After
Friday, June 28, 2013
Trying to Gain Back Motivation
Nothing like a few before and after pics to get my motivation back in check!!
Before
After
After
Sunday, June 23, 2013
You're Invited!!!
(First a little recap:
2 Years Later....
Weight loss was maintained for almost 2 years! This is such a great thing and means that I made meaningful changes in my lifestyle that stuck with me!)
I am looking, however, to jumpstart my metabolism again. I have been researching and looking through new diets and workout plans. Here is the plan:
What: A New Weightloss Journey
How: Paleo Diet
Re-introduce my body to swimming and running.
When: July 1, 2013, Midnight
Time (Commitment): 30 minutes a day
Goal: 18 pounds, healthier lifestyle, more energy
R.S.V.P. if you know of any good stay-on-track tips!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
My 5K Run and A Fight with My Friend, Ralph
Do not eat mexican food the day of a 5K race!
Personal best today and a beautiful day for it! Got 3rd in my age group at the Heart Choices Walk/Run/Ride for Life with a time of 26:31. The temperature was perfect at a little less than 70 degrees. The course was just right a few small inclines, but mainly a flat stretch. My running buddies helped me to stay on pace! (Thanks Kate and Brandi).
The only thing I didn't like about this race was my encounter with a very distant friend, Ralph, that I encountered immediately after the race was over. Apparently, the salsa I had for lunch decided that it didn't like all that running and made it known....if you know what I mean. I felt fine the entire run, but when my body stopped moving, my stomach didn't. I remember as I crouched between two vehicles and let the liquid screaming begin, that there were two women who were watching the race, saying "Holy cow, what did she eat?" As I finished my conversation with "Ralph", I looked up and said, "Don't eat mexican food before a race." :)
Personal best today and a beautiful day for it! Got 3rd in my age group at the Heart Choices Walk/Run/Ride for Life with a time of 26:31. The temperature was perfect at a little less than 70 degrees. The course was just right a few small inclines, but mainly a flat stretch. My running buddies helped me to stay on pace! (Thanks Kate and Brandi).
The only thing I didn't like about this race was my encounter with a very distant friend, Ralph, that I encountered immediately after the race was over. Apparently, the salsa I had for lunch decided that it didn't like all that running and made it known....if you know what I mean. I felt fine the entire run, but when my body stopped moving, my stomach didn't. I remember as I crouched between two vehicles and let the liquid screaming begin, that there were two women who were watching the race, saying "Holy cow, what did she eat?" As I finished my conversation with "Ralph", I looked up and said, "Don't eat mexican food before a race." :)
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Whoa...A LONG TIME COMING!!
Where do I start? This blog has been way overdue. I still have yet to blog about my experience of my triathlon and I promise that is coming, soon. Currently, I have been focusing on training for a half marathon over the past few months. Within the last week, I entered a fitathlon at our wellness center and completed it within 5 days which felt amazing, but was very physically and mentally draining. Not only did I run 26.2 miles, but I also biked 112 miles and swam 84 laps....losing 6 pounds in the process. WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!
Over the past month, I have separated from my husband. This experience was very emotionally and mentally draining, but most definintely necessary. Since the separation, I have noticed a shift in my motivation for running. While I always ran for emotional release, I am now doing so more than ever. Processing emotions, especially negative ones, during my runs has helped me to feel more satisfied with myself and what has occured in my life over the past few months. Music has also aided in this process and my playlist is always loaded with songs that keep me wanting to keep going. I am one of those who always wonders what the other member of the gym is listening to. It is a weird fascination, but it is there. Why? I am not sure. So, if any of you out there are wondering what I am listening to on my 3-5 mile daily runs, here is what is forefront on my playlist:
Someone Like You-Adele
I Need- Maverick Sabre
Super Bass-Nicki Manji
Cheers-Rhianna
Don’t Hold your Breath- Nikki Scherzinger
You Make Me Feel- Cobra Starship
Without You-David Guetta ft Usher
Written in the Stars-Tinie Tempah
Pretty Girls-Izay
Easy-Rascal Flatts Natasha Bedingfield
Undo It-Carrie Underwood
Definitely eclectic, but they keep me going, so that is all that matters!
Vegas in less than a week for a much needed adult vacation! My training for upcoming events will likely halt while I am away, but will surely resume upon return.
Tri-talk coming soon!!
Over the past month, I have separated from my husband. This experience was very emotionally and mentally draining, but most definintely necessary. Since the separation, I have noticed a shift in my motivation for running. While I always ran for emotional release, I am now doing so more than ever. Processing emotions, especially negative ones, during my runs has helped me to feel more satisfied with myself and what has occured in my life over the past few months. Music has also aided in this process and my playlist is always loaded with songs that keep me wanting to keep going. I am one of those who always wonders what the other member of the gym is listening to. It is a weird fascination, but it is there. Why? I am not sure. So, if any of you out there are wondering what I am listening to on my 3-5 mile daily runs, here is what is forefront on my playlist:
Someone Like You-Adele
I Need- Maverick Sabre
Super Bass-Nicki Manji
Cheers-Rhianna
Don’t Hold your Breath- Nikki Scherzinger
You Make Me Feel- Cobra Starship
Without You-David Guetta ft Usher
Written in the Stars-Tinie Tempah
Pretty Girls-Izay
Easy-Rascal Flatts Natasha Bedingfield
Undo It-Carrie Underwood
Definitely eclectic, but they keep me going, so that is all that matters!
Vegas in less than a week for a much needed adult vacation! My training for upcoming events will likely halt while I am away, but will surely resume upon return.
Tri-talk coming soon!!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The Months Leading Up to The. Big. Day.
As I sit here and try to think of a good place to start, I think back over the week leading up to the event I had been training for over the course of the past 9 months. I remember the day I decided to set my sights high and acheive a goal that I never imagined that I would accomplish in my lifetime. I had entered the swim challenge at our wellness center shortly after giving birth to our beautiful baby girl, Harper. I initially set the goal in my mind that I would take this challenge and see where I ended up.
A few weeks later, I decided to extend my goal to accomplishing a triathlon in the following summer. I remember thinking to myself, "Is this attainable? Will I really be able to do this?" I decided to set my mind to it and see where it took me. I started researching where I should be, training programs and times that I needed to reach before I could enter a competition of this size. I started with the swim and focused on getting my ability to endure extensive workouts in one setting. When I first started swimming 9 months ago, I remember that I could barely swim 10 laps without feeling exhausted. I kept pushing myself and soon I was swimming half a mile at a time. By the end of a few months, I was able to swim a mile in 45 minutes or less and this is when I knew I could accomplish my goals. I was swimming a mile or more every day or every other day and lost over 50 pounds in the process. With the weight loss I saw an overall easier ability to run, bike or swim longer and harder than I had ever been able to in my life. More importantly, I felt like I could accomplish anything and it was at this point that I knew that not only had my body changed for the better, but my mind had too.
I then moved my focus to running. Soon after my feelings of being invincable, I succombed to the fact that starting a running program was going to be hard. I remember getting on the treadmill and feeling defeated. "Wow, this is hard," I would think. "Running is going to be my weakness in this race," I would tell myself. But, I kept on and stayed more determined than ever. I eventually could run a mile on the treadmill without feeling exhausted and knew that I was making steps, small steps, but steps none the less. There were times during the training process that I wanted to give up and felt like there was no way that I could accomplish the running portion. However, I continued with the program and I slowly increased the distance I was able to accomplish in a workout and made it to a few miles a workout. Springtime came around I knew it was time to make the transition to running outdoors...yikes, that was so different than what I had initially expected. I precisely remember the day that I decided to give it a try. I walked into our pharmacy to pick up a prescription and my friend (and pharmacist), Dana, asked me if I wanted to join her and her running buddy on one of their runs. I was very hesitant at first, knowing that they had recently completed a half marathon, but decided that it was time to "Go big or go home." It was hard. They started their route going up a slight incline and continued on a five mile stretch. I had to take a break in the middle and didn't finish their five mile planned route early, but I made it 3 miles that day outdoors and this instantly movitated me to push myself past my current known limit to run further on the treadmill than I had been training. I was up to 3 miles indoors at this point and was getting motivated to keep the training going. I started training outdoors in combination with my treadmill run. Outdoor running got easier with time and what most runners will tell you is true. It's hard to run outside at first, but as time goes on, it will become preferable to run outside. Today, I am already dreading the days where it is not nice enough to run outside. I am in love with it....some might even call it an addiction. :)
Now...onto the bike training. I asked for a bike and bike trailer (to carry my kids with me during my rides) for my birthday and was a lucky woman when I received my wish. I immediately started riding 4-5 miles 2-3 times a week. Pretty easy and not a lot of hills during training (Later I found that this was my main downfall in training). I moved my training mileage on my bike to reach 10 mile rides....again without too many hills (oops!). I also didn't focus much on my biking and continued to focus on my running time and distance. I ended up running a 5K at least 6 times a week and integrated hills and worked on lowering my time on a weekly basis. I fell in love with running and interspersed this training with swimming.
A few months before the race, I started doing my "brick workouts" where I would do 2 or 3 legs of the race at a time to adequately prepare my muscles for the transition. I remember reading about getting the times you want in a triathlon. Swim with your arms, bike pulling up with your legs and run pushing back with your legs. Use different muscles for each leg. So...that became my focus. The brick workouts were hard, but became easier over time. I remember trying to bike 10 miles and then run afterward. My legs felt like jello after dismounting from the bike. But, your body adjusts and you soon find your grove and pace in your run. It gave me confidence to know that I could transition from event to event, but I remained nervous about being able to finish the entire race.
Now onto the final stretch of my training...Well, first off, I decided to move my event date back two weeks because of harvest last minute. As a result, the new course was 3.5 miles longer on the bike, which I had not accounted for in my goal time or trained for with distance. Regardless, I was at the point where I was able to complete each leg of the race (- the full bike portion) with ease and started to convince my mind that I had done it. I had accomplished the level of fitness that I had sought months ago and I was excited to be at the point where I felt ready for the big event!
The week before the race, I tapered off my training and started to let my muscles rest. The day prior to the race, I went to the course and drove out each leg of it. I am not quite sure this was a good idea as it increased the already looming anxiety present in my head. The swim and running portions looked fine...meaning, I thought I could do them without a lot of stress on my body. It was the bike leg that really cranked up my nerves. I had trained on a few hills each ride, but this was an up and down course. Once you get down a hill, you work your way back up one. Yikes..this made me nervous as I am not good on hills with my bike. I remember going home and telling my mother-in-law that I wasn't sure I would be able to finish and I was nervous that if I did finish the bike course, I would be too wiped out to run the last leg. However, I decided at that point that the worry was not doing me any good and I put the anxiety aside and spent a nice evening with my family. Loaded up on carbs at Olive Garden and went to bed early. The. BIG. Day had finally arrived!!!
A few weeks later, I decided to extend my goal to accomplishing a triathlon in the following summer. I remember thinking to myself, "Is this attainable? Will I really be able to do this?" I decided to set my mind to it and see where it took me. I started researching where I should be, training programs and times that I needed to reach before I could enter a competition of this size. I started with the swim and focused on getting my ability to endure extensive workouts in one setting. When I first started swimming 9 months ago, I remember that I could barely swim 10 laps without feeling exhausted. I kept pushing myself and soon I was swimming half a mile at a time. By the end of a few months, I was able to swim a mile in 45 minutes or less and this is when I knew I could accomplish my goals. I was swimming a mile or more every day or every other day and lost over 50 pounds in the process. With the weight loss I saw an overall easier ability to run, bike or swim longer and harder than I had ever been able to in my life. More importantly, I felt like I could accomplish anything and it was at this point that I knew that not only had my body changed for the better, but my mind had too.
I then moved my focus to running. Soon after my feelings of being invincable, I succombed to the fact that starting a running program was going to be hard. I remember getting on the treadmill and feeling defeated. "Wow, this is hard," I would think. "Running is going to be my weakness in this race," I would tell myself. But, I kept on and stayed more determined than ever. I eventually could run a mile on the treadmill without feeling exhausted and knew that I was making steps, small steps, but steps none the less. There were times during the training process that I wanted to give up and felt like there was no way that I could accomplish the running portion. However, I continued with the program and I slowly increased the distance I was able to accomplish in a workout and made it to a few miles a workout. Springtime came around I knew it was time to make the transition to running outdoors...yikes, that was so different than what I had initially expected. I precisely remember the day that I decided to give it a try. I walked into our pharmacy to pick up a prescription and my friend (and pharmacist), Dana, asked me if I wanted to join her and her running buddy on one of their runs. I was very hesitant at first, knowing that they had recently completed a half marathon, but decided that it was time to "Go big or go home." It was hard. They started their route going up a slight incline and continued on a five mile stretch. I had to take a break in the middle and didn't finish their five mile planned route early, but I made it 3 miles that day outdoors and this instantly movitated me to push myself past my current known limit to run further on the treadmill than I had been training. I was up to 3 miles indoors at this point and was getting motivated to keep the training going. I started training outdoors in combination with my treadmill run. Outdoor running got easier with time and what most runners will tell you is true. It's hard to run outside at first, but as time goes on, it will become preferable to run outside. Today, I am already dreading the days where it is not nice enough to run outside. I am in love with it....some might even call it an addiction. :)
Now...onto the bike training. I asked for a bike and bike trailer (to carry my kids with me during my rides) for my birthday and was a lucky woman when I received my wish. I immediately started riding 4-5 miles 2-3 times a week. Pretty easy and not a lot of hills during training (Later I found that this was my main downfall in training). I moved my training mileage on my bike to reach 10 mile rides....again without too many hills (oops!). I also didn't focus much on my biking and continued to focus on my running time and distance. I ended up running a 5K at least 6 times a week and integrated hills and worked on lowering my time on a weekly basis. I fell in love with running and interspersed this training with swimming.
A few months before the race, I started doing my "brick workouts" where I would do 2 or 3 legs of the race at a time to adequately prepare my muscles for the transition. I remember reading about getting the times you want in a triathlon. Swim with your arms, bike pulling up with your legs and run pushing back with your legs. Use different muscles for each leg. So...that became my focus. The brick workouts were hard, but became easier over time. I remember trying to bike 10 miles and then run afterward. My legs felt like jello after dismounting from the bike. But, your body adjusts and you soon find your grove and pace in your run. It gave me confidence to know that I could transition from event to event, but I remained nervous about being able to finish the entire race.
Now onto the final stretch of my training...Well, first off, I decided to move my event date back two weeks because of harvest last minute. As a result, the new course was 3.5 miles longer on the bike, which I had not accounted for in my goal time or trained for with distance. Regardless, I was at the point where I was able to complete each leg of the race (- the full bike portion) with ease and started to convince my mind that I had done it. I had accomplished the level of fitness that I had sought months ago and I was excited to be at the point where I felt ready for the big event!
The week before the race, I tapered off my training and started to let my muscles rest. The day prior to the race, I went to the course and drove out each leg of it. I am not quite sure this was a good idea as it increased the already looming anxiety present in my head. The swim and running portions looked fine...meaning, I thought I could do them without a lot of stress on my body. It was the bike leg that really cranked up my nerves. I had trained on a few hills each ride, but this was an up and down course. Once you get down a hill, you work your way back up one. Yikes..this made me nervous as I am not good on hills with my bike. I remember going home and telling my mother-in-law that I wasn't sure I would be able to finish and I was nervous that if I did finish the bike course, I would be too wiped out to run the last leg. However, I decided at that point that the worry was not doing me any good and I put the anxiety aside and spent a nice evening with my family. Loaded up on carbs at Olive Garden and went to bed early. The. BIG. Day had finally arrived!!!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Training Schedule
I have had numerous people approach me to inquire about my training schedule for my triathlon. While I don't follow any one specific training program, I do try to do brick workouts 2-3 times a week at least. These workouts combine two of the legs of the triathlon in one workout. Here is this past week's training workouts:
Monday: 1/2 mile pool, 2.5 mile run
Tuesday: 8 mile bike, 2.5 mile run
Wednesday: 1/2 mile pool, 1 mile run, strength training, jump rope
Thursday: 10K run
Friday: 5K run, 4 mile bike
Next week I will likely add to these workouts and push myself harder. The next 3 weeks are going to be intense training and then the week before the triathlon I will be taking it easy to let my muscles rest for the big race.
Monday: 1/2 mile pool, 2.5 mile run
Tuesday: 8 mile bike, 2.5 mile run
Wednesday: 1/2 mile pool, 1 mile run, strength training, jump rope
Thursday: 10K run
Friday: 5K run, 4 mile bike
Next week I will likely add to these workouts and push myself harder. The next 3 weeks are going to be intense training and then the week before the triathlon I will be taking it easy to let my muscles rest for the big race.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Stall........
Well, I have decided to move the triathlon to July 10 in Goddard. My dad is going to need help with harvest this year and Mikey is a good candidate for it. I really want my #1 fan to be there when I run and since harvest will likely occur while the original race was planned, I have opted to push it back a few weeks. I am ready and excited and it couldn't be here soon enough, but knowing that my hubby will be there excites me even more!
On another note, I have lost the six pounds I gained while in Cabo San Lucas! Big smiles. Now, onto my final weight loss goal of 23 more pounds. I know that this is an acheivable goal, but that this last 23 pounds are going to take much longer than the original 75.
Thanks again for all of the positive encouragement. I was telling Mikey that I don't think I would have accomplished this much if I didn't live in Beloit. I was running on the treadmill a few days ago and had a woman and her daughter stop by and say, "I am just amazed at your weight loss and dedication. You look fantastic." At that point in my run, I was getting ready to wind down, but the positive words and reinforcement that what I am doing is working inspired me to keep going and I logged 4.5 miles that day. Positivity can take you further than you expect!
On another note, I have lost the six pounds I gained while in Cabo San Lucas! Big smiles. Now, onto my final weight loss goal of 23 more pounds. I know that this is an acheivable goal, but that this last 23 pounds are going to take much longer than the original 75.
Thanks again for all of the positive encouragement. I was telling Mikey that I don't think I would have accomplished this much if I didn't live in Beloit. I was running on the treadmill a few days ago and had a woman and her daughter stop by and say, "I am just amazed at your weight loss and dedication. You look fantastic." At that point in my run, I was getting ready to wind down, but the positive words and reinforcement that what I am doing is working inspired me to keep going and I logged 4.5 miles that day. Positivity can take you further than you expect!
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