

Ew

2010-10-18T09:37:00.002-05:00

Dead squirrel right in front of my house today on the road....

Not the actual squirrel.

No more barefooting it for a while.....

Trail Running

2010-10-17T19:05:00.000-05:00

Today I was feeling "blah" so I decided to head for a trail run. I've heard great things about trail running, especially their ability to help with clearing a busy mind and I have to say that is absolutely right!

Harley and I headed out this afternoon. Just me, her and my ipod (ok and my Garmin) had to walk a mile from the parking lot to the trail head. We took the first mile easy and once we reached the trail we took off. The trail was nice and solid, no tree roots in the way. It felt great to just run. Harley wanted to take charge and ran head of me, leading the way. I expected her to just run all over the place, but she followed the trail exactly. It was funny to see her run along the trail like that. She knew exactly where she was going. I ran the first mile with no problems, stopped to give Harley a small break and took off for the second mile. I haven't felt like this on a run in ages! Lately, on my road runs, I feel like giving up before mile 1 is even over. This is definitely something I need to start making a habit.

My First Time Barefoot

2010-10-16T19:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, call me a hypocrite. I said that barefoot running was crazy. I thought it was pointless and I'd never do it. In fact, I just mentioned it in my post yesterday that I couldn't get over the fact of all the nasty stuff on roadsides and therefore, I'd never barefoot run.

That all changed this afternoon.

I've been working on my form for the pas few days, hoping it could save me from the excruciating pain that is shin splints. However, I'm an overpronator and i've found it very difficult to run with a mid foot strike in my shoes. This afternoon, I had the urge to see how my form would improve without shoes to tell my feet how to land or react or whatever.

I waited until all my neighors were back inside so none of them would wonder why I was hauling it down the street barefooted. I set my garmin for a 1 mile run and took off. Our street is asphalt and not very heavily traveled. Besides a few acorns and sticks, there wasn't very much debris on the street.

I noticed that each step barefooted was nearly perfect form. I didn't have to think about it, I just took off. It reminded me of my childhood. My brother and I spent most of our summers barefooted. It felt natural. Here a video of my stride while barefoot: Barefoot Running Form from Meg S on Vimeo.

My shins didn't bother me at all on this run, but boy are my calves sore! I only went .38mi barefoot and then put on my shoes and ran the rest focused on my form. Here's a video in my shoes, showing the difference in my form - the first lap past the camera is my regular stride and the last is me trying to correct it: Running form in shoes from Meg S on Vimeo.

While I don't know if I'm running correctly barefoot, it felt much better to not be striking with my heel.

Will I barefoot it again?
I have to say, there's a time and a place for barefooting it. I would never ever run barefooted on any of my regular public training routes. I've seen too many condoms, screws, food remnants, squished frogs to make that ever appeal to me. However, on a track or my quiet little street its definitely possible.

Do you run barefoot? What do you think? How does my form look?

Good Running Form

2010-10-15T13:43:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about my form when I run... I'm quite sure its all over the place.

When I'm out on a run, I probably look like most other runners out there. Heel Striking. Arms Swinging in front of my body. Tense Shoulders. It doesn't just look wrong, it feels wrong too, but I don't know how to stop it!

I would imagine that an improved form and foot strike would help improve my speed (at least a tiny bit) and ease the shin splints and other aches and pains that come along with this hobby.

There's about a million videos out there on what proper running form looks like, but nothing that really shows me how to train my body to run that way all the time.

Do you have any tips for learning proper running form? I'd love for you to share!

Setting Goals

2010-10-14T20:40:00.001-05:00

I 've always been successful in the past when I set goals for myself along with a way to achieve that goal. That's how I lost 20 lbs. That's how I ran a half marathon. That's how I will again get myself back into running.

Earlier this week, I signed myself up for a 5k race. My first race since the half marathon and my first 5k since March. I enjoy races, especially the 5k distance and I really hope to get many more under my belt this fall/winter and into the future. I'm looking forward to my race. Its just about 2 weeks away! This will be a good test of my mental strength.

I know that running is going to require an ongoing commitment. Its not something that I can just do whenever life isn't too busy. Running is more than exercise, its time to focus on me. I will respect that and respect myself. I deserve this.

I FOUND MY FRIEND!

2010-09-27T16:40:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning I was going through all the shoes in the bottom of my closet. I was taking out the ones that needed to be replaced (so I would know what I was shopping for) and setting aside ones I no longer wanted so I could take them to goodwill.

Well, as I was pulling out one of the last pairs of shoes, I saw a black spot in the back of the closet. After closer investigation, I reached in to grab it and guess what?

IT WAS MY GARMIN FORERUNNER 305!!!!

I've never been so happy to have found something in my whole life!

Running For Life

2010-09-22T09:13:00.001-05:00

Throughout my entire life, literally, as long as I can remember, I always had this dream of being a runner. Time and time again, throughout my childhood and teenage years, I would decide that I wanted to start running. I’d run once or twice and then give up because I didn’t think I could do it, I didn’t have time for it, or some other plethora of excuses.

Last year, I decided that I was going to start running, for real this time. I started my first round of Couch to 5k and in April of 2009, I finished my first 5k race in 31:00. After that, I changed my focus to weight lifting and running again took a back seat because I just wouldn’t spare the time to both run and workout in the gym.

In the fall of 2009, after reading an inspiring race recap from a friend via twitter, I got a serious itch to train for a half marathon. I was having trouble keeping up my motivation in the gym and I thought that training would be good for me, because no matter what, as long as you do the weekly runs, you WILL improve. It’s a constant, 100% sure thing.

With workouts at the gym I would get depressed, because, here I am, squatting 175 lbs and working my butt off, and I didn’t see any visible results. Sure, I was getting stronger, but for some reason, it didn’t make me feel better.

Running, for me is different. Event though I may not see changes in my body, with each run, with each week, my stamina improves and I can push myself farther…. faster than the week before. For me, running was a constant in my life, something I could always count on to succeed at as long as I put my heart into it. And putting my heart into running….was easy.

I participated in my second 5k just a few weeks prior to the half marathon. My partner S. and I had a goal of a sub 30:00 5k and we just barely made it, crossing the finish line in 29:58. This was good enough for us to tie for 3^rd place in our age group, my first ever running award! Lifting hundreds of pounds of weights could never make me feel the same amount of satisfaction I felt each time I finished a race. After months of training, S. and I finished the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon in 2:40 in April of 2010.

After that race, running took the backseat yet again, but this time because I was planning my wedding and work was super hectic. Obviously, there is a pattern emerging here….

I’m currently in my second week of my second attempt at Couch to 5k. This time, my goal is to build up to 6 miles. From there, I’d like to get faster; ideally my goal is a 27 minute 5k.

This time, I want to be different. I want to change my life for the better. I want to be a runner for life this time, not just for a few weeks or months, but for many years to come.

To make this happen, I need your help. I need you to help keep me on task. If you notice that I go a week without logging a run, yell at me. Remind me that this time, there are no breaks from running, no extended vacations. This time WILL be different.

I miss my friend

2010-09-15T19:31:00.000-05:00

Over the past year or so, as S. and I have been working out together, I've added another friend to our workout sessions and that friend has recently gone missing.

My beloved Garmin Forerunner 305 was last seen in late August. We went for a short jog around the neighborhood and that was the last I've seen of her.

I have literally searched my house (at least i think i have) from top to bottom. I've emptied every drawer and closet with no luck.

My Garmin was an important part of running. It kept me motivated and made me push harder to reach goals instead of just giving up. Now, without it, I feel lost. I'm trying to get back into running and in the mean time, i'm using imapmyrun to track my time and miles.

I've started searching for a new Garmin, but with no luck. I've lost several ebay auctions and now it seems that my choices are to order a new one off amazon.com or beg for it for a christmas present.... decisions, decisions.

Stuck in a rut

2010-09-03T12:40:00.000-05:00

Its been ages since I last blogged and even longer since I've ran. This morning I stepped on the scale and nearly puked when I saw those numbers glaring back at me. I lost about 20 lbs when I first moved in with Joe. It was a long, hard process, but it felt sooooo good to lose those 20 lbs. It felt even better to be back in a size 8.

Now, here I am, two years later, a married, half marathon finisher who wants nothing more than for once in her life to just feel in shape and in control.

I'm so proud of the fact that I trained and finished a half marathon. I set my mind to a goal and I reached it. So why do I have such a hard time getting my eating habits corralled into something that even remotely resembles a normal schedule?

Today, I'll start working towards getting myself healthy.

So far, so good. Packed a healthy lunch, ate a good breakfast and got in 30 minutes of exercise during my lunch hour.

Going forward, I realize that I need to make a healthy lifestyle a priority. My problem is that I've always made it an option, as if it didn't matter what I did. Today, I will make that change.

How do you motivate yourself to be healthy?

P90x?

2010-04-27T15:48:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on twitter, you've heard me talking a little bit about P90X over the past few days.

I'm interested in it for a few reasons....

1- dumping my gym membership

2- working out in the comfort of my home

3- getting a good workout and real results

What scares me about it?

1 - One hour a day avg/ 6x per week

2 - Nutrition plan (I'm terrible when it comes to my eating habits)

3 - Don't have a pull up bar

I'm still trying to decide if p90x is for me. I like good, hard workouts, but not sure if this program is like all the other infomercials out there... Too good to be true?

Have you used P90x? What was your experience with the program? Do you think it was worth the money?

I've lost my mojo...

2010-04-20T20:03:00.000-05:00

Since April 11th I've ran a total of maybe 3 miles.

One mile was a recovery run, to get rid the last of my soreness from the half marathon.

The other two? I was attempting a 3 mile run with my dog... Was going well, felt good, but then I just quit. I didn't feel like it, I didn't have a reason to run, nothing to look forward to.

I don't have time to train for another race at the moment, but I also don't want to lose the base I've built

I need to weight train so I can create some shape and look great in my wedding dress, and I'd like to try to work in about 2 hours of cardio per week.

So, how do I get my mojo back?

What to do?

2010-04-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

In just a few months, I'm getting married.

I'm absolutely appalled by the shape of my body. Who thought I would look this flabby after logging 20+ miles per week?

Next week, I'm back on the weights and super excited to start seeing some changes in my shape. I've been eating pretty decently this week and drinking lots of water, and I'm already down a few lbs.

However, at this point, its not about the number on the scale, its about how I look in that dress...

Time for goal setting.... But how to you set a goal based on looks? Or do I just set a goal to workout X times per week ? I'm not sure.

Ideas? Suggestions?

Recovery Run to the Rescue

2010-04-14T08:44:00.000-05:00

It used to be that the last thing on earth I wanted to do when I was sore was work out.... or move at all for that matter.

However, on Monday, as sore as I was, I wanted to run. I knew my legs were still not ready for it, though. Last night however, I decided to take Harley on a short 1 mile, walk/jog. It felt pretty good to get my legs moving again. This morning, when I woke up, my legs felt great!!!

I'm trying to decide on what race I'm doing next. I'd love to run in the Lewis & Clark half marathon, but I would have to start training about 2 - 3 weeks before my wedding, and that concerns me.

Next week, S. and I are getting back to the gym to start up "New Rules of Lifting for Women" again. I'm looking forward to getting my muscles back! Now I just have to find time to fit in running and wedding planning.....

My First Half Marathon

2010-04-11T13:24:00.001-05:00

Today was an amazing experience. I've successfully finished a half marathon!

I woke up around 4am, gobbled up some oatmeal and toast along with water and gatorade (great combo right) and got into my running gear.

I met S. at her house around 5:20 and we started our journey downtown.

I was a little nervous, but tried not to think about it too much and just enjoyed the drive. Once we found a parking garage around 6am, we headed to the park and got in line for the porta potties. We met up with Jenn and chatted a bit before we had to head to meet our pace group.

After some stretching and another bathroom break, we were booking it to find our pace group.

Our pace group was lead by "Pacer Jim" a funny man, who looked like this:

He was great! And yes, that is a running skirt. He had some really great jokes, made lively conversation with some of the runners and kept us on track!

It was hard to hear the music or announcements, but we did hear the national anthem around 6:55, just before the wheelchair athletes went out.

Mile 1 was a breeze hit the marker around 10:52
Mile 2 just as easy, settling into pace, big crowd around us 11:31
Mile 3 Going well hitting the hills at Anheuser Busch - not fair to smell hops this early in the morning. 11:42
Mile 4 Course flattens out again, catching back up to pace team 10:47
Mile 5 Woot! Almost GU time. Its getting very hot. 11:07
Mile 6 Water, GU - Sweet Jesus, its sweltering out here. 12:07
Mile 7 Olive Street.... Torture. Utter Torture. Hills that go on for miles. 11:26
Mile 8 Hills continued... Start heading up another monster hill and my head doesn't feel right. Hit the water station. Very Hot, Very Lightheaded. Started to scare me, so I had to walk. Lost pace team :-( 13:18
Mile 9 Running Past SLU - Nice neighborhood. More hills. Run/Walk intervals as much as I can, So pissed that I can't keep up running. A few marching bands are playing music, pretty awesome! We are pretty close to Wash U at the turn around point. Saw a guy juggling and running at the same time.. .WTH? 12:38
Mile 10 Last stretch, Got more water, ran downhill as much as my head would allow me to. 12:56
Mile 11 Still running downhill - this is the hill that killed me around MM #8 12:37
Mile 12 - Uphill again, more water, preparing to finish strong - saw a few people getting loaded up in ambulances. Don't want that to be me. 14:30
Mile 13 Working for a strong finish, but trying to not pass out also. Finish line seems forever away 12:04The Last 0.10 was much easier, lots of people cheering, the announcer said my name as we closed in on the finish line! 1:06
FINISH LINE - WOOOT! What a great feeling! Grab my medal, water, and lots of free food to much on while we wait to get our picture taken.

It was at this point that my light headedness got really bad. Waiting in line with S. my vision started going in and out and I figured that if I didn't take a seat soon, my head would meet the pavement and crush all the free goodies I had! I told S. "I need to go sit down!" and made a beeline to the nearest sidewalk for a few minutes, drank up some water and ate a few cookies and felt better.

S. and I got our pictures taken by the photographer and headed into the park area to take a seat and eat our goodies.

I started feeling a little more normal after I ate a bit, but when we got up to start walking around, my lightheadedness came back with a vengeance. I crouched down for a few, and we headed to the Michelob Ultra tent for our free beers.

After that, I was just about spent. I was super exhausted and it bothered me a little that I still wasn't feeling so hot.
The crowd along the race course was super fun and very supportive. Many of them were good about reading names off of race bibs and cheering you on personally. It was pretty cool. There were also a few musicians out, I think we saw a banjo, bagpipes (totally awesome - he got lots of applause) and guitar (on the patio at Nadoz Cafe).

For my first half, it wasn't too bad, but the heat and the hills really did me in. I was really hydrated, but today just wasn't my day.

Now, I'm home and I have a belly full of food. I think its nap time!

My Official Time: 2:40:43
My Garmin Time: 2:38:47

2 Days

2010-04-09T08:51:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning with a huge knot in my tummy. It's still hanging around and I believe it might stick around for most of the day.

Yes, I’m still nervous, but the scared feeling has pretty much faded away.

At this point, I think it’s the waiting that’s killing me!

I am, however, very excited to get to sleep in tomorrow since I do not have a long run in the morning. I might throw in a few miles to loosen up my legs, but that will be it!

Plan for today is:

1. Drink a LOT of water

2. Don’t eat like a garbage disposal

3. Get lots of sleep tonight.

4. Relax

St. Louis - I'm coming for you. :-)

3 Days and Counting

2010-04-08T07:31:00.000-05:00

Overall, I'm feeling much more confident in myself this week, than at this time last week (when I was FREAKING OUT).

I've had two good runs this week. They were short and easy :-)

My legs are feeling good, and I'm working on keeping myself hydrated, the cooler temperatures might be a little helpful for that. High of 64 today. Would be beautiful weather for a run, but I'm off today! Instead, last scheduled run is tomorrow and an optional easy run on Saturday to loosen up.

From time to time, I've been getting butterflies in my stomach when I think about Sunday, but overall my feelings are positive. I think part of that is because i've spoke with so many people who are tapering at the moment, or remember what their first taper was like. I know I'm not alone!

I'm really looking forward to Sunday. Never in my life did I ever imagine that I would run a half marathon. I remember when 5k's seemed crazy and challenging. I remember when my partner S. and I couldn't even run a full mile. We've made an AMAZING transformation.

I'm already very proud of the miles I've logged, but I can't wait to cross that finish line in just 3 short days.

Wordless Wednesday - 4 days to Go!

2010-04-07T08:17:00.000-05:00

5 Days

2010-04-06T10:42:00.000-05:00

I'm scared.

I'm nervous.

I'm excited.

I'm an emotional mess. Here I am just 5 days away from my first ever half marathon and I can hardly stand it.

Rough Day

2010-04-03T20:33:00.000-05:00

Today has been a very trying day.

I woke up in a bad mood, our sump pump didn't work last night when it was raining, so when my fiance got up and went downstairs for something.... I woke up to the wet vac running. That's not really what you want to hear at 6am on a Saturday.

I couldn't go back to sleep, so I started putting away laundry. Around 7:30 I felt tired again, so I went back to be for another 40 minutes or so.

Harley had an appointment at the groomer at 9:30, so I dropped her off and headed to the park for my 8 mile run. It was a little windy, but pretty nice outside. The temp was hovering in the mid 50's. I started my run and was hitting it at a good pace. After a mile I stopped to take off my long sleeve shirt. Another mile passed and I was feeling OK. I stopped for a second and picked it right back up.

Then I hit the trail portion of the park and my legs felt like lead. I alternated running and walking as long as I could. I drank way too much water apparently, because I had to go to the bathroom and my water belt pushing on my belly was not helping. I kept thinking I would come across some bathrooms.... but none.

Finally, at 4.6 miles, I gave up all together and just walked the rest of the way to the car. I don't know why, but I could not do it today.

I stretched, got in the car, and busted into tears. I couldn't even make it two miles without stopping, let alone run the whole 8. How was I going to run 13.1 miles in just 8 days? This is going to be torture. What the hell am I thinking? Everything that I was experiencing during my "Freak Out" session last week came rushing back.

I cried the whole way home. Too much was bothering me today. Bad mood, bad run, stressed.... I just couldn't hold it in anymore.

Thanks to kind words from the running community, I was able to pull myself together. I'm refusing to let this taper get to me. I will not be defeated. I can do this. "Trust your training" was something I heard today that really resounded to me. I have trained very hard over the past few months. Its not going to go away in 2 short weeks. I just need to let my legs do the work next sunday.

Tapering Torture!

2010-04-01T14:44:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week, I was pretty excited about the appearance of a 3 mile run in the schedule again. Its been a few months since we’ve seen the number 3 on our training calendars.

Yesterday was that elusive 3 mile run. We’re on week 2 of our taper and its been an interesting experience.

We were looking forward to tapering so much. After 9 weeks of increasing mileage, we would have 3 weeks of decreasing mileage leading up to half marathon day. Both S. and I were counting down the days until we hit that 12 mile run. Well, if you recall… that 12 mile run didn’t go so well.

Everyone has bad days, so we ignored that, ran an amazing 5k the next day and then began tapering.

For the record, let me say how much tapering sucks. This is my brief account of the past 11 days.

Monday - Rested. Legs are so tired.

Tuesday - Frustration! Made it 1.5 miles out of 4 miles. Turned around. I think I strained my hamstring

Thursday & Friday –Rest Days - strained hamstring.

Saturday – 9 miles today. Leg feels good!

Miles 1-3: We can do this!

Miles 4: uhm… it’s a little windy (turn around at 4.5)

Mile 5: WTF did that wind come from?

Mile 6: I quit.

Saturday afternoon: New Shoes!

Sunday – REST! Thank the LORD…. Ran Errands with the Fiance, came home with a Wii. Played Wii for 6 hours straight.

Monday – I am sore beyond belief from playing that stupid Wii. Today’s run is 5 Miles. First run with my new shoes. My calves are on FIRE. At least I finished it. Blog idea about barefoot running… never got to it though.

Tuesday – Whew, Another rest day. Pick up wedding cake samples.... Ate too much of it….Still Yummy.

Wednesday – 3 miles. This is going to be so easy right? Its only 86 degrees out and I’ve drank approximately 32 oz of fluid today. (great idea!)

Mile 1, hilly, but OK.

Turnaround at 1.5, very thirsty, very hot. Must.Have.Water. Head pounding. Cottonmouth.

Mile 1.6 – Give up before passing out. Walk remaining 1.4 miles.

Thursday (today) – Start freaking out. Can I really do this? I’ve had 3 really terrible runs over the past few weeks and skipped 3 more. OMG. What is the weather going to be like? I am quite sure that I will die if it’s over 60 Degrees. Turn to twitter for support. Other runners are freaking out too. We all freak out together. We are doing what in just 9 days? ARE WE INSANE? I think I might have been in a coma for the past 3 months, because why, exactly would anyone want to run 13.1 miles willingly in a sea of 15,000 people?

Then stepped in @Sara_McCarty as the calm supportive voice of reason. She passed on a link to her blog about taperting anxiety. (You think its funny, but its absolute torture.)

After reading Sara’s article, calmness ensued. I also passed it along to S. who also was freaking out. This feeling is normal, we can do it!

Deep Breath.

Wordless Wednesday- 11 days to Go!

2010-03-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

New Kicks

2010-03-27T16:19:00.000-05:00

I decided it was time to splurge on some new kicks with some of my tax refund money. My Nikes were almost completely worn on the ball of my foot and I've been having lots of aches and pains.

Last week, I noticed that I had developed callouses right in the middle of my arches... WTF?!

The best shoe store that I have ever been to is Fleet Feet. All I have to do is walk in, tell them I need new shoes and we go from there. Jason was once again my sales rep and he is AMAZING! Before you try on shoes, they ask lots of questions, check out sizing, arches etc.

I have very high arches that collapse a lot when I take a step, I also overpronate, so I need very specific shoes and inserts to protect my feet.

Jason tried a few shoes on me and watched me take a short jog in them and decided I needed a lot more stability than I had in previous pairs. He came back out with a pair of New Balance and Saucony shoes and also picked out a much better insert for me and my high arches.

I put on the Saucony Stabil shoes and could not believe the difference I felt. I took a jog while Jason watched and he yelled out "perfection!" The new shoes fixed my over pronating problem!

Looking forward to my first run in the new shoes and inserts!

One Small Success!

2010-03-26T09:12:00.000-05:00

Since training for my half marathon, its occured to me how important running safety is, especially for females.

Before January, I was never very consistent in my runs, and did many of them in the daylight. Safety was something I took for granted. Like many runners, I assumed I was invincible.

On one of our weeknight training runs, during week three of our schedule, S. passed on a comment from one of her friends that really made me think.

The day before, I was on rest for shin splints and so S. ran the route, in partial darkness on her own. I told her to call or text when she started and when she finished. Mostly she was keeping in contact to let me know how long it took her to run the route and to hold her accountable for still doing the workout, even if I couldn't.

S. made it back just fine and as she was telling her friend about her run she commended her on letting me know when she started and stopped since we couldn't use the real life buddy system. We didn't even realize we were taking any special precautions, but S's friend said "You've been running the same route on the same days each week at the same time. People could totally be noticing your pattern."

That really stuck with me.

I hate sounding like I'm paranoid, but as runners, we have to be proactive about staying safe.

Last Thursday, I posted about dailymile.com's Garmin integration. While it was a great feature to add, it still needed some work. It was in beta at the time so I wasn't too hard on it.

Many runners might think they are being safe by posting routes that aren't starting from their house and are usually crowded. What they don't realize is that someone (a "stalker" per se) realizes they always run the same route on wednesdays.... Then they show up there, realize its crowded and then wait for the runner to go back to their car. Then they follow the runner from there... Without realizing it, they have lead the "stalker" right to their house.

Its just one of the many ways that runners are attacked every year.

I'm happy to announce that dailymile.com rolled out Garmin integration for all users yesterday. On Sunday, I used Garmin beta sync to post my 5k race time. When the information came up to post, I noticed the option to delete the route!

Words can't explain how thrilled I was to see this option, just days after I brought up the topic to my twitter and dailymile friends. Of course I know it wasn't my doing, but I'm still glad that dailymile realized that location sharing should always be an option and never a default.

Thanks to the entire dailymile crew for giving us the option to share location data when we upload Garmin workouts!

Click here or more info on using dailymile.com and Garmin sync.

Frustration!

2010-03-24T20:10:00.001-05:00

I was so elated to have reached my time goal at the RSC 5k. But, by Sunday afternoon, I was absolutely exhausted. My body ached terribly.

I was so exhausted and my legs felt so terrible that I decided to take some ibuprofen and lay down for a while. I woke up 2 hours later, feeling worse than I did when I passed out!

I figured that the aching and tiredness in my legs would pass soon enough. I woke up on Monday feeling a little better, but still like I had lead feet. I just assumed they were tired from peak mileage week. I got in 26 miles last week, so it made sense for my legs to be worn out.

Monday evening I decided to skip the run to keep from hurting myself.
Tuesday I got home, changed and grabbed the dog to head out for a short, easy run. I planned on hitting at least 3 miles.

I started off at a very easy, modest pace. Every step I took felt like I was jamming my feet into the pavement and my quads (especially the left one) were screaming. I kept it up for about .56mi and stopped for a second. I tried giving myself a pep talk, as i've become so good at.... "Come on Meg, you got this... just another mile and you can turn around."

Off I went again and the pain came right back. I don't know if it hurt really bad or if i was just extra irritable and whiny, but I stopped again at .75mi and turned around. Whatever pain I was feeling in my quad was not normal and with 18 days until the Half Marathon, I was not going to push it and make it worse.

I whimpered all the way back to the car, feeling defeated. The dog however, had a blast.

My impression from the pain is that its maybe a minor strain. It doesn't bother me when I walk, but I can feel it twinge when I go down the stairs.

I didn't even attempt a run today. Especially since today was scheduled for speedwork. Think its best to listen to my body this time. While I have missed more training sessions than I would have liked due to shin splints or sickness, I still know I can complete 13.1 no matter how long it takes me.

Wordless Wednesday - 17 to go

2010-03-24T08:15:00.001-05:00

5k Report

2010-03-21T12:02:00.000-05:00

This morning, as part of our training, S. and I took part in a 5k.

I wasn't sure how well I would do. Yesterday, our 12 mile run didn't go so well... Then, last night I had an amazing time at the John Mayer concert. I didn't make it home until about 1:15, so by the time I fell asleep it was probably 2am.

6 am came very early this morning! I met S. at 7am and we made our way to the race. Our goal was to finish in 30 minutes. We were a little concerned because the wind was blowing like crazy again and we were not sure what part of the course would feel it the most.

I set my garmin for our distance and goal time and we started the race at 8am. We started off pretty face, but settled into a good pace. Mile one went by fairly quickly. It was helpful to have my Garmin. I kept an eye on our pace to make sure we didn't go slower than 9:45 at any given time. This was super helpful!

Near the 1.3 - 1.5mile we took a curve and the wind started hitting us right in the chest. I ignored it and powered through S and I motivated each other every step of the way. When I was falling back, she kept pace and I sped up and vice versa.

I got very very tired as we hit the 2.5mi mark. Once again the wind was hitting us, but I knew we had a good chance of hitting our time goal, so I pushed on. We neared the finish line and saw the timer read 29:47...I looked at S. and yelled "GO!" and we both sprinted across the finish line at 29:53! That means we ran a 9:38mi average. Oh yes, PERSONAL RECORD! (I never claimed to be fast, but its still exciting to get a PR)

S. and I tied for 3rd place in our age group! It listed me as 3 and her as 4, but I know we crossed at the same time! I'm happy to share this accomplishment with her. We were totally proud of this great accomplishment.

21 days to go!

12 Mile Rundown

2010-03-20T14:32:00.001-05:00

I was fairly optimistic when starting out today's 12 mile run. I had a great route picked out for S. and I to run.

It was a little chilly outside, mid to upper 40's and a slight breeze. It was the first time we had run this route, so I thought it would be a great way to keep us entertained. Boy, was I right.

Around mile 2 we came upon our first item of interest, markings from some sort of bike race.

As we approached the rail road tracks, we saw this:

Followed by this:

and then this (the reason for the markings):

S. and I were cracking up at the bike race "heiroglyphics" - thats a race director with some humor. Thought its a valid thing to warn bike riders of. Those tracks were downright scary!

S. and I kept on trucking for the next few miles...We were already both feeling tired, though I think neither of us wanted to admit it. As we got closer to the turnaround, I snapped this pic. Powerlines amaze me for some reason, especially these super high voltage ones. You can hear them buzzing, which is pretty wild. They just seem to go on and on forever. Not long after this was our halfway point (finally!)

S. and I were thrilled when we finally reached the turning point. We stopped, took our GU and a water break. I had the orange burst flavor.... which in my opinion, was disgusting! I absolutely prefer the vanilla, i think because its so plain and acutally palatable. I am never having the orange burst again!

Anyway, after that terrible experience, I figured the run would only get better from here... I was wrong. Very, very wrong.

We started back and were met head on with what felt to us like gale force winds. They really were only 10-20 mph, but thats a lot to run against. We made it another mile or so and finally were so out of breath that we stopped and decide to walk to the next turn and hope it would get better...

Well, guess what... It didnt. Wind still hitting us in the worst way possible....We decided to wave the white flag and walk the rest of the way back. For those of you who think I'm exaggerating... Here is a photo of S's ponytail blowing in the wind. She was standing still at this point so I could get a photo:

I won't lie... we briefly entertained the idea of having someone pick us up, but by the time anyone would have reached us, we would have made it almost back to the car. So, we walked... and walked.... and walked...

At one point we passed a barn that seemed like it was empty on our first pass, but then this beautiful horse came out to meet us. (I wanted to get a pic with the horse, but thought the people in the house across the street were watching me.)

And so we continued to walk and chat... I guess that was probably one of the good points of walking back. S. and I had great conversation all the way back to the car. (Downside: it got very cold!)

As we neared the "rough, ouch RR crossing" again, we noticed a train in the distance... we looked at each other and S said "do you think we can beat it?"

I thought to myself and wasn't sure if we could, but for some reason we both started running and after about 100 feet said "screw it" and walked again. We beat the train, by this much:

I waved at the train engineer and he honked, but I'm sure that was only because he was at a crossing.

Anyway, 2 hours and 29 minutes after we left the car for our 12 11mile run... We made it back.

We both jumped for joy, then jumped in the car and headed back home to the comforts of our couch!

Small Triumphs

2010-03-19T21:11:00.000-05:00

Just made a chocolate cake..... and didn't taste-test any of the batter.

Small triumphs.

That's how I roll.

Running Safety/ Location Sharing

2010-03-18T13:16:00.000-05:00

I was super excited when I saw that dailymile.com now has Garmin Sync available in beta. Right now, my Garmin uploads to my computer when I plug it in, so I can analyze run data down to the smallest detail (i promise, I'm not that crazy though.)

With Garmin Sync you can hit a "Sync Workout" button and it will grab the info from your run data on your Garmin software and log the detail on dailymile.com. I was excited to try it out, because this is a super easy way to keep up with my training log. I hit sync and my latest workout popped up on the screen. I added my workout comments and posted the workout, but noticed something that concerned me.... Since my Garmin is a GPS, it logs all my running routes and I can then look at them on my desktop.

Anyway, I hit the button to post my workout and noticed that right there, for the world to see, was my exact route. I looked and looked around and there was no way to delete the route or make it private.

Personally, I'd like to make life a little more difficult for any stalkers I may have, so I decided that Garmin Sync is off limits until there are some privacy options put into place, like on Garmin Connect.

Many times, I don't think people, runners especially realize how important it is to take safety precautions. Here's a link to one of my favorite blogs - "Living Life." Jenn posted a great article that highlights a lot of great info about running safety.

Enjoy, and be safe!

Wordless Wednesday - 24 to go

2010-03-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

Country Roads

2010-03-14T11:10:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I was unsure of how well my long run for the week would go. I had a wedding shower to attend in the middle of the day so I was unable to complete the run in the morning.

It helped tremendously that there was mostly healthy food to eat at the shower - pasta salad, mini chicken salad sandwiches, Cesar salad, fruit salad etc. I filled my plate with a good mixture to make sure I wasn't completely drained when it came time to run.

This week, we decided to run a nice out and back route on some of the country roads near my house. The weather was damp and windy. The wind was blowing directly into our faces for the first 3.5 miles, then luckily we turned and went out the rest of the leg in a different direction. Its amazing how once you turn your back to the wind, its as if its not even there! The view out here is beautiful. You can see for miles and the terrain isn't completely flat, but its hard to notice the small rolling hills.

On the way back we came upon the point where we would turn and go back the last 3.5 miles and there were some cows in the field. They were all watching us intently as we ran by, stopped and had a drink and GU. We couldn't stop laughing, especially as two of the cows looked at us, then at each other, then back at us... Like they were secretly plotting something. We decided to get out of there before they stampeded.

The temperature hovered around 46 degrees and I think we were both covered in sweat. I had to take off my jacket and run in a tee shirt at mile 8. We got on a good topic of conversation and the next 1.25 miles flew by. The last .75mi was tough, but do-able. I knew I could finish it, but I was very ready to be done with it!

Next week is a high mileage week.... 29 miles!

I'm definitely feeling some stiffness in my legs today... Hopefully, moving around will loosen that up today.

I'm looking forward to more daylight hours for evening runs this week! Also looking forward to competing in a race again! Even though its just a 5k, its still so much fun to race!

Just 27 days to go until the half marathon. I'm so ready to rock this.

Wordless Wednesday (kinda) - 31 days to go

2010-03-10T12:01:00.001-06:00

Meet the Garmin

2010-03-06T17:10:00.006-06:00

I was absolutely thrilled to recieve my Garmin 305 Forerunner yesterday. I charged it up overnight and this morning, pulled it out for its first run.

While its a little bulky on my wrist, its not heavy and really didn't get in the way. The display is nice sized, so it was very easy for me to glance down and see the info I needed right away. There are multiple ways to view the info, so you are sure to get what you are looking for.

I thought I set it up to beep each mile, but I must have done something incorrect, because that didn't work correctly. I also set up Auto Pause - which stops the timer when you stop moving. You can also set the timer to stop when you go above a certain pace.

I forgot to set my user profile up before the run, but that's important to do before you run if you want to know how many calories you burned.

The Garmin records your route while you run and for future runs you can race against your time. You can also set a time for your workout and use the "Virtual Partner" to race.

When I started my run, it took a little while for my pace to set. When it did, I was a little upset that my pace was a full minute slower according to the Garmin than it was on my Nike+ . I expected a pace difference, but had no idea it would be that much!

Another cool feature of the Garmin is the computer software that accompanies it. You can use it to map routes out beforehand, compare your pace, heart rate and more.

Since the Garmin is a gps device, you can mark your starting location and if you get lost, the compass can help guide you back to your starting point. That makes me feel good because one of the reasons I wanted the Garmin is for trail running this spring and summer. Knowing that I'll have the built in gps (as long as it gets a signal in the woods) is a good piece of mind.

The only thing I am missing is the ability to sync the data with my dailymile account. Rumor has it that's in the works though!

If you are in the market for a GPS trainer or are ready to move on from your Nike+, I definitely recommend the Garmin Forerunner 305.

Sheer Excitement

2010-03-05T20:54:00.004-06:00

It wasn't supposed to arrive until Tuesday, but today a package came for me from Amazon.com!

I seriously let out a girly squeal and started jumping up and down when I realized what it was!

Tomorrow will be my first run with the Garmin.

I'll be sure to report after I finish running all 11 miles!

Do you own a Garmin? What do you love most about it? Any tips/tricks to enjoy it to the fullest?

Rewarding Myself!

2010-03-04T11:55:00.003-06:00

Today, I got an email from amazon.com notifying me of the shipment of my recent order: a Garmin 305 Forerunner.

I had originally decided that I would purchase this as a gift for myself for successfully training and completing a half marathon. I've been training since January 18 with the help of my Nike+.

While I love my Nike+, I'm concerned with its accuracy when it comes to my distances and paces. With my 12 mile run quickly approaching, I figured it would be in my best interest to accurately track pace and mileage in anticipation for the half marathon.

I still look at it as a gift for all my hard work. Afterall, I've made an amazing transformation in my fitness level over 2 short months. The dedication required to train for an athletic performance is demanding, and I set out hoping to set a goal for myself and actually reach it.

So many times, I've set goals and let them fall by the wayside... Lose 10 lbs, get in better shape, eat better etc etc... This goal is different from those. Its so tangible for me, I am 100% sure that I will reach it.

I'm just 37 days away from reaching my goal and I can't wait to rock it.

Interesting Day

2010-03-03T19:42:00.000-06:00

Today's run started out awfully interesting.... I was sitting in the parking lot, waiting for S. to arrive and along came a dude on a unicycle. He first caught my eye because he was wobbling around on top almost like he was going to fall over.

Luckily he turned and went down the road where S. was on her way to meet me and she also got the pleasure of seeing this 60+ year old man wobbling around on a unicycle....

S. and I decided to take a new route, to include some hills (something our training has been lacking).

So, we went up 2 blocks from our usual route and kind of cringed at the hills we saw before us. We hopped on the sidewalk so we didn't get smashed by a car, but then the sidewalk ran out.... and started again on the other side of the street. So we crossed and continued running.... another 2 blocks later the sidewalk ran out again.... and so we crossed..... and then again! It was like we were playing Frogger or something. I swear we crossed the road at least 10 times!

It felt good to run the hills, so we decided to do an out and back. On the way back, we passed behind the place where I am getting married this summer. A greenhouse/conservatory with gardens in the back. I pointed and said "Wedding!" and S. was like "Yeah, thats where you are getting married." And i was like, "No, Wedding!" There was a bridal party getting photos taken in the gardens. We started giggling as we ran behind the gardens and noticed that S's shirt was the same color as the dresses!

Hoping that we didn't just ruin someone's pictures, we got out of there in a hurry.

How come every run can't be this interesting?

Wordless Wednesday - 5 1/2 weeks to go

2010-03-03T08:21:00.000-06:00

9 Miles and Feeling Great

2010-02-27T19:59:00.004-06:00

6 months ago, I never would have thought that I would be able to run 9 miles. I certainly never would have thought that if I could run that far or that I would feel energized after the fact.

Long distance running is largely mind over matter. Sure, training is a big part as is how well you are hydrated and fueled... BUT, how you are feeling mentally can make or break a run no matter how well you think you are prepared.

Today was awesome in so many ways. Last night I made spaghetti for dinner to help with my carbs (whether its necessary or not, I love spaghetti, so its a good excuse!). Then I got up and ate 2 pieces of toast topped with peanut butter and a slim fast shake to get my calories up to 500.

I was so excited to get out and run. I was convinced that no matter what, I was going to finish the whole 9 miles. As I waited for my running partner to get to my house, I got even more excited and even a little jittery.

It was a beautiful, clear day outside. The first 3.5 miles the wind was blowing against us, but surprisingly it wasn't bad. I explained to my running partner the power of positive thinking when we began our run and we decided that there would be no complaining or negative comments for the entire run.

So, guess what? Our positiveness was overwhelmingly successful.

We ran the longest run so far.... Which as I said before is just awesome to me.

The amazing (and motivating) thing about training is that as long as you do the training, you will succeed, you reach the end product. Its not like "getting in shape" or "losing weight" or even "dieting." There is a plan and you know that you will succeed if you follow the path.

I usually don't do so well with goal setting and following through, especially when its for me. I can't wait to finish those 13.1 miles with my good friend at my side and a HUGE smile on my face. I deserve this and I am doing it for me.

Shin Splints, Again?

2010-02-26T20:46:00.005-06:00

I'm not sure what caused it, but my shin splints are making a return. With a 9 mile run tomorrow, this is NOT good timing. My plan of attack - a day full of R.I.C.E. as I did a few weeks ago.

Also, though I don't want to, I'm taking off Monday. That's a missed 5 miles, but I think its much needed. I don't want to risk injury.

For now, I'm looking forward to my 9 mile run tomorrow. Its the longest my running buddy and I will have accomplished together. The longest she has made it previously is about 6.3, so I'm motivated to push her to the 9 mile mark.

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day.
It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"
- Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and sub-2:12 marathoner

Recommitting Myself

2010-02-19T11:24:00.004-06:00

2009 wasn't a great year for me physically. While I did discover the New Rules of Lifting for Women book, it overall.... was pretty crappy. I hit my lowest weight for the year in April, and after that, went AWOL from the gym and here I stand less than a year later, at least 10 lbs heavier.

I should be using this as a learning experience really. Ive been the person who had the trifecta perfected : exercise, nutrition, hydration. I looked great, felt great and showed it. In 2008, I lost quite a few pounds, and at one point, reached a weight that I had never thought possible.

So, the question I keep asking myself now: Why is it so hard to get back to that place?

I'm going to blame it on my love of food and my laziness at the moment.

At a time when I have so much going in my life, eating properly should be tops on my list. But I just don't have it in my heart to push it up that high.

I can't sit here and drown in pathetic-ness (if thats even a word) forever. So, what am I doing about it?

I've started logging my meals again using Mynetdiary.com and the mynetdiary app. Having the food log on my phone without the need to log in two separate places is a huge plus for me. Makes it easier and its so simple. So, since laziness is what got me here, I need something effortless to get me back on track!
As you know, I'm training for a half marathon, so that's one of the things I'm using as motivation. Its very hard to run long distances if you don't have the proper fuel in you! Much of my training is a mental battle, I find that weight loss is the same. Hopefully this training program is preparing me to treat my body right, once and for all.
My last post "Pushups, Situps, Squats" mentioned the latest addition to my training plan. Hopefully in a few months, I'll be able to complete 100 pushups, 200 situps and 200 squats without stopping!
One last, and major, motivation: Wedding day gorgeousness! I'm tying the not in August and I do not want to look and feel the way I do at the moment. With plenty of time to take baby steps between now and then, I hope to be in tip-top shape by wedding day.

Its time for me to get real. No more negative talk/thoughts etc. I know I can do this, I've done it before.

Pushups, Squats, Situps

2010-02-16T20:41:00.003-06:00

After seeing myself in photos from my BFF's wedding this past weekend, I'm disgusted with how I look. All the hard work I put into bettering myself in 2008, is now completely gone.

I'm still about 10 lbs from pre-diet weight, but I'm not at all happy with how I look. I miss my muscles.... I miss sitting down and not feeling a roll in my belly...

So, to help combat, I downloaded a few apps on my iPhone yesterday: 100 push ups, 200 squats and 200 sit ups.

Each app makes it super easy to follow the program. Since I'm training for the half, I don't have time to do weights, but this should fit nicely into that void.

I'm pretty sore from my first round... 12 push ups, 68 squats and 67 crunches.

I'm also still struggling with nutrition. It's difficult to make myself behave when food is involved....

How do I find my motivation and discipline again?

Back on track

2010-02-14T12:25:00.004-06:00

Friday was my first run since Saturday the 7th. It was supposed to be a 7 miler. It ended up being about 6.3 or so.

Lets just say it didn't go well at all. My legs were tired, my energy was zapped. Finally had to call it quits and walked most of the last .5mi.

Probably had a lot of reasons why this didn't work out so well.
1. First day back since my break for shin splints
2. Out late the night before
3. Not enough carbs for dinner
4. Had not ate for 4+ hours
5. Started out dehydrated
6. Didn't bring water.

That's a pretty nasty list. Hope I don't have to go through this torture again. Making a mental note now....

R.I.C.E.

2010-02-09T12:32:00.003-06:00

I wrote last week about my first experience with shin splints. They are pretty painful to deal with and I was definately in denial about the fact that I actually had them.

On Friday, when i got home, I threw on some knee high socks and stuck ice packs in them for 20 minutes at a time (to hold the ice in place) and the pain was gone by saturday morning, just in time for my 6 mile run. My legs felt awesome the entire time. No pain, nothing. I took the now traditional ice bath for about 15 minutes and was like "what 6 miles?"

Then, saturday evening I went out for my best friend's bachelorette party. I was dancing, drinking, having a great time when at about 11:30pm my shin splints returned with a vengeance.

Lets just say my poor legs were pissed at me by the time I woke up sunday morning. I rolled out of bed, shuffled to the kitchen to find ice packs, ibuprofen and pillows. Got back into bed, propped up my feet, popped the pain relievers and sat the ice packs on my poor, mistreated shins.

So, to keep my shins from boycotting the rest of my body, my prescription for the rest of the week is RICE. And not the kind you eat.

My schedule is absolute chaos this week, so its actually perfect timing (i guess?) to take a few days to rest my shins. I'm skipping my monday, wednesday and thursday runs and will hit my 7 miler on friday. I'm sure I'll be itching to get out and log the miles by then.

Shin Splints

2010-02-05T08:53:00.003-06:00

Well, it finally happened. Something I never thought I would ever have to experience.... shin splints.

I first noticed some discomfort in my shins around monday night/tuesday morning. Then wednesday and thursday I felt it while I was running. Today I can really feel it in my legs when I walk.

Last night I iced each shin for about 15 minutes. I'm sure I need to be doing more of that.

Anyone else ever had the pleasure of experiencing shin splints? How did you deal?

Holy Icebath!

2010-02-03T19:32:00.004-06:00

Lately, after a rough run (particularly one that I can really feel in my lower legs), I've been jumping in the shower and rinsing off with cold water. Then I proceed with a warm shower.

I've heard a lot about the "healing powers" of ice baths and honestly hoped I would never have to experience that. However, today's run was pretty rough. My left leg starting hurting around the 1.5 mile mark. By the time I got to the end (mile 4) I was definitely ready to quit.

While I'm not sure what the pain in the leg is from, I do know that its something I want to go away! I got home and decided that the occasion called for an ice bath. While I didn't have very much ice for my first annual ice bath event, I collected what I could from the freezer and carted it into the bathroom. I threw on a hooded sweatshirt and put up the hood, dumped the ice in the empty tub and then turned on the water.

Since I was in the tub before starting the water, I think it made the whole process much easier. I made up my mind to stick it out for 10 minutes and before I knew it, my time was up.

My legs are thanking me.

Interested in trying out the ice bath? Don't believe its worth it?

Check out this article for some great info on cold water immersion therapy.

Week Two: Complete!

2010-01-30T21:11:00.007-06:00

This week started out HORRIBLY! I had a migraine on Monday which kept me from my easy run, then on Wednesday, I had meetings all day and into the evening. Which means that I had to do my first speed work session by myself, on my lunch hour, on the dreaded treadmill.

Thursday, my first ever 5 mile run was on the treadmill also... I wrote last week about making friends with the treadmill. Well, it didn't go well. It was so hot in the gym that the windows were fogging up. My feet ached like they have never ached before by the time I hit mile five.

Yesterday was my birthday, so my fiance and I went out with some friends last night for dinner and drinks. Waking up this morning, I was pretty concerned that today's 5 mile run wouldn't be very pleasant. Not only was I slightly hungover, but it was about 20 degrees out.

I suited up in the appropriate layers and met my training partner (also hungover from the birthday extravaganza) at 10am. We started out at a very slow, steady pace and started chatting about my birthday outing. Before I knew it, I was sweating!

Then next thing I knew, miles 2,3 and 4 were over! During the last mile, we both realized that we had definitely sped up from the slow pace we began with. This pace felt much, much faster than what we usually run at. The weird thing: it wasn't bothering me at all.

After making it to mile 5 and stopping at our cars for a drink to take on our cool down walk, I checked my Nike +. We ran 5 miles (our longest distance to date) at an average pace of 10:21!

I was super proud of our progress and I felt AMAZING!

One of the things I love so much about running is that you have measurable progress. I see myself running distances that I never could have imagined before. I am so excited at how well my training is going and look forward to running my first half marathon in less than 70 days!

Next weeks schedule: 13.1 total miles
Monday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles
Thursday - 5k @ race pace
Saturday - 6 miles

Making Friends with the Treadmill

2010-01-28T12:40:00.005-06:00

I had 4 amazingly motivating (and easy easy) runs last week for a total mileage of 14.5 miles.

This week? Different story.

Monday I had a terrible migraine, so I headed home from work around 11:00am and went to bed. I didn't get up until around 4pm, and definitely was not in any shape to attempt a 3 mile run.

Yesterday was a speed work day. I had to run it on my lunch hour, by myself since I had a bunch of meetings yesterday/last night. I don't know how else to describe it besides........... utter torture.

Before I started running on a regular basis, I was much more comfortable on a treadmill. After all, my gym has TVs attached to the treadmills. Who wouldn't love that?! Over time, I gravitated to outdoor running, mostly because it was harder. My goal was to be able to run in a 5k, and just because it was easy on the treadmill, doesn't mean its easy outdoors.

Eventually, the tables turned. Now I can run 4+ miles outside with ease, but knocking out more than 1mile on the treadmill literally kills me. Its not that I'm running faster.... so what gives?

Tonight I have a 5 mile run. I might be forced to run it on a treadmill, and the thought of that terrifies me.

I can't keep freaking out about this. There are going to be lots of times that I need to use the treadmill and I cant keep being so negative about it. So, starting today, I'm going to suck it up and make amends with the treadmill. Much like my foray into outdoor running, the more you do something, the easier it becomes....And I enjoy a challenge.

I guess this whole half marathon training thing can't be a piece of cake, eh?

10 down, 4 to go!

2010-01-22T14:57:00.006-06:00

My first week of training is almost over and its gone remarkably well. Monday and wednesday's 3 miles runs were a piece of cake. Last nights 4.5 mile run was pretty easy, strangely enough.

4.5 Miles is probably the longest distance I've ran... ever. I'm super proud of myself and of my progress. How did I bounce back from 3 weeks off to being able to run that far with ease? At a 10:38 pace?

I do feel a bit overwhelmed that 3 nights a week are filled with running, but I think that will ease as I get deeper into training. It also doesn't help that I'm trying to train, plan a wedding and plan a major festival (my job) all at the same time.

Tomorrow is my 4th and final run of my first week training for the Go!St. Louis Half Marathon. In just 78 days, my training partner and I will be standing on the starting line downtown preparing to reach a goal we've both wanted to fulfill for a long time! I can hardly believe that I'm actually doing this!

My legs feel a little tired today, but not painful. I started getting a little sore and stiff last night, but a few ibuprofen and some sleep helped out quite a bit!

Next weeks schedule looks like this:
Monday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 3- 1 mile repeaters
Thursday - 5 miles
Saturday - 5 miles

Almost time!

2010-01-16T18:33:00.002-06:00

In just 2 days I'll begin training for the Go!STL half marathon. I'm looking forward to it, but I know its not going to be easy.

I took a run during my lunch time yesterday. The terrain was very hilly, I could barely run 2 miles... I was dying and now I'm sore today.

Good news is my new running gear came in and I got to use it yesterday! The waterproof jacket is great and the headband keeps my ears nice and toasty!

So, 83 days to GO! Here comes a crazy ride!

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T12:06:00.004-06:00

I'm looking forward to 2010 for so many reasons...

On Christmas Eve, my high school sweetheart proposed to me. I'm looking forward to planning a wedding this year.

I'm looking forward to training for my first half-marathon in April. Serious training for that starts January 18th!

I'm looking forward to taking better care of myself and reaping the benefits.

I'm looking forward to doing things for me, caring about what I want, for the first time in my life.

I'm looking forward to taking up trail running, once we hit the spring thaw.

I'm looking forward to logging lots of miles with my workout partner and my dog Harley.

I'm looking forward to being more spontaneous and taking more time to really enjoy life.

Here's to a happy 2010 for all of us.

Workout Tunes!

2010-01-04T10:12:00.002-06:00

Music can make or break a workout! Everyone has a list of songs that makes them want to get up and move. My lists are usually pretty unique and tailored to the type of workout i'm doing. For example, when I'm running, I start and end with slower songs to tailor to my warm up and cool down times.

Here's whats on my general workout playlist at the moment!

Cowboy Cassanova – Carrie Underwood
Good Girls Go Bad – Cobra Starship
Don’t Stop Believing – Glee Cast Version
I’m In Love With A Girl – Gavin DeGraw
Halo/Walking on Sunshine – Glee Cast
It’s My Life/Confessions- Glee Cast
Wild at Heart – Gloriana
8 Second Ride – Jake Owen
Relentless – Jason Aldean
Body Language – Jesse McCartney
Battlefield – Jordan Sparks
Waking Up in Vegas – Katy Perry
Hot n Cold – Katy Perry
Hair/Crazy in Love – Glee Cast
That’s Not My Name – The Ting Tings
Everybody Loves Me – One Republic

What are your favorite workout songs?