Summer 2011 Challenge and Goals!

A few weeks ago I said I was going to challenge myself this summer so I would not get slack and undo what I have accomplished this far. Normally I get really slack in the summer...the heat and all the stuff with the kiddos makes it hard to stay focused. This summer is going to be my summer to go to a new level with my fitness!

The challenge:
1. Try new fitness activities. (classes)
2. Strength training all summer.
3. running 4x a week
4. cycling 2x a week
5. Clean eating!! (eliminate Diet Coke again!!)
6. Finish my CPT program and get my certification!

I am getting ask about training for a full marathon...is that in the plans for the summer...I am only going to say I am going to run this summer, I will continue long runs adding miles every couple of weeks and see where I am at in the late summer. The full I would like to do if I do one is in Novemeber, so I can decided in August on this one...for now this summer is about training my body and having fun doing it!

My goals this summer:
1. Build muscle and lose fat!
2. Lose inches
3. Increase endurance.
4. Make clean eating second nature.
5. Have some fun family fitness trips.

The challenges I have put in place should make reaching my goals possible. I am not setting a weight goal, because I do not want to be obsessed about weight all summer...any weight loss will be a bonus...but I am looking for muscle this summer!

I will measure monthly on the 12th to see the changes along the way.

Starting today:
Weight...137lbs
chest...34in
waist...29in
hips....36.5 in
thigh..19 in
right arm...relaxed..11in
flexed...12.5 in
Left arm....relaxed..11 in
flexed...12.5 in
right calf...14.5 in
left calf....14.25
neck....12 in
forearm...9in

So there is what I am starting with, now let's see how it changes...

I have made a plan for the week that includes running, cycling, swimming, weights, and classes...pool time for the kids and my wonderful 14 year old has offered to keep my 5 year old for me to go somewhere to study so I will have no distractions! Let Summer 2011 begin!!

Trying New Things!

Part of my summer challenge was to try some new things...this seems to be the week for getting started with this challenge! Yesterday I tried Wasabi Peas...loved them!! Today I went shopping and got dehydrated veggie chips and they are amazing! Great snack for afternoons at the pool. We also got ground bison which we will grill later this week. Then I found soy nuts to try...so several new foods to test out.

Exercise wise, I finally got to try a Zumba class this morning...I loved it! I haven't done any group fitness in many years so I was a bit nervous about stepping out of my comfort zone of running and lifting, but this was part of the try new things challenge. It was fun and it was intense! Definitely a class I will add to my training program from here on out! I also want to try cardio dance later this week.

Trying to figure out how to balance in the things I currently enjoy with new interest. Right now the plan is:

Interval running on Monday
Cycling on Tuesday
Easy run on Wednesday
Hill repeats on Thursday
Long Run on Saturday
Cycling on Sunday (Short Ride)

Zumba for this month will be MWF
Cardo dance on Thursday if I like it
Weight training MTWTHF

I may throw some yoga in on Tuesday...not sure yet....I know it seems like a lot, but this summer is about challenging myself out of a comfort zone and seeing just what my body can become. I am notorious for getting slack in the summer and that is what I am advoiding this summer. I will not panic if I don't get to do something one day here and there..it will be okay.

Nutrition wise, I am going to eat clean, cutting out diet soda...yes, got real slack about that one this week...back to water and green tea...

I will track my food and fitness on here daily, along with lessons learned along the journey.

What are your plans this summer!

Oh yeah, swimming as much as possible is a part of this equation...for me that is just plain ole fun!

It Has Been a Day

I got up this morning and went for arun. Three easy miles. My legs were a little sore to start with, but then they loosened up and it felt good. I kept a slower pace than normal for this run, but it felt good.

I went home to work on the yard some more. I push mowed for about 1.5 hours, then went in and took a bath to get ready to show our house. This would be a good thing if it was our house to sell, but it is a lease house and this could mean we will be moving and I really don't like to move!

Got through that and finally got some lunch. Went to the gym for some strength training this afternoon...
Trisha B. (@fitnessfreak) @Ymca Weights and Running
It was my first real workout sincxe the half. It was a good workout...legs were a little sore, but not bad...

Easy Recovery Run 3 miles 00:35
Dumbell Chest Press
Set 1: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 15lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 15lbs 12 reps
Dumbell Flyes
Set 1: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 10lbs 12 reps
Flyes
Set 1: 30lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 35lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 40lbs 12 reps
Incline Press
Set 1: 40lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 40lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 40lbs 12 reps
Rows 74lbs 12 reps
Rowa
Set 1: 84lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 94lbs 12 reps
Dumbell Rows
Set 1: 15lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 15lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 15lbs 12 reps
Lat Pulls
Set 1: 50lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 60lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 60lbs 12 reps
Back Ext.
Set 1: 60lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 65lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 70lbs 12 reps
Weighted abs
Set 1: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 20lbs 12 reps
stretching

Workout Time: 1 hour(s) 15 minute(s)
Workout Date: Today

It really felt good to be back in the weight room!

I was hoping this week things would get back to a normal routine for me, but it looks like things may get delayed. My husband is planning to come home for home time tomorrow and he has a major problem with any me time when he is home, so I may be taking a few more rest days...I so wish he would just step into my world for a little when he is here and see why I enjoy and crave working out so much. It frustrates me that he wants me to stand around while he does stuff outside or sit on the couch and do nothing the whole time he is here. I am not a sitting type person and without working out I tend to get cranky...not a good thing. I want to spend time with him, but I want him to want to spend time with me in my world to...I love this man with all my heart, but anything that matters to me goes on hold when he is here and that is hard for me to handle for several days...Got to try to figure out a way to make this work while he is home.

Recovering

Wow...those hills really kicked my booty this weekend and while I had planned on running today...my calves said NOPE!...I did spend sometime working in my yard, cleanin up broken tree limbs and trees from the storms that rolled through last night. I also push mowed for about an hour and took a 2 mile walk this evening. I had planned to hit the gym this afternoon and do an upper body workout, but a call from the realtor letting me know that the house we lease is to be shown tomorrow, sent me home to clean and prepare for this. Apparently the house is now being shown in short sale so everything is up in the air around here...to move or continue the lease with new owners is the question of the moment...only time and prayer will give us the answer...

So I have taken a couple of days to recover from my half and to plan where to from here. I said if I ran the half in under 3 hours I would start training for a full. I ran in in under 2.5 so full training is part of my plan...I have a race in mind, but I don't want to commit to one just yet...I want to see how the training goes..

I am also planning to see what classes are possible for me at the gym tomorrow...what will fit in my schedule to add that to my routine this week...I want to try something new and mix it up a bit, I figure now is the time. Hopefully tomorrow I can sit down and get a shedule of what I am doing so it will a planned thing and that will allow for consistency.

Nutrition wise...it has been soso this weekend...Saturday morning was good, but the after race party and the pool party was anything but clean. I definitely could tell I had too much sodium because of all the bloating in my belly...it is amazing, I can go from like no tummy to a round tummy overnight when I eat the wrong foods. I can also tell the effect of the white flour in the crash I felt later and the lack of energy...obviously my body has gotten used to eating good, clean, whole foods...today was better and I can tell a difference...really need to get back to my gallon of water a day and away from so much caffine...

So recovery time is up and time to start training again! Time to start fueling my body again. Time to start working on the goals I have set for myself this summer...time to get serious about my dreams and goals...

I can do this, failure is not an option! I will be be fit and fabulous! I will not get slack this summer!

Half Marathon Mania!

Today was the day I have been training for for the last 6 months! You put so much time into planning, training and eating right that when the day arrives it seems unreal! I got up at 4:15 this morning and had my usual bowl of oatmeal and cup of coffee, then headed out to the race. I took a banana and some almond milk with me because the race didn't start until 6:30 so I figured I would eat that about an hour out.

I arrived at the event and spent sometime warming up and stretching and talking with other runners...before I knew it, it was time to line up...

I always go toward the back because I am not a fast runner and I believe in walk breaks as needed...my plan had been to run a mile and then walk 2 minutes...that put walk breaks at water stations....

As we started out, it became clear really quick that this was going to be a very hilly race, with more uphill than downhill! I train on hills, but these were mini mountains with some of the incline lasting for two miles!! Nothing like that to train on where I live! There was one good downhill segment a little over halfway through..

Miles 1-4 I followed my plan pretty well...was doing pretty good, holding my own at least...then I saw a runner go off course and fall to the ground. I am not a competitive person, I am a compassionate person and that led me to turn back to go check on her. She was okay, just needed a break, her pulse was fast, I gave her a water bottle I had in my fuel pack and told her to call for the EMT on the course if she needed. (I had already offered to go get one for her and she said no.) Then I resumed my race. Mile 5 and 6 I just ran straight then we hit a two mile incline that seemed it would never end. I walked some of it and enjoyed a banana and water...then started running again. I honestly don't know where the energy came from because then I didn't want to walk anymore. I would grab some water and keep going. I felt really strong going into mile 10, then started having some major cramps in my quads from all the uphill running I imagine and had to walk a little. At mile 11 the cramps eased up and I could run again. I know I had a prayer partner praying for that mile and I truly felt it as I ran that mile...at the top of mile 12 two of the suppport people came out to run with me and the other gilr close to me...it was what we needed to make it up that hill without stopping, then the finish line was down the next hill.

I didn't look at my watch as we started and ran the whole race thinking I was running slow, but when I crossed the finish line and saw the 2:29:15 I was shocked! Found out we started about 8 minutes late! So I had pushed because I had a time goal of 2:30, but was realistic enough to say I would be okay with anytime!

This was an awesome half! Yes it is the only one I have done, but I can say I will do it again! The volunteers were amazing, the support over the top! registration was 45$ when i registered in Feb. I got a nice fleet feet bag filled with goodies...gu, protien bars, recovery bars, my tech shirt and then all the goodies today during and after the race. They had water/gatorade tables at every mile marker with tons of people to hand it to you so there was no bottle neck getting to it. At mile 6 they had fruit, bagels, gu, and carb bars along with the water/gatorade, mile 9 had cold wet towels to help you cool down and then again at the finish line you had a cold towel ready for you! The after party consisted of a live DJ, free beer (I am not a beer drinker), pizza, fruit, bagels, hydration water, water, soda, and cotton candy! There awas street dancing and yes, this I like!

Whiel all of the goodies was great and made for a good race, it was truly the support along the way that would bring me back. It is a tough course, but they had people at every corner to cheer us on, signs posted all over the place that had little motivational thoughts on them, even messages written on the pavement as you ran over them you could read. The course was clearly marked, the EMT's were visible on their bikes if you needed them and the police were great with traffic control. It seemed like just when you wanted to stop you would come on a cheering station and they would pull you through! A very well done even that has a returning runner for however long I continue to run!

I don't know what the future holds and someone told me once not to plan my next big race until a couple of weeks after this one. If it was a good experience you may commit to something that you will regret, a bad expereince or soreness and you may not commit and regret it...however, I told a friend that if I ran this half in under 3 hours, I would begin training for a full...so I will train for a full...I am not committing to a set race yet, but yes i have one in mind..we will see where I am in the next few months with training, before I commit!

Four More Days

Counting down to my first half! The excitement and anxiety is building! Have I trained enough? Am I really ready? I know I can run the distance, but can I handle the hills? You know the not knowing...I am struggling this week with not being able to train hard and it is making it really hard to keep my nutrition clean...

I am one of those people if I workout, I eat good, but if I am not working out I tend to eat not so good. Today I decided to have a diet coke...my weakness I am afraid! That diet coke led to cheeze its....hey better than chips and cookies...my other temptation today! I had chosen not to workout today because of allergies bothering me and some cramps in my legs...thought I would relax today and then run easy in the morning and light weights in the afternoon....still plan to do that tomorrow....

What I learned from today...stay a way from the diet coke! It is addictive and leads to more cravings than it is worth! I have had the occasional diet soda through this, but always away from home and as part of a meal, not as a snack sitting at home. I am not going to beat myself up about what has been, I will choose to start fresh in the morning and move forward.

I think for my sanity I need to figure out a way to allow for a regular treat in my eating plan so I don't feel so tempted on days like this when I have too much down time...maybe a special treat once a week...something to think about...

Anyway...not been a good day training wise or eating wise...was a day of resting, which I guess is good given my half is in four days...but tomorrow is a new day and I will be back on track across the board with my plan.

My Summer Challenge

I have been trying to come up with a plan to keep me motivated through the summer...oddly enough this tends to be the time I get the slackest...I think it has a ton to do with the heat! This summer I want it to be a summer of change and challenge.

I have been running for a couple of years now. I added weight training to the routine a couple of months ago and fell in love with it...so now to mix it up a bit I am going to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone a little more and take some classes...thinking zumba and turbo kick. I am such a perfectionist that I don't like classes because it seems to take forever to get used to the routine, but hey maybe it will be fun as well!

I still plan to run 4 days a week and I am going to cycle 2 days a week (that will be new too!) Weight training will remain as it is 5 days a week doing different body parts on different days. The kiddos want to live at the YMCA for the pool now so getting there should not be hard. My best friend and my daughter both want to try the zumba class with me so this should be interesting for all of us.

Goals for the summer:
trying some new fitness things, (classes and cycling)

focus on losing inches, body fat and building muscle mass. (weight loss is not as big of a deal to me, but if it happens I will celebrate!) Accomplished by weight lifitng.

I want to increase my long run by 8 miles this summer..,preparing for running a full in late fall.

I plan to continue my clean eating journey and see where it takes me. I have in my mind what I want to see in my body, but I don't know how to put that in words.

My final goal is to get finish my classes and get my personal trainers certification this summer!

I will take measurements this weekend after my half, as well as pics. I plan to remeasure once a month over the summer and take pics to document what I am doing.

This blog will be my accountability for what is going on and I will share my journey with you...

Now for today; Nutrition...sorry no pics...

Farm Fresh Egg 1.0 Servings @Breakfast
All natural 7 grain bread 1.0 Servings @Breakfast

Dark Chocolate Almond Milk 1.0 Servings @Snack
Chocolate Whey Protien 0.5 Servings @Snack

greek yogurt 1.0 Servings @Lunch
Banana 1.0 Servings @Lunch
Strawberries 0.5 Servings @Lunch
Dark Chocolate Almond mIlk 1.0 Servings @Lunch
Watermelon 1.5 Servings @Snack

Salmon 1.0 Servings @Dinner
Corn on the cob 1.0 Servings @Dinner
Mushrooms 1.0 Servings @Dinner
Water 124.0 Ounces @Snack

This was the first time I had tried greek yogurt...loved it!

Workout:

This week, I am dong easy workouts as I taper down for my big race this weekend...so both were easy. Then I spent 2 hours in the pool playing with the kiddos.

Running 4.59 miles 00:45
dumbell Curls
Set 1: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 10lbs 12 reps
Cable curls
Set 1: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 10lbs 12 reps
incline curls
Set 1: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 10lbs 12 reps
Tricept Cable Press
Set 1: 25lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 25lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 25lbs 12 reps
Tricept Extensions
Set 1: 12lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 12lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 12lbs 12 reps
Tricept Kick back
Set 1: 8lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 8lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 8lbs 12 reps
Dumbell Shoulder press
Set 1: 8lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 8lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 8lbs 12 reps
Upright Rows
Set 1: 15lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 15lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 15lbs 12 reps
Shoulder press
Set 1: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 2: 10lbs 12 reps
Set 3: 10lbs 12 reps
Crunches
Set 1: 25 reps
Set 2: 25 reps
Set 3: 25 reps

I am a little on the pink side, but I turn brown overnight so no worries...the joy of being half indian!

Tomorrow things settle back down for the week and it will be a normal day...