Weekly Wrap Up & Sunday Set Up

Lets not beat around the bush here: i'm super glad this week is over.

In fact, when I woke up this morning I decided today was the start of the new week. Peace out, craptastic week.

But it wasn't a total waste.

9 Activities, 3:54:36, 2,921 Calories

Not too shabby at all! I really dedicated myself to my "training" plan this week. I worked hard to make sure I got in every workout and made each workout count

What worked: Buddy Power. I did Body Pump again this week with my friend Emily from work. I'm LOVING body pump. I always do. I don't know why I don't go but I don't. But since Emily is going too, it's a nice kick in the butt. Same with my Saturday runs. I've been running every Saturday with girls from the office and it's been a blast. There's no set distance, no pace. Just running together. It's really helped me regain a sense of FUN.

What was challenging: The bike. Little Ms. Metric/Numbers nerd doesn't like that her cadence sensor doesn't really work indoors. That means that I have no real idea how fast I'm going or what my cadence is. It drives me NUTS. But then again, so does the bike itself. It's uncomfortable, it's boring, it's....BORING. No amount of good TV is making it palatable. The fix? Spin class this week. I'm determined to make one

Clearly whatever I did last week was working because....I'm down again! In weight, that is.

Starting Weight: 187.6

Last week: 185.2 (-2.4)

This Week: 183.6 (-4)

I let myself indulge a little (too much) in sweets this week and was concerned I gained. I honestly would've been happy with a 0 for the week but here we are! Surprising too because of the timing. Of the month. Understand? ok good. This week I want to be able to look at my tracker and see at least 2 days that I didn't have a sugary/chocolate dessert. Not hard at all!

Saved the Grocery for today. Thank God For Trisha Yearwood and Taylor Swift for getting me through the melee that is Kroger on a Sunday

Here's the plan:

I made the sauce for the Sesame Noodles so all i have to do tomorrow is cook the noodles & Shrimp. Everything else is pretty easy. This week could either be breezy or hell, it's impossible to know. The stress of not knowing which is getting to me. So, that's the plan. It's subject to change of course. I may not be able to swim Tuesday, I may HAVE to wake up early to bike one day. We'll get it done.

Happy Running!

How was your week? 
How do you deal with bad days/weeks? Do you bounce back better than ever or get in a funk?

Taste Testing

Well, the results are in:

Maple brown sugar oatmeal is far superior to apple cinnamon. 

But both are delish  

Are they tastier than the iced chocolate chip scone I could've gotten at the coffee shop this morning? Definitely not. I'm not insane. But I chose the oatmeal instead and I'm celebrating that like I won the Olympics. 

Today is a rest day on my schedule and I've definitely earned it. Rest on the training calendar, speed work on the work calendar. I keep falling behind at the office and it's getting a little overwhelming. 

So I guess it's time to get to work!

Happy Friday!!

When was the last time you were really tempted by food? How did you handle it?

Hump Day Check in

Happy hump day, y'all

Reality smacked me right in the face yesterday. The first day back after a vacation or a long weekend is usually enough to make me wish I'd never gotten the time off in the first place. That's a disturbing feeling. 

So I'm back in lawyer mode now. 

Yesterday I was pretty sore from Monday's body pump. I had a Doctor's appointment at 4 so I swapped my planned spin class for a brick workout hoping there would still be daylight when I got done. Well, there wasn't any daylight left (boo) so I hopped on the bike. 

It was...rough. My garmin and cadence sensor just can't seem to hook up correctly. It's driving this type A-data-loving-numbers-nerd crazy. I realized about 10 minutes in that I was spending more time fiddling with the watch instead of peddling. Not ideal. After 30 minutes I hopped on the treadmill & did 15 minutes with a 3 min walk/2 min run balance. I don't think the metrics on our janky treadmill were right because it said I'd only done a mile. Whatever. 

Hubz was home sick from work today. He has a cold and got some antihistamines. Luckily, not contagious. Unluckily, Hubz is a big old baby when he's sick. Happy to take care of him though, the big lug. And he'll get to return the favor here soon. The GI doc says my recent symptoms (excruciating pin point pain radiating across my back and up my shoulder followed with nausea, vomiting and bloating) sound like gallstones. You may recall I had my evil gallbladder removed in 2011. I've had stones removed twice since then. Well, make that 3 times. Damn thing comes back from the grave. 

I'm still pretty pissed off about the whole thing. At 28 I never thought is body would be so damn difficult. So today on my 3 mile run after work I focused on the things my body can do. I took each step (despite the residual body pump soreness) with a joy and a thankfulness I really wanted to hold on to. I may not be able to digest lettuce, but I can run damnit. 

Happy hump day y'all - run hard!

Did you have Monday off? How is your week going?

How do you handle bad news from the doc?

Sunday Funday & Progress

Happy MLK weekend, all!!

This 3 day weekend was exactly what I needed after the onslaught at work. 

Ellie is also happy for the long weekend.

Yesterday I went running with the girls from my office. I'm so glad we've been doing that. It's a huge motivator to get up and get out on these cold Saturday mornings. I had to hurry up and change so I could head to a Louisville Basketball game with my mom. 

We lost. Badly. But the company was nice. 

I managed to avoid the stadium food & booze. Mom snuck in a yummy sandwich from our favorite place & we split some almonds. A win for everyone!

Also, there was froyo. 

Today I had big plans of getting in some time on the trainer and a grocery run before we went to a friend's for the NFC Championship game. 

First, hubbz talked me into breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants. I was  proud of myself for choosing a healthier option: nonfat yogurt with homemade geana, honey and fruit. Yum yum. 

Unfortunately, I had a horrible "stomach" attack about an hour later. It was worse than the lay one. I was basically immobile for 3 hours while I waited for it to dissipate. By the time it eased up we were ready to head out for the game. So no bike for me today, which is frustrating. 

It's especially frustrating because what I did last week worked!

                    Beginning weight: 187.6

                    Weight as of 1/18: 185.2

That's almost 2.5lbs! It's that progress that is keeping me away from the delicious cupcakes our friends sent home with us. 

I'm using the day off to my advantage tomorrow. My friend Emily & I will hit up BodyOump at Noon. Hopefully I can squeeze in some time on the bike beforehand. Then mom will be over to help with some DIY projects. Time to keep working!

How was your week?

How do you makeup for kissed workouts?

Decisions decisions

The alarm didn't even have a chance to go off this morning for my bike ride. Sometime in the middle of the night I re-set it for my normal non-hair-doing-wake-up-time. It was totally nexessary as I was dead tired after my 2100 yard swim. Slept like a zombie 

Also had terrible goggle lines after swimming. Better get used to it I guess. 

I planned to make it up this afternoon with a ride on the trainer & an outside run or walk on the treadmill here at home. I had a huge deadline at work that loomed over my head. My "plan" resolution is in place at work too, where much has fallen by the wayside and out of order in the last few months. After morning court I was really cranking out the to do list. By 4 I'd managed to reschedule my deadline  and had a burst of productivity. 

So I had a decision to make: 

- break and head home for my workout, possibly working from home after (which never works out)

- keep working until I run out of steam and cut into workout time

Work is a huge source of stress for me. It's a stress that permeates every other facet of my life. I made a decision to keep working. I ended up working until after 7. I pretty much blew my workout window but I got a LOT done. 

So Friday is my slide/test day so I'll work it in there. Not the end of the world. 

As long as there's still time to cuddle with the puppy. That's absolutely mandatory. 

Happy hump day!

How do you balance work and fitness? 

Facing Reality

So this post is a bit tough to write.

One of the reasons I started this blog in the first place was accountability. I wanted to be accountable to you guys by putting my dreams, goals and faults out there for you to see and keep me honest. In the last year or so it's been more of a way for me to have a private space in which I am a "runner" or an "athlete" and not a Public Defender/wife/dog-mom/stressed person. There is room for both purposes, I think.

At this point, though, I think I need some accountability. In the past I've mentioned that after Hubz & I got married my weight started to creep back up. I thought it happened slowly. A few 'love' pounds here and there. That's normal, right?

When we got married in September 2012 I was in a pretty good place physically. I'd completed my second marathon that May and managed to stay pretty fit through Bar Exam Prep and the stress of planning a wedding and starting a new job.

Me and Jules @ the Derby Festival Marathon/Half April 2012

Photo by J&A Creative

Who knows it if it was slow or not, but the weight just popped up. One day I was 20lbs over my goal weight. I cried. In the two years since we've gotten married I've struggled. I've got a demanding, high stress job that I love but can be overwhelming. I've struggled with Gastroparesis, gallstones, and a Gastroenterologist who is less than supportive. It's been hard.

San Francisco this past September

What I don't think we realize is that the few pounds add up. And they impact everything. They impact  my training. They impact how I feel about myself. They impact how I relate to hubz. 

So they've gotta go. So here are the bare bones numbers. I'll put 'em out here so they're out here, then I'll change them. Got it? Ok. 

Current weight: 187.6

Goal Weight: 164

Now that we've got that outta the way - lets get to work!

Have you ever struggled with weight loss?

Do you blog? What do you use your blog for? Leave me your link!

One Word Resolutions

When the calendar hit December 30th the only topic on the internet seemed to be resolutions.

"What are your resolutions?"

"Do you have resolutions for this year?"

I've been attempting to distinguish resolutions from goals. There are things that I intend to accomplish in 2014 that don't fit in with the traditional confines of the resolution category. My number one quest in 2015 is to lose weight. More on that later. However, the whole "resolution" of "lose weight" seemed....stupid. It's got one measurement: lose weight or not. The resolution in and of itself is also unhelpful in actually achieving the end result.

This is where the "one word" resolution comes in. Many of my Facebook friends - the multi-kid-having-share-everything-type - were choosing one word to guide their new year instead of a "resolution". After thinking about it, this actually fit perfectly into what I wanted to accomplish. One word to encompass what i want to accomplish in the next year that will guide all else. After a lot of muddling I came up with the following: Plan.

How do i accomplish the goals I have set? Lose weight, finish a 70.3, spend time with my husband, stop stressing at work, etc. It's easy - Plan Better. And not just planning, but adapting to changes in the plan. Though it sounds a bit oxymoronic, what i'm reaching for is adaptability. In 2014 I planned and I restricted and I beat myself up and when things didn't work out, I was self-destructive. Not anymore.

So that's where I am. 2015 is the year of the plan.

Step One is something I've picked up from Monican @ Run Eat Repeat - The Sunday Set up:

Last week was my first week with the Sunday Set Up and it worked beautifully! I felt a sense of power when I'd come up against obstacles. Wednesday, for instance, I went to a Basketball game with my dear friend. It definitely threw a wrench in my planning in that I had to move my workouts around and be tempted by delicious stadium food. 

So when faced with the obstacle I worked around it to fit my plan as best I could. That simple.

Here's next week's plan: 

I'll report back next week!

Do you believe in resolutions? Have you decided on one?

Saturday Randoms

Can I tell you how happy I am that it's the weekend? 

Lets just say that going back to work after a 10 day break was craptastic. Overall, it wasn't terrible. So there's that. I did spend about an hour on a post on Thursday and forgot to hit 'save' before I closed the window. Well Hell. 

Went to a basketball game with one of my besties who is in town from LA. 

It was late, but fun. 

The weather, though, has not been fun. 

This morning I hopped on the trainer for 30 minutes. Still having trouble with the distance recording. Luckily my training program focused more on time and heart rate. Check and check. 

Made it to the grocery to stock up on healthy food for the week. Now we're watching basketball. 

Correction: I'm watching basketball while hubbz & Ellie nap. Slackers. 

Happy Saturday!

Happy 2015!

I've had "update blog" on my to do list for the last 2 weeks. Yeah...so here I am!

So what have I been up to?

Seriously. I worked Christmas week and was off from Noon Christmas Eve until Monday. Eleven days. It was glorious. But there was entirely too much food. 

There was some working out, too. 

Also my trainer finally came in (2 weeks early!) so I got it set up in the basement. Ready to ride in 2015!

But for today, it was swim time. 

Happy running!

Did you exercise today? Tell me more

Did you indulge over the holidays? 

Weekly Round-Up: Thanksgiving Edition

And what a week it's been!

Tuesday we left for Tennessee and Thankgiving with my in-laws. I k new I would at least be running on Thursday since my in-laws have really stuck to the Turkey Trot Tradition. One of the things they don't prep you for about being married is the blending of the families and holidays. Luckily for me I married in to an amazing family that has welcomed me with open arms. It's still sad to be away from my parents and grandmother for Thanksgiving, but getting to run the Turkey Trot with my in-laws helps fill the voids.

So here we have it:

Monday: 2 mile walk on the treadmill followed by the Monday Motivational Workout from the Holiday
               sweat challenge! It was brutal.
Tuesday: Rest/travel day
Wednesday: 1.71 mile walk around the neighborhood with the pup. Everybody needed to stretch!
Thursday: Turkey Trot! Finished the 5k in 30:15 which I think is faster than last year
Friday: 1.96 mile walk around the neighborhood, getting the pup ready for the day of travel
Saturday: Home Football game - I'm counting all of the walking and cheering as "activity" - Ha!
Sunday: 4.56 mile run around the park. Averaged 11:39 min/miles despite my walk breaks. It hurt.

I'm really proud of how I stayed active this week despite the travel. Lets face it, leisurely walks aren't exactly the height of my fitness goals, but they're better than nothing! I'm especially impressed considering this is what I was up against in Tennessee:

Thank goodness I had a turkey trot & an awesome hubby to keep my butt in gear.

This week the big focus is BREAKFAST. In particular, the Bonus points for the #HolidaySweatChallenge this week are for getting extra fruits/veggies. Keeping that in mind, I got all of the makings for smoothies today at the grocery. The goal is to wake up & get in the shower before Hubbz. Then I can let Ellie out etc. and make my smoothie while he's in the shower. This is a big change, but I'm hoping it makes an improvement in my overall feeling.

Fingers crossed- Happy Running!

Did you run a turkey trot? How do you avoid the holiday bulge?

Weekly Recap

It's not really a training recap anymore now, is it?

This week was definitely better than last week on the workout front.

I met most of my standing goals. This weekend it was too beautiful not to get out and move. Saturday I went out with the intention of running about 3 miles. We have our annual Turkey Trot on Thursday & I was honestly doubting my ability to finish. Say what? I know, I just finished a half marathon less than a Month ago surely I can do 3.1. I wasn't so sure. However I easily managed to hit 3  - and fast! - and stayed out until I could no longer run. It was a nice hour overall.

Well, except for my quads. My day 2 weights include a type of reverse lunge. I adapted it so that I was comfortably balanced, but I did 3 sets of 8-12 after 30 minutes on the bike Wednesday. Oh. Good.Grief. Thursday my legs were toast. Volleyball was an odyssey. I forgot how much weights just shred your muscles! The best part was that it felt GOOD. I love that CantMoveKillMeNowOhGodItHurts feeling that I only seem to get from lifting. By the end of 5 on Saturday my quads were pretty well trashed. I took my bike out today and came to pretty much the same conclusion.

Despite the quad soreness one thing is for sure: biking is FUN. I love it. I'm still not 100% comfortable, but I'm getting there. Today I just did the 6-ish mile bike loop near our house. Closed to traffic and newly paved so it's perfect for the less-than-comfortable.

Next week?

We leave for the in-laws on Tuesday. I'm super excited to get out of town and spend some time in the 'country'. Also, tomorrow is the start of the #HolidaySweatChallenge! You still have time to sign up so head over to RunToTheFinish to get registered. There are lots of great prizes on the line and it's a really good way to stay on track during the holidays!

How was your week?
Do you cycle? How long did it take you to feel super comfortable on the bike?

Happy Running!

Fall Is For Fitness

Weather around here has been just amazing. Now that we've hit "fall back" and it's getting dark so damn early I doubt I'll be able to take advantage of it as much. Also, it's going to start getting really really cold around here. C'est la vie in Kentucky, I guess. Here are some images from my fall training, since I don't have much else on my mind.

I look awesome in a helmet

Ghost among the Leaves

From a run right after the leaves changed

Fall means lots of puppy snuggles

Have you had a good fall where you are? 
Do you like "Fall Back"? I hate that it gets dark so early!

Happy Running!

Training Cycle Recap

The journey that began on August 10th finally ended up October 25th when I crossed the finish line of my 7th Half Marathon. This was the first race since the Chicago Half Marathon back in 2011 that I felt I had properly prepared for.

Our Training Plan Called for:

• Long Run: 10 miles
• Total Mileage: 194.4
• 5k Race, 10k Race Planned

In the past Josh and I had been really good about getting in long runs. Admittedly, our long runs for the LSC Half Marathon last year didn't go very well at all. This cycle I wanted to run more during the week. Partly out of a need to keep a base, but also because I needed the break from work. In taking this on I was determined to make time for running outside of work. 

What we actually did:

According to Garmin, I logged 196.44 miles during training! That's amazing - it's more than my goal! Certainly having my new bike helped, but I had no idea it would be close let alone more. That's not to say I made all of my workouts, but It shows I did some.

Also, I significantly amped up my workouts in general. 

I'm really proud of how hard I worked. I think it showed in my results. Hasn't really shown up on the scale….but that's for another day. 

What's next? Good question! I think I'm going to "wing it" for the winter. We've got some good races planned throughout the winter and my training for the Muncie 70.3 begins March 20th. Between now and late February I want to focus on getting stronger and spending as much time in the saddle as possible. 

Goals:

• Two strength days per week
• 3 Runs per week
• 1 bike or swim day per week

I think that's going to be a good mix of challenging and restful. Also, I'm Signed up for the Holiday Sweat Challenge - are you? It's a GREAT way to motivate yourself to stay in shape for the winter and win great prizes. This will be my third year and I always look forward to it! With the new partnership between RunToTheFinish & Sweat Pink it's sure to be better than ever!

So get signed up!

How was your training this fall?