Summer Sizzler 5K Race Report

Date: August 3, 2012
Location: Delware, OH
Distance: 3.1 miles (ostensibly, it was actually 2.7 miles)
Time: 26:28 (PR?  I think I’m going to stick with my 28:40 PR because the course was so short)
Gimmick: Part of the Dave Staley Triathlon.  Dave Staley is 83 and still participates in the triathlon.

I had to register for a race as part of BYNGO back in May, so I picked this because it was only $10.  I had no goals for this race because it was August and I assumed the distance would be off since it was a very, very small local race.  The weather was fine, but I was right about the distance.  Pretty much everyone wearing a Garmin said it was 2.69-2.7 miles.

Anyways, I decided not to race this for myself, but to run with my husband who wanted to hit as close to 30 minutes as he could.  I convinced him to do a 1.2 mile warm up (that’s a loop around the park) and then we lined up.  We started at the same time as the triathlon and duathlon, although we couldn’t hear the starting horn, so I think we were about 10-15 seconds off the clock (there was no chip timing).

The first section was uphill and we went out really fast because it was such a crowded start.  I was worried that we started too fast, but my husband swore he was fine and could maintain.  I struggled a little on the hill, but I could still use sentences.  I was pretty stoked at the idea that the end would be all downhill and I’m pretty sure I said that repeatedly.  Mile 1 was a 10:04.

We hit the turn around loop at the local high school and I realized the race would be short.  I wasn’t sure how short because we finished at a slightly different place than where we started.  I’m not sure how the course ended up so short, but whatever.  We skipped the water (the volunteers had to fill more cups) and kept going.  Mile 2 was a 9:42.

After mile 2, my husband was over it.  I’m not really sure what happened and we haven’t talked about it, but he was really struggling.  I also lost the little piece of paper where I wrote down our pace for that last 0.70 miles, so you can do the math if you care.  It was a 9:xx.  Welcome to the world’s laziest blog.  I felt good and sprinted the finish, especially since the race director was yelling for me (we have chatted before).

The racing conditions weren’t ideal, but I’ve come to realize that they never are.  It will always be too hot/too cold/too humid/too little sleep/etc.  It was muggy that day, but not horrible.  I went out for another 2.5 miles post race and felt great.  I missed the awards ceremony, though because it was after the triathlon, which took 2+ hours.  No one contacted me to tell me that I got a trophy, but I did win my age group and was 4th woman overall.  I’ve told my husband he needs to go get me one made because that isn’t likely to happen ever again.  I might consider this race again though if I take up triathlons or if they redo the course.  It was a fun little local race even if it wasn’t really 5K.

Dash for Donation 5K Race Report

Date: July 13, 2013
Location: Columbus, OH
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 28:40 (PR)
Gimmick: A fundraiser/awareness event for Lifeline of Ohio, an “organ procurement” organization.

That pretty much sums this race up.

I’ve been a registered organ donor since long before I had a driver’s license (I didn’t get my license until I was 19, but there’s a form you can fill out if you don’t have a license).  Army Amy wrote some great posts on organ donation in the last year, which put it back in the front of mind.  My neighborhood also does a team for this race to celebrate the life of a little boy who died in a car accident and donated his organs.

Anyways, I’d love to say that’s why I signed up for this race, but in the interest of full disclosure, I got a free bib and Mandy and Lynne were doing it.  I love the cause, I support the cause, but 5Ks are expensive and so are small children.  Mandy had asked me to do the race with her earlier in the summer and added me to the Team Superman group (a member received a pancreas and kidney, which saved his life).

Anyways, I warmed up for 0.5 miles with Mandy and Lynne and was told that I was warming up really fast (for me) and should go for my sub-30.  I’d decided I was going to wait on that goal until fall, but the weather was great and I had them to pace me, so I decided to go for it.

We watched a mascot race, watched the 1Kers leave (and return), listened to the national anthem and then we were off!  I lined up close to the front with Mandy and Lynne because charity races tend to have a lot of large groups of walkers.  The start has a pretty steep downhill (which meant the finish did too), so our first mile was 9:06.  Considering my fastest mile ever was a 9:45 on Mandy’s birthday a few weeks ago, I was shocked and a little concerned.  We scaled way back to a 9:30 (my goal pace) as the sun started to feel really hot.  Lynne told us a funny work story to help distract and Mandy told lots of Avery stories.

Lynne likes mascot pictures. Personally, I think they look a little too much like puppets and I hate puppets.

Mandy had lent me a handheld water bottle so we could skip water stops.  Somewhere in mile 2 I started to sip because I felt uncomfortable, which made me queasy.  Mandy took my water bottle and carried it along with her own the rest of the race.  That’s a REALLY good race buddy.  There were also a lot of hills (compared to what I’m used to), so she coached me up each one and then held me back so I could recover on the downhills.

Mile 3 was a 9:22.  My heart rate was getting high and I was definitely giving 1-2 word answers to everything.  There was one last looong hill before the finish, and I may have yelled some expletives.  The woman I was passing at the time made a joke at us and actually came up after the race to congratulate me, which was awesome. Mandy kept telling me not to slow down and kept track of the pace for me.  It was nice to just focus on running and her and Lynne talking without Garmin watching.

One we hit the 3 mile point and the top of the hill, Mandy yelled to sprint.  I felt like my legs were refusing to move, but I did the last 0.1 (0.09 according to Mandy’s watch) at a 7:22 min/mile pace. I didn’t actually know my legs could move that fast.  I grabbed water from a volunteer once we finished and then asked Mandy if this was what cardiac arrest feels like.  We walked around for a bit to keep my legs loose and then Lynne and I spectated while Mandy did another three mile run.

My old PR from June was 32:15.  Clearly I do not push hard enough by myself.  I definitely could not have done this without them.  I also have to keep reminding myself that I actually DID it.  The confidence boost even sped me up a bit on my 5 miler this morning.

The bad news?  I was wearing someone else’s bib, so the results aren’t even in my name.  Mandy said to create a PR that would be hard to be beat, but now I want that PR in my own name!  It’ll be hard.  That run felt brutal and I don’t know that I’m good at dealing with suffering, but it’s less than 30 minutes, right?

ETA: You can check out Mandy’s version of events HERE (also, more pictures because I was too lazy to search Facebook).

Weight Loss Wednesday 2.26–Sorry not sorry

Weight: 172.6 pounds (down 0.8 pounds this week, down 32.6 pounds total)
Waist: 32.25 inches (down 4.75 inches total)
Hips: 38.5 inches (down 6.5 inches total)

So yeah, this blogging/weight loss thing kind of ground to a halt.  I had the migraine from hell that did end up requiring an IV.  The doctor says it was a virus, but the IV let me get it under control enough to survive until the virus was over (about a week total).  Since then it’s been a whirlwind of working, working out, and studying for the CPT exam.

My husband is home less than ever (not his choice) and Charlotte is starting to nap less and had a week of super early wake-ups, which meant I had no free time.  I won’t blog when the kid is awake and we are home alone, so there was really no time because I work all morning before she wakes up and then through her nap.  I’d say I’m sorry, but I’d be lying.

Clearly I’ve stalled out on the weight loss since I’ve lost 0.8 pounds in three weeks.  I’ve also been at this for 6 months now and I know the problem is diet.  I work out a ton, so I’m starving.  And then I binge around 4PM because I just can’t wait to eat any longer.  I’m not actually sure what to do about it because it just feels like I’ve run out of willpower at that point.  And yes, those Goldfish crackers did taste as good as thin feels because I was fucking hungry.

Anyways, I’ve tried chewing gum, which is what always used to work for me, but it’s not helping.  I also had my yearly gynecologist visit and she seemed concerned that I want to lose to much weight.  She also suggested I focus more on body fat percentage than weight.  I do have access to a bioelectrical impedance handheld device, but I always do it wrong (seriously, my ACSM textbook gave a very specific list of conditions that must be fufilled for anything approaching an accurate result).  I need to think about how I want to approach this and if it’s time for my scale to take a visit to the closet for a few weeks.

My BYNGO shirt is all the validation I need.

I’ve been trying to keep up with swimming (it’s hard) and I’ve missed a lot of group fitness classes lately thanks to not feeling well and aforementioned doctor’s appointment.  I have kept up on my runs, though and did 8.5 miles last Saturday with the 11:15 pace group.  I also registered for the Emerald City Half Marathon on 9/3 because I’m clearly building my miles up a lot faster than I anticipated (it helps to start half marathon training in really solid 10K shape).  Emerald City is cheap, small, and local, so I thought it would be fun.

I need better lighting and someone to fix the huge hole I put in the paint. Please and thank you.

I LOVE my new pace group.  It’s a really good fit for me and I’ll be sad when I have to stop running with the full marathoners (I’m not going above 12 miles) in another month or so.  The half marathoners seem nice, it’s just a bigger group so I haven’t gotten to know them as well.  Last week we did an atrocious hill that made me curse everyone the whole way up.  Of course I was the happiest kid ever going down.  Seriously, I kept telling everyone how great the run was on the way down.  I think they were laughing at me considering the amount of swearing while we were going up.

I did hill repeats with Mandy and Lynne for Mandy’s birthday today (Mandy sold me on it during our hour and a half hike yesterday evening).  They hurt.  A lot.  Normally I can’t meet them, but my husband had the day off, so he stayed with the kid.  I then finished my five miles with a final mile at 9:45 min/mile.  I have no friggin idea how I pulled that out considering my legs felt like bricks, but it was awesome.

From the hike. The kids were holding hands and it was freaking adorable.

Post-hill repeats. SO done! That’s the hill we ran up a whole bunch.

So that’s some new stuff.  Maybe I’ll manage to post other stuff on Friday.  Maybe not.  I am going to celebrate the holiday with Buffalo chicken dip, cookie cake pie, and ribs, so one can only assume that I will not lose weight this week.  I’d say I care, but it’d be a lie.

But hey, you get cute baby!

Weight Loss Wednesday 2.23–There’s lightning in my skull

Weight: 173.4 pounds (down 3.6 pounds this week, down 31.8 pounds total)
Waist: 32.25 inches (down 4.75 inches total)
Hips: 38.5 inches (down 6.5 inches total)

On diet:  I tried a little harder, but I think I actually ate more than I had been earlier this year.  I think my resting metabolism has gone up a bit and it might be time to increase my calorie goal for the day.  I’d really like to get my resting metabolic rate tested.  I’m either asking for that or a new lens for our anniversary.  Anyways, it’s so hard to say this week, because I should have gained weight with my period and I lost it (I was down to 172 yesterday when it started).  Maybe it’s because I was drinking so much water?  I’ve had a migraine since Monday, which I originally chalked up to dehydration.  Now I’m not sure.

On cross-training:
Thursday–Cardio kickboxing (confession: I hate this class.  I tried, but it’s too much choreography that we are supposed to already know.  And I look like I’m having a seizure.)
Friday–65 minute swim lesson/practice time
Saturday–4.5 miles for the MIT opener
Sunday–Rest.  I was gonna swim, but I’d worked out everyday since the previous Sunday.
Monday–Boot camp.  I missed the last 10 minutes so I could actually boot (that’s slang for vomit).  I could barely keep up the whole class because I felt so awful (I was lapping a lot of people the week before), so I kind of knew it was coming.
Tuesday–Rest
Today–Rest.  I can’t bend over at all without feeling like my head will explode.

Umm, well, this sucks.  I was feeling SO GOOD about my workout schedule and like I’d really gained some momentum.  And now I can barely sit up.  Oh, and my intercostals felt…bad, so I couldn’t take a deep breath (thus even swimming was out).  Generic Claritin and closing my windows seem to have fixed that problem right up.

Anyways, I’ve also been binge eating a bit.  I hate that I do that on my period, but my self control goes right out the window when I don’t feel well.  Add in the horrendous migraine and very few things sound edible (the ones that do are ridiculously bad for me).  I’m giving myself a break (lie, I’m struggling not to feel bad about the pizza I just demolished, but it’s time to get the fuck over it).  Everyone is entitled to a day off from worrying about diet and no one has to (or is) perfect all the time.  I won’t gain back 30 pounds or lose all my muscle because of three bad days.  I know it sounds like I’m forgiving myself, but it’s really easy to slip into disordered thinking when you have been on a weight loss plan  for a long time and have a terrible relationship with food.

Anyways, I’m debating going and demanding a Benedryl/phenergan IV.  It burns like the flames of hell, but it works instantly.  It will make me sleep for two days (the first time I had one I slumped over on my hospital tray), so I might disappear.  I actually once had a migraine for a month (it may have started as a TSA? No one seems to agree) and had two IVs (two weeks apart) before finally clearing it up when I started seeing my acupuncturist.  She is now quite far away, so that hasn’t been an option.  I’m also looking for a new neurologist (Columbus area friends, suggestions are welcome) because mine is crazy and my meds aren’t working at all (yes mom, even the Fioricet is doing nothing).  Actually, this headache feels much worse than normal, so I should find a doctor tomorrow.  I just don’t want to go to one I’ve never heard anything about and I my neurologic history is very long and complicated, so my PCP would just send me to a neuro.

So that’s that.  My husband is home (he’s been gone for basically the last three days), so I’m going to bed.  I’ll try to post pictures next week if my head stops hurting by then.  Pray for me, because being home alone with a teething baby for 14 hours a day is really hard when it hurts to move.  Also, metabolic testing (which should include VO2 max) or new lens?  I was leaning towards the new lens, but now I’m at a crossroads with my photography and can’t decide (photonerds, I really think I need to upgrade to a full-frame camera, but I’m not doing studio work.  Thoughts?)

Yup, totally crowdsourcing my decision making.  Head hurts too much for thinking.

Jakestrong 5K Race Report

Date: June 1, 2013
Location: Powell, OH
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 33:15 (PR)
Gimmick: Jake is a kid that had (has?) cancer, so it’s a fundraiser for pediatric cancer and my former employer (the local children’s hospital)

My father-in-law came to visit and we both like to run 5Ks.  Friday morning I suggested we do one and he agreed, so we actually registered the day before the race at the local running store. It was surprisingly easy to do and we got our packets at the same time.  I’ll be honest, we picked this race because it was closer than the other option and Mandy was doing it.  Mostly because Mandy was doing it.  I’m such a wannabe.

The race started at 8, which made me happy because I didn’t have to get up at 5 AM, but I knew it would be hot.  We rolled the baby out of bed at 6:40, dressed her in her “See Mom Run” shirt, and were out the door before 7 so we could pick up my father-in-law and Starbucks (fact: coffee and a veggie breakfast sandwich will make you faster).  I am very familiar with the road we needed to take to the race, but I wasn’t so sure about the park, so I wanted to be early.

Do. Not. Like.  Also, you can see that she has three top teeth coming in.  The three matching bottom ones are already in.  The pediatrician says he’s never seen a baby who has all her teeth come in as pairs.

We found Mandy pretty much immediately after arriving and Mandy and I did a quick warm-up loop.  I don’t know pace or distance because I didn’t start my watch.  They are going to take my runner’s card away.  After the warm up we hit the port-a-potties (bleck) and lined up.  Our friend Lynne didn’t have a goal in mind, so she agreed to pace me to a sub-35 while Mandy and my father-in-law lined up further up since they are faster.  We were joined by Mandy’s husband with the stroller and Avery, and a friend of theirs who was running her first 5K.  You may recognize Lynne as Mandy’s running wife.  I’m a homewrecker and I’ve been trying to weasel in on this for months.  I keep telling Lynne just to let me know when she’s ready for a new spouse.

I swore I was going to stay with Mandy’s friend and go out slow.  That was a fail.  I meant to start at an 11:15ish because it was SO humid, but I got excited and took off with Lynne. This is nothing new for me.  I hate crowds and being passed tends to speed me up a little, even when it shouldn’t.  Mostly I just wanted some open space.

Must navigate around jogging stroller.  Also, that girl must have been DYING in that long sleeve shirt.  It was so humid.

Mile 1 was a 10:16.  It was too fast, because mile 2 was a 10:28.  I do tend towards mile 2 being my slowest mile anytime I’m not running with a pacer.  I have no idea why.  Mile 3 we got excited and Lynne was kind enough to share her water bottle with me, so I went back down to a 10:17.  The last 0.24 miles (ugh) was around a 9:38.  I assumed I ran the course long, but I heard a lot of complaints that it was 0.15 miles long, so I don’t know.  What’s the normal amount people run 5Ks over?  I try pretty hard to follow tangents, but it’s not an exact science when you are trying to run, especially around other people.

I believe this was right after we realized we could walk to the finish line and still be sub-35. There may have been a sweaty high 5.

I perk up for spectators. Especially really adorable ones.  I’m also really lucky that skirt didn’t fall off.  All of my clothing is HUGE.

I assume I left a prime lens on my camera and that’s why these are all so far away. Or my husband doesn’t know how to use my zoom lenses. Could be either.

There is absolutely no way I could have done this well without Lynne.  It was so hot and humid and she chatted with me the whole way.  I run much faster if I’m talking to someone that is running a faster speed because I want to keep up and keep talking to them.  She also rescued me with her water (time goals mean I’ve stopped using the water stops during 5Ks and I have a leaky handheld).

After talking to Mandy, I think my new goal is a sub-3o by the end of the year (she has offered to run it with me, which will help).  I’d say end of the summer, but my only other scheduled 5K is August 3 (it only costs $10) and I think it will be awfully hot.  I also don’t know how well measured the course will be because it’s local (but $10!).  I think I will speed up this summer because I’m training so much and hope to lose more weight (although I’m comforted by the noticeable increase in muscle mass this month).

In summation, I finally got my sub-35!  And it was awesome!

Weight Loss Wednesday 2.22–I’m back

Weight: 177 pounds (up 1.8 pounds this week, down 28.2 pounds total)
Waist: 32.25 inches (down 4.75 inches total)
Hips: 38.5 inches (down 6.5 inches total)

On diet:  I actually only gained 0.4 pounds this week, but I gained last week too.  A small amount of it may be a muscle gain (my shoulders are ridiculous), but I’ve also been eating like crap.  I’m hungry ALL the time and lose control by 4 PM.  I don’t eat junk food necessarily, but I start eating everything.  I need to find vegetables I like and then stock up on them so I can eat large quantities without going way over on calories.

On cross-training:
Thursday–Cardio kickboxing + 10 minute BYNGO ab challenge
Friday–“Power” Yoga
Saturday–Jakestrong 5K (recap coming Friday)
Sunday–Rest
Monday–Boot camp + 2.75 mile walk
Tuesday–Cycle 30 (30 minutes of spin with 30 minutes of lifting) class + 0.5 mi walk
Today–Yoga

I was going to combine a BYNGO recap into this section, but I’m realizing that would make this post absurdly long.  Instead, let’s talk about the thing that is going to cause my death:

The BOSU Ball is a gift from Satan

My Cycle 30 instructor decided we should do our entire weight workout with the BOSU.  I know that I have bad balance, but I didn’t move to the wall like I should have.  She had us put the flat black side up and climb on with weights.  I promptly fell off and slammed a dumbbell into the kneecap of my good knee.  It stung, but it wasn’t that painful, so I kind of shook it off and moved my ball against the wall.  It was all fine and dandy until we did modified push-ups a few minutes later.  The second my knee hit the ground, I yelped.  I rolled up my pant leg to discover a marble size welt.  Fun times.  The instructor, also had me do unspeakable things to my triceps.  I’m not sure if yoga was that much harder today or if I was that sore from yesterday.  Ouch.  Tomorrow will be a run only day because I want to do the rock climbing wall on Friday.

The good news is ice and a large dose of Aleeve took care of the swelling and now it’s just a bruise.  Yoga felt fine today, except for a few knee down positions.  I need to live in a plastic bubble until Detroit, though.  Clearly my knees are in danger.

On running: I did my first official training run for Detroit (I combined Hal Higdon with the long runs for MIT, so I started Tuesday).  5K in under 35 mins!  It’s getting really sweaty, so I was shocked that I needed layers and tights.  The MIT kick-off is Saturday with a 2 miler, which doesn’t feel worth getting out of bed.  I’ll go, but I’ll whine about it, especially with the cost of gas all the sudden.

I also did a 5K on Saturday (we decided to do it the day before).  I’ll recap on Friday, but SPOILER ALERT:

It was awesome!

So friends, can you link me to some healthy easy snacks?  What do you eat when you are starving all the time?  And yes, I eat more than enough protein, so I’m pretty confident that isn’t the problem.

Things I Haven’t Mentioned

I know I’ve been really absent on here and my Weight Loss Wednesday posts are always late (or absent).  The reason?

Did you know ice cream trucks are real? I don’t remember ever seeing one as a kid (maybe my mom will disagree), but there’s one that comes through our neighborhood in the summers. Miss C got her first bomb pop last Friday.

I’ve been taking a photography class on Wednesday nights for the last 7 weeks.  Last Wednesday was our last class and while I’m glad to have my Wednesday evenings back, I am so sad it’s almost over.  I have learned SO much and would never have captured that image.  Or this one:

This needs to be cropped, but I’m currently using it as my Facebook banner, so it’s perfect (and I’m linking from FB because I’m out of storage on WordPress). This was made by giving a sugared up child a sparkler (thanks, Tina)  and leaving my camera shutter open for 6 seconds.  Do not attempt this without a tripod (thanks, Rick)!

Anyways, I’m working on a portfolio now, starting with a maternity shoot in a few weeks.  I’m also looking for some families that have a lot of patience because my dogs are sick of having the camera shoved in their faces.  My baby is so on to me that she crawls straight towards the lens and grabs it.  I don’t know that this is going anywhere, but it would be nice to have more confidence since I do get occasional requests to shoot portraits.  And for the record, most of my pictures on this blog are shot in about 2 seconds on my iPhone.  I promise they aren’t my best work.

Who would be asking me to take pictures?  That’s another thing I’ve mentioned, but not really talked about.  I took a job with our church as the media coordinator.  Basically, I’m the head nerd and do all the website maintenance, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc.  In order to fix up the web site, I need new pictures, thus I’ve been walking around with a camera attached to my head for the last month.  I’m really enjoying the job, but it doesn’t pay much, so I’m doing it on top of my contract job that I’ve had for about 10 months.  I’m proud of my work, but I will not be linking to it here for privacy reasons.

One more thing I’ve been up to lately:

There isn’t really a study guide, so I guess I’m just supposed to memorize all of it?

I’ve been debating sitting for the Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam since I graduated last year, but I had (legitimate) concerns about my own fitness level and size.  After losing 30 pounds and talking with people (employees, not just the dude on the treadmill next to me) at my gym, I decided there’s no time like the present.  ACSM was the certification most recommended by people who actually hire trainers at gyms I like, so I went with that one, although NASM was a very close second.  ACSM and the American Cancer Society also offer a certificate in training cancer patients, which I’d really like to pursue once I have the required experience (my dissertation was on the cardiovascular effects of cancer cachexia and I’m in the process of publishing a paper on the subject).  The nice thing about being a CPT is I can work part-time or only evenings and weekends, which helps me avoid childcare issues.  Also, I already have the knowledge base for a lot of the biology and exercise testing.  I have decided to take the 3 day workshop in August when it’s in Cincinnati.

Anyways, we also went to Pennsylvania for Memorial Day, I ran a 5K with my father-in-law on Saturday, and I succeeded in my BYNGO blackout.  I’m planning to actually get my weight loss Wednesday post up on time (with my final BYNGO recap) and then post my race recap on Friday, so stay tuned!

Weight Loss Wednesday 2.20–The human yo-yo

Weight: 175.2 pounds (down 1.2 pounds this week, down 30 pounds total)
Waist: 32.25 inches (down 4.75 inches total)
Hips: 38.5 inches (down 6.5 inches total)

On diet:  I lost last week’s gain, but I’m really struggling this week.  I’m not eating the horribly, but I was doing a terrible job with taking my thyroid medication correctly.  I think it’s kind of a perfect storm for my metabolism sucking.  I do not appreciate this yo-yo weight thing, so I guess I need to buckle down and really work on my diet after Memorial Day.  By work on my diet, I mean figure out how to fit ice cream in once a day and not going crazy on calories.  I’ve decided to knuckle down and do this thing because I want to hit 145-150 pounds by Detroit (5 months from now).  And diet is where I struggle because I love sugar and cheese.

On NROLW cross-training:
Thursday–Cycle 30 (40 mins spinning, 20 mins lifting)
Friday–Rock wall climbing
Saturday–Walked around the zoo for a few hours and then got my heart rate up watching the new Star Trek movie.  So good.
Sunday–6 miles at 11:13 average pace
Monday–Boot camp in the morning, pool walking with the baby and an ab workout that evening (pool walking was not intense or fast, she just can’t “swim” unless I walk around with her)
Tuesday–Cycle 30 (30 minutes of spin with 30 minutes of lifting) class.
Today–I was going to go to yoga and for a hike, but the baby had an exhausted meltdown and slept through when we’d need to leave and my hiking buddy had to cancel (after I canceled on her yesterday)

On running: My only run this week was 6 miles on Sunday.  I love running, but I’m also really enjoying focusing on cross training this month.  My knees have also been kind of sore on and off for a few days and I had terrible calf cramping the afternoon after my run (followed by a dehydration migraine, so I think we know what the problem was).  I really need to rethink my hydration strategy now that it’s so hot (and more importantly, so humid).  I’m also realizing that I made it through the winter without buying much running clothing, but I’m not sure I can pull that off for summer.  I spent 6 miles hiking my running skirt back up.  This was the skirt I had just started to be able to wear when I got pregnant, so that made me feel pretty awesome.

My BYNGO goals for last week were:

1.  65 minutes/6 miles of running outside.  Preferably all at once.  Done!
2.  2 strength workouts (finish the square) and 3 ab workouts (will put me at 9/10)  Done and I did an extra ab workout, so that square is also done!
3.  Take final needed group exercise class Done plus a few extra
4.  Last 38 minutes of hiking (either Sunday with family or Tuesday with Mandy and the kids) This did not happen.  Mostly because children are very unpredictable.
5.  Sign up for summer race (counts as a BYNGO square)–I’m torn between Race for Ellie 5K or the Freedom 4 Miler. Done!  I found a $10 5K in town that I’m going to do with my husband on 8/3
6.  Finish my hour on the upright cycle (need 5 minutes)  Done times a whole lot thanks to spinning!
7.  Cycle 20 miles–this is all on a stationary cycle (recumbant or upright) because I never learned to ride a bike.  Yes, I am ridiculous.  I did 22 miles (approximately) thanks to two spinning classes.

Number of BYNGOs this week: 4

Goals for the final week of BYNGO (ends 5/30/13):

1.  Finish the bloody hike.  This will finish two BYNGOs.
2.  22 miles on the cycle (I only need 20.5).  This is easily done with two more spinning classes and will also finish two BYNGOs.
3.  Push up challenge on 5/30/13.  I have to do 15, which really shouldn’t be that hard.
4.  Final weigh in and body fat check on 5/30/13

Number of BYNGOs I hope to get next week: 6

Weight Loss Wednesday 2.19

Weight: 176.4 pounds (up 1.2 pounds this week, down 28.8 pounds total)
Waist: 32.25 inches (down 4.75 inches total)
Hips: 38.5 inches (down 6.5 inches total)

On diet:  I’ve been a little bad since Sunday, but not that bad.  The weight gain is from getting my period and I feel like a 500 pound bloated mess.  Yuck.

On NROLW cross-training:
Thursday–rest
Friday–Muscle Conditioning class and climbed the rock wall three times (it took 10 minutes total, but man was that hard work!)
Saturday–50 minutes on the rowing machine (never again, my palms are destroyed) and 19 minutes on the treadmill
Sunday–ate my face off and made my husband wait on me hand and foot.
Monday–2.5 miles on the stationary bike+boot camp
Tuesday–25 minutes on the treadmill and Cycle 30 (30 minutes of spin with 30 minutes of lifting) class.  Oh yeah, and then we met Mandy for an 82 minutes hike, which involved wearing C and walking dogs).
Today–25 minutes on the treadmill and Vinyasa flow yoga class

I can’t sit down thanks to the spinning.  Spinning is awful.  I’m going again Thursday.

On running: I only did treadmill running and covered about 6 miles last week.  I’m giving myself a pass on running much since Detroit training starts the first week of June.  I do still need 654 minutes of running outdoors, which I’m hoping to check off on Sunday.

My BYNGO goals for last week were:

1.  Finish the no sweets challenge successfully (ends Monday)
2.  Finish the outdoor running challenge (I have 35 of 100 minutes completed).–fail didn’t do at all.  Finish this ASAP!
3.  Attend at least 3 more group fitness classes (I have attended 3 of the required 8 already)–I actually did 4
4.  Attempt the rock wall at least once (I have to do this 3 times and I’m absolutely terrified)–I did this three times in an evening and I loved it so much that my husband and I are going back on Friday.
5.  Get in at least 1 hours of hiking (I need 2 total and we often do this on nice weekends).–82 minutes done!
6.  Another 2-3 strength workouts and another 3-4 ab workouts (I have 2 out of 8 and 1 out of 10 done, respectively)–I did 4 of each
7.  Devote a day to cross-training on the stationary bike (I have 5 of 50 miles done) and the rowing machine (I have 10 of 60 minutes done)–ehh, I finished my rowing, but I’ve not done a ton on the bike
8.  Get 7-8 hours of sleep at least 3 nights this week (I have 3 out of 10 done)–I got all 7 nights last week.  Unfortunately I only did 7 hours all 7 nights, so I’m still sleepy and tired.

The bad news is my body fat also was up 1% last night, but water retention would explain that since I’m using a handheld bioelectrical impedance device.  Increased water content is going to make it register a higher body fat percentage (thus why those are not particularly accurate).  I also really do feel like an epically bloated dead whale carcass.

Anyways, goals for this week:
1.  65 minutes/6 miles of running outside.  Preferably all at once.
2.  2 strength workouts (finish the square) and 3 ab workouts (will put me at 9/10)
3.  Take final needed group exercise class
4.  Last 38 minutes of hiking (either Sunday with family or Tuesday with Mandy and the kids)
5.  Sign up for summer race (counts as a BYNGO square)–I’m torn between Race for Ellie 5K or the Freedom 4 Miler.
6.  Finish my hour on the upright cycle (need 5 minutes)
7.  Cycle 20 miles–this is all on a stationary cycle (recumbant or upright) because I never learned to ride a bike.  Yes, I am ridiculous.

If anyone is wondering, I’m front loading the heck out of these challenges because I know I won’t make it to the gym for 4-5 days around Memorial Day.  Also, it’s fun.

Weight Loss Wednesday, err Thursday 2.18

I didn’t even attempt to start this post yesterday.  I’d say I’m sorry, but it would be a lie.  This week has been insanely awful (and to those on Twitter and Facebook, we are still waiting to get our laptops back).

Weight: 175.2 pounds (down 1.2 pounds this week, down 30! pounds total)
Waist: 32.25 inches (down 4.75 inches total)
Hips: 38.5 inches (down 6.5 inches total)

On diet:  I’m in the midst of a no sweets or fast food challenge for the BYNGO challenge at my gym.  I’m on day 4 of no sweets and I might tackle the next person I see eating ice cream.  Otherwise I just try to eat, but not too much.  Now that it’s summer and I’m also incredibly stressed, I keep realizing I’ve forgotten to eat snacks.  It’s not that I don’t want food, it’s that I don’t have time to eat it when I’m actually hungry.  It’s a problem.

On NROLW cross-training:  I went to my gym’s version of Body Pump, boot camp, and yoga this week.  I also did a lifting workout, abs, rowing machine, and a stationary bike.  I’m between contract jobs (hopefully not for long), so I worked out for over 2 hours yesterday because there’s so much on that BYNGO card and I want a blackout.  This is not sane, healthy, or recommended, but the baby is still getting three top teeth, so the two hours without screaming was blissful.  I do have some huge knots in my back now, but I have a Groupon for a massage that I will be redeeming today.

On running: I have to do 100 minutes of treadmill running this month as part of BYNGO.  I also have to do 100 minutes of outdoor running, but that’s easy.  I decided to run off some anxiety on Saturday and did 1.5 miles on the treadmill followed by a cool down (I’d already done an hour fitness class).  It was not quite as terrifying as I expected, but I really hugged the front because I’m clumsy and convinced I’m going to go flying off of the back.  I also talked to a guy with a 14.5 pound 2 months old.  I was easily distracted from my fear when he was telling me that his wife pushed a 10+ pound baby out with no epidural.  I told him to make sure to give her a high-five for me.  I also squeezed in a 5K run Tuesday morning (I cannot do 3 milers, I always have to do 3.1 and call it a 5K) and another mile on the treadmill during my 2+ workout extravaganza yesterday.  I’m running with no real goal because Detroit training doesn’t start until June, so I just need to stay in shape enough to run 2 miles.  I’m trying to focus more on lifting and cross training until then so my knees are happy.

Also, I’m totally taking the next two Saturdays off from running and doing a photography workshop instead.  I’m really beyond excited.  There’s a lot of stuff I don’t do because it conflicts with long runs, so I’m really making the most of the break between MIT seasons.

So let’s talk BYNGO.  For the last week I gave up tv.  While we are cableless, I pay nominal fees to get Hulu Plus and Netflix, which I like to stream while I’m working or cleaning the house.  I was kind of stressed out by the lack of tv, but I realized that I’ve been sitting here for over an hour applying for contract jobs and it didn’t even occur to me to turn the tv on.  That’s unusual to say the least.  I am looking forward to having tv back for all the cardio machine challenges, because tv-less treadmill running is boring.

So my BYNGO goals for this week are:

1.  Finish the no sweets challenge successfully (ends Monday)
2.  Finish the outdoor running challenge (I have 35 of 100 minutes completed).
3.  Attend at least 3 more group fitness classes (I have attended 3 of the required 8 already)
4.  Attempt the rock wall at least once (I have to do this 3 times and I’m absolutely terrified)
5.  Get in at least 1 hours of hiking (I need 2 total and we often do this on nice weekends).
6.  Another 2-3 strength workouts and another 3-4 ab workouts (I have 2 out of 8 and 1 out of 10 done, respectively)
7.  Devote a day to cross-training on the stationary bike (I have 5 of 50 miles done) and the rowing machine (I have 10 of 60 minutes done)
8.  Get 7-8 hours of sleep at least 3 nights this week (I have 3 out of 10 done)

Wow, it’s probably a good thing I’m off work with my main job right now.  I don’t think I could do all this otherwise.  Is this insane?  I feel really great after getting this much exercise or I wouldn’t be doing it.  I’m a tad sore after yesterday, but other wise I have a ton of energy.

Oh yes, and I had to weigh in and get my body fat measured, so I can officially tell you that I am approximately 31% fat (those little handheld things are not all that accurate).  That number seems really high to me, but I know women aren’t really supposed to get below 20%, so maybe it’s not as awful as it sounds? At least one chart I saw says that is in the average range for my age.