Sorry I've been quiet lately. We are out of town, visiting friends and family back home so there is nothing normal about my schedule.
Hopefully, I will get a chance to write next week when I am in the same house for more than two days straight. Until then, it's going to continue to be pretty quiet.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Trouble Ahead
Monday, my husband and I will be driving home. This is a good and very bad thing. We are looking forward to seeing friends and family but it is going to throw a wrench in my journey. I won't be able to run at the same times that I have been and I will be in a new place at new elevations. It is going to be interesting.
And then there is the food. It is how we southerners show our love and celebrate. And it is all so damn good. Watching my points while making sure I get a taste of the things I miss will be very difficult.
It's going to be an interesting 2 weeks.
And then there is the food. It is how we southerners show our love and celebrate. And it is all so damn good. Watching my points while making sure I get a taste of the things I miss will be very difficult.
It's going to be an interesting 2 weeks.
Monday, June 20, 2011
WW Monday Link Up : Exercise Tips
So today's link up over at Learning As We Go is about exercise tips. To be honest, I am really new to the exercise game but I am learning a lot. I have never been one to exercise just for the sake of it. Up until my knee injury in college, my exercise was always training for the sports I played. It was working towards a goal of being a better athlete not just moving to move. When I hurt my knee, I couldn't do the same things anymore and now I am in a place where I don't have the necessary teams to play team sports so I have been at a loss for what to do. That was the reason that I signed up for the Princess Half last year but as I said before, my mind wasn't in the right place so it didn't work. Now that things have clicked, I am learning more about what works for me and what doesn't and having that goal is a great motivator.
First of all, don't do too much too soon. Especially, if you are working towards a goal like I am with the half marathons next year. I am keeping my workouts simple. I run with my training plan. That is my main focus. I am also slowly adding in some cross training like swimming first and then I plan on later adding spin classes. Both of these things help you build on your running without the impact on your joints. Other than that, I am doing some strength training for my upper body because it is WEAK. I want to do some higher impact training eventually but I don't want to start it until after the races. If you try too much too soon, you will only end up getting hurt and then you will have to do nothing for a while. I made the mistake of trying out a higher intensity DVD last week and then I could barely run because my legs were burnt out and my joints were killing me. So start with one thing and then add little things that compliment it as you get stronger and have more endurance.
Second, listen to your body. If it doesn't feel right, stop. I'm not talking about soreness or fatigue I'm talking about pain. You should no the difference because one just feels like you are working hard and the other just feels unnatural. You don't want to risk serious injury just because you think it is something you should be doing. There is always something else you can try.
Next, it's ok to not like something. Sometimes certain exercises just aren't for you. If you don't like it, move on to something else until you find something you do. If you really want to run but you hate running on a treadmill, jog a lap around your neighborhood. If you don't like the heat, find an indoor track. If tracks are too small and repetitive, find a running trial in a park or neighborhood nearby. If you try all of that and you still don't like running, try a bike or a pool. Try aerobics classes, free weights, machines, circuit gyms, roller skating, walking, jumping rope, boxing, martial arts, or anything you can think of that gets you moving. You will eventually find something you like and once you do, exercising will be that much easier. hell, you can just go shopping and make sure you park a long way from the mall. Make a few laps around before you go in the first store. Window shop if you don't want to spend money. There have been plenty of times that I have just gone to stores and looked at things that I want in the future just to get myself out of the house and moving. It is a great way to get exercise but not focus on it.
Find a good buddy. My husband has been great(when he's here). He has been running with me or riding his bike since he had a stress fracture and it has made all the difference. It is nice having him there to support me and give me a high five when I finish my workouts. It is great having someone to talk to so I am not quite so bored out there. Running with him has even helped during the times that he is gone. We talk about it after I workout because he always asks how it went. I know that he is going to ask and I don't want to tell him that I just flaked because he is gone so I go out and do my workout so I can honestly tell him how it went. If it sucks, I tell him that and he encourages me to keep going because it will get better later.
Finally don't give up when you have a bad day(week, month, etc.) It will get better. This is the one I am trying to remind myself of right now. For the past 2 months the running has been going really great but two weeks ago it all went south. I got sick and since it is an upper respiratory issue it affects my breathing which seriously puts a strain on my running. It has been very frustrating and has forced me to rework my training plan but that's ok. It is also making me slow down a little and realize I was trying to push a little faster than I should. If you quit every time you have a bad day, by the time you start back you are just going to be more frustrated because you have gone backwards and you have to do all of the same work over again. Just push through and it will all be worth it in the end. If you are sick, see a doc and listen to them. You may need to slow down for a little while or take a break. If it's just a bad day, push through or you will have many more bad days in the future.
I don't know if this is exactly what she had in mind when she gave out this topic but these are my tips. I'm not going to tell you how awesome this and that workout is because that is something you need to figure out for yourself. It is a process to figure out what is right for you. Don't give up, you will figure it out and you will be a better person for it in the end.
First of all, don't do too much too soon. Especially, if you are working towards a goal like I am with the half marathons next year. I am keeping my workouts simple. I run with my training plan. That is my main focus. I am also slowly adding in some cross training like swimming first and then I plan on later adding spin classes. Both of these things help you build on your running without the impact on your joints. Other than that, I am doing some strength training for my upper body because it is WEAK. I want to do some higher impact training eventually but I don't want to start it until after the races. If you try too much too soon, you will only end up getting hurt and then you will have to do nothing for a while. I made the mistake of trying out a higher intensity DVD last week and then I could barely run because my legs were burnt out and my joints were killing me. So start with one thing and then add little things that compliment it as you get stronger and have more endurance.
Second, listen to your body. If it doesn't feel right, stop. I'm not talking about soreness or fatigue I'm talking about pain. You should no the difference because one just feels like you are working hard and the other just feels unnatural. You don't want to risk serious injury just because you think it is something you should be doing. There is always something else you can try.
Next, it's ok to not like something. Sometimes certain exercises just aren't for you. If you don't like it, move on to something else until you find something you do. If you really want to run but you hate running on a treadmill, jog a lap around your neighborhood. If you don't like the heat, find an indoor track. If tracks are too small and repetitive, find a running trial in a park or neighborhood nearby. If you try all of that and you still don't like running, try a bike or a pool. Try aerobics classes, free weights, machines, circuit gyms, roller skating, walking, jumping rope, boxing, martial arts, or anything you can think of that gets you moving. You will eventually find something you like and once you do, exercising will be that much easier. hell, you can just go shopping and make sure you park a long way from the mall. Make a few laps around before you go in the first store. Window shop if you don't want to spend money. There have been plenty of times that I have just gone to stores and looked at things that I want in the future just to get myself out of the house and moving. It is a great way to get exercise but not focus on it.
Find a good buddy. My husband has been great(when he's here). He has been running with me or riding his bike since he had a stress fracture and it has made all the difference. It is nice having him there to support me and give me a high five when I finish my workouts. It is great having someone to talk to so I am not quite so bored out there. Running with him has even helped during the times that he is gone. We talk about it after I workout because he always asks how it went. I know that he is going to ask and I don't want to tell him that I just flaked because he is gone so I go out and do my workout so I can honestly tell him how it went. If it sucks, I tell him that and he encourages me to keep going because it will get better later.
Finally don't give up when you have a bad day(week, month, etc.) It will get better. This is the one I am trying to remind myself of right now. For the past 2 months the running has been going really great but two weeks ago it all went south. I got sick and since it is an upper respiratory issue it affects my breathing which seriously puts a strain on my running. It has been very frustrating and has forced me to rework my training plan but that's ok. It is also making me slow down a little and realize I was trying to push a little faster than I should. If you quit every time you have a bad day, by the time you start back you are just going to be more frustrated because you have gone backwards and you have to do all of the same work over again. Just push through and it will all be worth it in the end. If you are sick, see a doc and listen to them. You may need to slow down for a little while or take a break. If it's just a bad day, push through or you will have many more bad days in the future.
I don't know if this is exactly what she had in mind when she gave out this topic but these are my tips. I'm not going to tell you how awesome this and that workout is because that is something you need to figure out for yourself. It is a process to figure out what is right for you. Don't give up, you will figure it out and you will be a better person for it in the end.
Friday, June 17, 2011
"Good" Morning
So today was my first day of getting up early for my run. We didn't get up as early as we will have to next week because Mac was off today and so we slept in a little. The run went ok. I realized a few things that I think I will be doing differently now.
First of all, the dvd the other night was a mistake. My legs still have not fully recovered so running has been harder than it would normally be. I have gotten so frustrated with my weight loss plateau that I am doing stupid things instead of following what I have been planning. I want to one day do a high intensity workout program but I want to wait until after the Tink and Princess Half marathons next year. I can't afford to lose training time due to injury and if I try to do those workouts and run at this point, I will just end up hurting myself. I'm going to take the rest of the weekend off to hopefully let my legs fully recover before Monday's run.
Second, this isn't going to work the way it did the first time. When I started the running program in April, I was jogging very slowly. My goal then was just to jog. My pace was slower than some people's walking pace but I was using the mechanics of running and getting my body used to that and that was my goal. I did it. I did my 5K at a snail's pace but I ran it and that was all I wanted. Now that I am repeating the program, I am trying to increase my pace. If I look at my pace during the first time through and compare it to now, I am running at a pace that is 6 minutes faster than the first time. That's a big difference. Because it is such a big difference, I don't have the endurance required to sustain that pace yet. I am not going to be able to progress as quickly as I did the first time and finally, I am ok with that. My plan now is that instead of trying to stick with the running plan word for word, I am going to stay on a time interval until I master it and then move on. That is how it worked following it by the letter the first time but it was only because I was going so slowly. Now that I am trying to have a good pace, it is going to take my lungs and legs a little while to catch up. I know I could slow down, and I may slow down a little but my goal this time was to find my natural gait and pace and this is what feels natural, I just need to work at it a little longer this go round.
I'm still learning and figuring things out. I had a really bad day yesterday with motivation and discouragement thanks to a lack luster weigh-in. It is just so frustrating when you feel like you are working so hard and the number stays the same. I'm still hoping to add water aerobics and maybe a little lap swimming to my routine so that I can do something that doesn't give my joints a hard time. Plus I love the water and I want to get back into swimming and be as good at it as I once was. I'm thinking that my next goal after the half will be a sprint tri. The have one on post every year and I think it would be something good to work towards. But first things first, I need to complete the goal at hand.
First of all, the dvd the other night was a mistake. My legs still have not fully recovered so running has been harder than it would normally be. I have gotten so frustrated with my weight loss plateau that I am doing stupid things instead of following what I have been planning. I want to one day do a high intensity workout program but I want to wait until after the Tink and Princess Half marathons next year. I can't afford to lose training time due to injury and if I try to do those workouts and run at this point, I will just end up hurting myself. I'm going to take the rest of the weekend off to hopefully let my legs fully recover before Monday's run.
Second, this isn't going to work the way it did the first time. When I started the running program in April, I was jogging very slowly. My goal then was just to jog. My pace was slower than some people's walking pace but I was using the mechanics of running and getting my body used to that and that was my goal. I did it. I did my 5K at a snail's pace but I ran it and that was all I wanted. Now that I am repeating the program, I am trying to increase my pace. If I look at my pace during the first time through and compare it to now, I am running at a pace that is 6 minutes faster than the first time. That's a big difference. Because it is such a big difference, I don't have the endurance required to sustain that pace yet. I am not going to be able to progress as quickly as I did the first time and finally, I am ok with that. My plan now is that instead of trying to stick with the running plan word for word, I am going to stay on a time interval until I master it and then move on. That is how it worked following it by the letter the first time but it was only because I was going so slowly. Now that I am trying to have a good pace, it is going to take my lungs and legs a little while to catch up. I know I could slow down, and I may slow down a little but my goal this time was to find my natural gait and pace and this is what feels natural, I just need to work at it a little longer this go round.
I'm still learning and figuring things out. I had a really bad day yesterday with motivation and discouragement thanks to a lack luster weigh-in. It is just so frustrating when you feel like you are working so hard and the number stays the same. I'm still hoping to add water aerobics and maybe a little lap swimming to my routine so that I can do something that doesn't give my joints a hard time. Plus I love the water and I want to get back into swimming and be as good at it as I once was. I'm thinking that my next goal after the half will be a sprint tri. The have one on post every year and I think it would be something good to work towards. But first things first, I need to complete the goal at hand.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Changes
So since my husband gets home early from PT or has PT on his own on MWF, I am going to start running with him in the morning on those days. I'm not really looking forward to it AT ALL. I hate getting up early but I would rather run at 0630 when it is 70-75 degrees instead of 2300 when is it still 90 degrees outside. It's just getting WAY TOO HOT.
Since I am planning to get up on those days I figure why not get up on Tuesdays and Thursdays and go to the free water aerobics on post. I may still end up going to the daily water aerobics class I found off post but I'll give the free one a chance first.
I am used to doing something on Tuesday nights though so I finally tried the Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout DVD that I have had for a while. It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be but I was definitely working hard. It is a little hard on my joints so I don't know if I will be able to stick with it for now. I may need to wait until I have lost a little more weight to really be able to do everything on there.
I really want to increase my weight-loss if I can so that I can shed as much as possible before this fall thanks to two events that I have coming up. Plus I really need to lose a few more inches so I can buy some damn shorts. I am between sizes at the moment so I am dying because I only have jeans to wear. It's getting old fast.
Since I am planning to get up on those days I figure why not get up on Tuesdays and Thursdays and go to the free water aerobics on post. I may still end up going to the daily water aerobics class I found off post but I'll give the free one a chance first.
I am used to doing something on Tuesday nights though so I finally tried the Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout DVD that I have had for a while. It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be but I was definitely working hard. It is a little hard on my joints so I don't know if I will be able to stick with it for now. I may need to wait until I have lost a little more weight to really be able to do everything on there.
I really want to increase my weight-loss if I can so that I can shed as much as possible before this fall thanks to two events that I have coming up. Plus I really need to lose a few more inches so I can buy some damn shorts. I am between sizes at the moment so I am dying because I only have jeans to wear. It's getting old fast.
Monday, June 13, 2011
WW Monday
Once again linking up over at Learning As We Go for WW Monday.
I did not weigh-in last week thanks to a nasty cold that had me feeling "lovely" and my meeting buddy being out of town. According to my scale at home I was around the same, didn't lose but didn't gain. I didn't get in as many workouts as I would have liked due to the whole not being able to breathe thing but I am working on fixing that this week.
Anyway, this week's topic is lunch ideas. If you refer to my post on the day that it was breakfast ideas, you will see why I'm not a lot of help but I am trying.
Most of the time, if I eat lunch, it is a ham sandwich and pop chips or snikiddy cheese balls. Those are both great because you get a lot of them and they are only 3 pts. They taste like regular potato chips or cheese balls but with a much lower points value. The pop chips are even lower than baked chips and taste WAY better.
I have tried a few of the new lean cuisine steam bags that I like and I picked up a few of the healthy choice pasta bowls at the case lot sale. Hopefully I can force myself to eat them soon.(not because they aren't yummy, they are, I just usually don't eat lunch.) Since I am trying to do meal replacement shakes for breakfast when I can, I am not at all opposed to eating cereal for lunch. My problem is still just making myself actually eat lunch.
I may be about to completely flip flop my daily routine so it should become easier to eat those meals during the day. Texas is getting too damn hot and I am considering getting up early and running with Mac in the mornings(Ugh, I am NOT a morning person) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and possibly doing water aerobics on post Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We'll see if that takes off or if I retreat back into my normal nocturnal state.
I'm trying to be optimistic about this week's weigh-in. Not sure that there is going to be much of a change but hoping there is a change at least.
I did not weigh-in last week thanks to a nasty cold that had me feeling "lovely" and my meeting buddy being out of town. According to my scale at home I was around the same, didn't lose but didn't gain. I didn't get in as many workouts as I would have liked due to the whole not being able to breathe thing but I am working on fixing that this week.
Anyway, this week's topic is lunch ideas. If you refer to my post on the day that it was breakfast ideas, you will see why I'm not a lot of help but I am trying.
Most of the time, if I eat lunch, it is a ham sandwich and pop chips or snikiddy cheese balls. Those are both great because you get a lot of them and they are only 3 pts. They taste like regular potato chips or cheese balls but with a much lower points value. The pop chips are even lower than baked chips and taste WAY better.
I have tried a few of the new lean cuisine steam bags that I like and I picked up a few of the healthy choice pasta bowls at the case lot sale. Hopefully I can force myself to eat them soon.(not because they aren't yummy, they are, I just usually don't eat lunch.) Since I am trying to do meal replacement shakes for breakfast when I can, I am not at all opposed to eating cereal for lunch. My problem is still just making myself actually eat lunch.
I may be about to completely flip flop my daily routine so it should become easier to eat those meals during the day. Texas is getting too damn hot and I am considering getting up early and running with Mac in the mornings(Ugh, I am NOT a morning person) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and possibly doing water aerobics on post Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We'll see if that takes off or if I retreat back into my normal nocturnal state.
I'm trying to be optimistic about this week's weigh-in. Not sure that there is going to be much of a change but hoping there is a change at least.
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