Longer, Farther

I ran the farthest I've ever run yesterday! I ran 3.8 miles! I ran slower than usual, but I had a horrible week of running and didn't even run 1.5  miles my other two runs of the week. I realize that I do much better on group runs than running by myself. Yesterday our run was supposed to be 45 minute, but I ran until I was done and run for 54 minutes. I had to take about 4 30 second walk breaks, but at least I was out there doing it. I don't know what happened, but all of my slower cohorts were no where to be found about a mile in, so I ran most of the run by myself bring up the rear of all the other faster runners in the group ahead of us.

I also realized that I feel a lot better after a run if I push myself. The other two runs I had this week I barely ran over a mile and I, pretty much, just quit in the middle. Yesterday I ran longer and father than I ever have and had to push myself and my body felt great afterward!

I signed up for The River Run 10k this week! I saw that they have a Tot Trot for ages 2-7! It's a 40 yard run and the kids get a medal too! I'm going to sign Elliott up for it!

My eating this week has been less than stellar. I went for Chinese with a friend on Wednesday and I think I did pretty well. I realized when I had eaten enough. More than enough actually. Then we took Elliott out for pizza Friday night.

Speaking of all this, I quit that stupid Fat Smash Diet. I caved on Tuesday and ate some cereal and realized that I don't need the diet. When I told Paul he said "I don't know why you're so worried about that diet, you are doing just fine on your own!" and I realized that he was right.

My oldest friend was in town from Colorado this weekend and I went to see her yesterday. She was telling me that her boyfriend used to be really overweight and then he started eating right and running too. She said at first he sucked, but then he got better and has run several marathons. It gave me hope that I'll get there too. I just need to keep at it!

1/2 and 1/2

So it's official. Half marathon training starts in June! We got an email from one of our running coaches saying that they were going to do another Start2Finish group in June for the Prairie Fire 5k, Half Marathon, and Full Marathon! Kim and I immediately signed up! I feel like I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I'm excited anyway!

Kim and I ran at the park yesterday and it was a good run! I ran 2.6 miles at a 13:35 pace. It's not my best, but it's better than my average!

I've been doing really well with limiting my snacking during the day. Yesterday at work, I didn't snack at all, and today I had 6 whole wheat crackers.

Kim added some pictures to facebook of the race and stuff so I'll add them here...

Kim and I the night it was raining really hard on our group run! We are soaked!

Crossing the Finish Line! That is Stephanie with her arms up in celebration!

Kim and I around 1k

Me, Kim, Stephanie pre race

The Wall?

I didn't get to weigh in this week. We had a lunch meeting at work on Wednesday. That, and Paul's car "Big Blue" went to heaven :( That means we are car pooling again. I took a vacation day tomorrow, so I think I'm going to try and weigh in tomorrow. I'll have Elliott with me, but hopefully that will be okay.

My run on Wednesday was just as horrible, if not more horrible, than Mondays' run. I feel like I'm hitting some kind of wall or something. I feel like I'm getting worse instead of better. I feel like I'm going super slow and getting super tired! I hope I can get over this wall soon!

I went to my boot camp class tonight. Sam was gone, so we had a girl named Kristin. I liked her! The workout was pretty tough! We did 3 different sets of laps and stairs! I hate laps and stairs! I also hate dynamic planks and burpees too! I would wall sit for an hour over any of those! The class went by much faster than it did last week, so that's a good thing!

I've been eating pretty well this week too. I hope it will continue throughout the weekend, especially at Elliott's birthday party on Saturday!

Next Saturday is our first 5k of the year! As of right now, I'm not looking forward to it :( I hope I get more excited as it comes closer!

Fish Tacos

Today has been a pretty good day. We were supposed to have a lunch meeting at work today, but Stephanie called in sick and then another girl who is pregnant has been having some bleeding and had an appointment for an ultrasound, so our boss postponed the meeting, but asked me to go to lunch with him so he could bounce some ideas off of me. He and I used to go to lunch together often, but the other day he told me that he has been avoiding asking me to go to lunch because I "only eat celery sticks and peanut butter." I told him not to avoid me and that I do eat. When we were leaving he asked, "So, where can you eat?" I told him I can eat anywhere. We went to this Mexican restaurant near by. The menu didn't have any "light" items specified, so I asked the waitress. She gave me a few options and I chose fish tacos. It was grilled tilipia with lettuce, onion, and an avacado sauce with whole beans and a small serving of rice. I didn't eat the tortillas. I also didn't eat any of the chips and salsa! I wasn't even tempted! He had asked me to go to lunch that morning, so I didn't eat my morning snack, and actually didn't even end up eating an afternoon snack.

We run tomorrow, then work, then after work Stephanie wants to go shopping for a new running outfit to wear for the 5k. I might buy a new headband, but I don't think I'll buy anything else.

Today, Kim posted pictures on Facebook of our group work picture from the Xmas party and boy do I look huge!

 

I'm the huge one in the gray sweater! December 15, 2011

December 15, 2011 234#

I have lost about 20 more pounds since then. I still have a ways to go though....

Last night I did my boot camp. It was pretty tough, but it was a good workout. I was DRIPPING sweat throughout! We started with weights, then rowed for 5 minutes, more weights, then we ran a lap around the track, went up and down the stairs and then did it again, more weights, then elliptical for 5 minutes, then more weights, then core, then cooled down with 2 laps walking. I liked it! I'm a little sore today, but I feel good.

I think I'm going to take Elliott to see Sesame Street Live this weekend. I've been going back and forth about it... She went last year (when she was 1) and enjoyed it. I think she would REALLY like it this year! Elmo is one of her faves!

Is This Really Me?

Kim and I did our 530am Monday morning run yesterday. The training schedule had progressed us to 5 min walk 4 min run 90 sec walk 3 min run 2.5 min walk 3 min run 90 sec walk 4 min run. I feel like progressing from 3 min run to 4 min run was easier than it was from 2.5 min run to 3 min run.  That's good right? My SmartRunner app wasn't picking up our location so I had to estimate the mileage. I think it was about 1.8 miles in 26 minutes. My muscles were still really sore yesterday, but they actually felt the least sore while I was running.

After work I went to the Y with Stephanie to do some strength training and to do her run with her. We did it on the treadmill last time, and I was excited to see the mileage, however, no treadmills were available, so we ran on the track. I couldn't catch a break yesterday with the mileage!

I felt great starting the day with a workout and ending the day with a workout! It feels so not like myself, but it is like me. It's just the new me!

I've been doing great with my eating too. I've set a 7pm cut off for eating. It's working well. I think I'm going to start scheduling my snacks at work too. I have a habit of eating all my snacks early, then I'm left with nothing for the afternoon and start eating the candy in my desk... I should really throw that candy out. Anyway, yesterday I brought some banana-cauliflower bread and I ate 1/2 of it in the morning and I was saving the other 1/2 for the afternoon. I kept wanting to eat it right after lunch, but I said that I was going to wait until 330pm. At about 130pm, I wrote 330 on the ziplock bag with a sharpie, and it helped. Weird how little things like that can help...

Tomorrow is weigh in day! If I lose at least 1 pound, I will meet my WW 10% and WW 25 pounds. So hopefully I lose at least a pound! I'll get a key chain (for 10%), a charm for the key chain (for the 25 pounds), and another 5 pound sticker!

Not Into It

Wednesday I weighed in at 226.2! I lost 2.2 pounds again this week! I am SO close to my next goal. I have 1.2 pounds to go until I reach it! Hopefully next week!

At the WW meeting, an older lady saw me and came across the room to tell me that I was looking really good! It made me so happy! And yesterday at work, Bekki told me that I looked so skinny. I told her "Not skinny, just less fat!" but I will eventually get to skinny!

Kim and I ran on Wednesday morning again. We did 5 minute walk, 90 second jog, 90 second walk, 3 minute jog, 3 minute walk x2. 3 minutes was SO much harder than 2.5! I don't know why, cause it's only 30 seconds more! Ahh! We do that same interval again tomorrow morning for group run, then it increased a lot on Monday.

I did cross training yesterday. It sucked. I was not into it. I had a horrible day. I forgot my lunch, so I  had to eat some standby soup. It wasn't bad, just not what I was hoping for. Then I didn't have any snacks so I ate a bunch of candy. Then I came home and ate dinner before I went to the Y. I didn't do a lot of my strength training because it was stuff I haven't done before and I couldn't find a good replacement. So I did like 4 strength training exercises. For my cardio, I picked the recumbent bike, which was a big mistake. I kind of just wanted to sit and look at Facebook on my phone the whole time, but I picked one of the fitness programs and it was really hard. It felt like I was pedaling through mud! Then when I was done, it said that I only burned like 74 calories! It was disappointing.

I woke up feeling good that today was a new day. I had a spinach smoothie for breakfast. I had a clementine, banana, and vitatop for my morning snacks. For lunch I had a small portion of last nights "buttered" noodles and half a PB &J. And I had a WW ice cream bar. For dinner we are having burgers.

We were slow at work this afternoon, so I took the afternoon off. I'm planning on going to the Y before I have to go get Elliott from her babysitter. I really need to do some dishes and laundry and stuff too, but all I feel like doing is laying around...

I meet with  my personal trainer tomorrow again. I'm not really sure what we are going to do, but we'll see...

Traveling

Last weekend Paul, Elle, and I went to St. Louis with Paula (my MIL) and Melanie (Paul's sister, my SIL). His grandma has been in the hospital and they were moving her from the hospital to a nursing home. She is 95 years old and has lived in her own apartment before now. We went to help clean out her apartment, and to visit. Neither Paul, nor I have seen her in about 6 years. It was nice for us to see her again, and for her to meet our daughter.

I have to say that I do have the best child ever! Out of the 16 hours we were driving, she slept about 4 of them, and the other 12, she was the most well behaved 20 month old of all time!

I was nervous about going, because of the eating. I knew that they would probably being eating fast food every meal. Bleh! I anticipated this ahead of time, so I ate half of a wrap from my lunch Friday before we left. And guess where the first stop was? McDonalds. I said "I haven't eaten McDonalds in over 2 months!" and Paul said "Neither have I, and I've been craving a McDouble!" He had two... skinny bastard! Melanie kept asking if I as sure that I didn't want anything. I assured her that I was SURE!

Both mornings, his aunt (who we stayed with) made a HUGE breakfast. I ate way more calories than my normal oatmeal, but I still stayed on plan. For lunch the Saturday they got White Castle, and I had an order or sweet potato fries and half of the "chicken rings" that I ordered. That night for dinner they were wanting to get fast food again, but I asked them to stop at a grocery store for me. I had grapes, a yogurt, and some almonds. I ended the trip eating WAY more than I would've liked to (because of the breakfasts) but was still within my points, using some of my weekly allowance.

Melanie was asking what keeps me motivated and I didn't know what to tell her. It is just something that has manifested within. I mean, when I was planning my wedding, I bought a dress that was 2 sizes to small and had a year to lose weight for it. I had to have the dress taken out. If you even a wedding can't motivate you to lose weight, than nothing will. It is truly something that has to come from within.

It's weird, because I can tell that they don't expect me to follow through and actually lose the weight this time. But this time is different. I don't know how or why, but it is. I can't wait to prove them all wrong. To show them all how strong I am. I'm willing to work for it. I know I can do it.