Half-Marathon Training BEGINS tomorrow!!!

In 2010, I trained for and completed my first half-marathon. Before January of 2010, I had NEVER ran a mile in my life!!! I was always that girl who would walk the mile in gym class, when they would drag us out to the track. I hated that day! However, after setting myself a New Years Resolution to run a 5k, I discovered that I enjoyed running more than I had originally thought. Next, I paired up with my best gal pal and we decided to tackle 13.1 miles....at the same time raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

After completing my first ever half marathon, I wanted MORE. I experienced this amazing adrenaline rush and I knew I was destined to complete more endurance races! I have decided to train for and run another half marathon on May 1st in Wichita, Kansas. After that race, I will then start an 18-week training schedule to run the Nike Women's Marathon on October 16th...the FULL 26.2 miles!!!

I will use this blog to journal my training experiences, my ups, downs, and in-betweens!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

WARNING....you may get offended and I apologize in advance...

At the risk of sounding a bit like a 'snob', when I envision workout attire or articles of clothing that might commonly be found at a gym or fitness center, cut off Daisy-Duke jean shorts is not exactly what pops into my mind. However, while logging my time on the various cardio machines tonight, I enjoyed some people watching and some interesting choices of wardrobe. Two pairs of cut-off jeans shorts quickly caught my eye, as I scanned the crowd and analyzed the motley crew of individuals who had descended upon the gym. There was also a pink halter top, covered up by a black spaghetti strap tank....that actually accompanied one of the pairs of jean shorts. There was also a black tank top with sequin sparkles, which appeared to be very pretty, but did seem a bit out of place amongst the traditional t-shirts with athletic shorts or yoga pants.

It is also interesting to watch the interactions between the fitness center patrons. Here are just a few of the categories that I feel worth mentioning:

1. Some are serious! They are focusing on their workouts! Headbands, Towels, and Bottles of Water!
2. Others are kinda focused, yet appear to not really be putting in sort of real effort into their workout. However, they will make sure to tell their friends that 'they' went to the gym.
3. Then you have the social bugs...who are there to flirt with the Jersey Shore muscle heads and don't actually break a sweat. The one girl I 'watched' was on the elliptical for about 15 minutes. Then she spent the rest of her 45 minutes walking around, laughing, smiling, giggling, flirting, and wasting time.
4. Now, the ladies in the Zumba room were ROCKIN! Those ladies mean business!!! I would not want to mess with them or challenge them to any sort of cardio! They would salsa all over my arse!
5. I can't forget the testosterone driven males who flock around the free weights and challenge each other to see who can the lift the most weight with their pinky toe.

Then there is little ole me.....flitting from treadmill, to elliptical, and finally to the stationary bike...enjoying some heart pumping interval cardio, while I listen to my hip-hop music on my hot pink Zune MP3 player. I smile and wave to the people I know....all the while, wondering if my panty lines are showing and who will be talking about me on the Internet. KARMA!

Spectacular Sunday!!!

Let the Sun-Shine! What a beautiful day! It started out overcast, but once the sun chased away all of the clouds, it was a beautiful day in Kansas. As I was headed out to the gym, I decided to log my exercise minutes outside, rather than on a treadmill. Not sure how far I went, but I took a long, brisk walk and stayed gone about 50 minutes. The north wind was a little cool, but I did not care! I mainly just walked, but I did throw in a few bursts of jogging. Almost immediately, my shins began to hurt, so I don't think I have the best shoes for outdoor running. The concrete is not as forgiving as the treadmill. I will need to really start training more outside if I am going to run a 5K by this summer.

I have also started the journey to eliminate diet pop from my diet. I am going to reduce my intake slowly, as I know I cannot handle cold-turkey. I am kinda embarrassed to tell how many diet sodas I normally drink in a day....but it is between 5 and 6. Today, I have had two. Tomorrow at work will be the most difficult, but I know that I am stronger than the addiction. Part of my addiction is the caffeine....but another part is the fizz. I love fizzy drinks! I love the burn of the pop as hits my tongue and travels down my throat. I also enjoy the taste! For years, I only drank Coca-Cola. When I first did WW several years ago, I phased into diet soda...which was a HUGE transition. But now, I am hoping I can kick the habit for good. I have substituted with LOTS of water, green tea, and V8 V-Fusion.

After I conquer the diet soda battle....next will be to eliminate sugar and processed foods from my diet. This will be a little more difficult, but I am slowly starting that now as well. Today, I have only had 2 mini Twix bars! Everything else today has been fresh fruits, veggies, proteins, and grains. Now, I am not baking my own bread, but I am making healthy choices! I am not that crazy!

This blog will be my medium for venting as I reduce and eliminate these crazy foods from my diet and my lifestyle. I hope I don't go insane during the process! THANK U for your support!

Super Saturday Workout!!!

Have you ever experienced one of those workouts that left you feeling totally exhausted, yet totally energized???? You say to yourself..."Now THAT was a workout". I love it when I push myself hard enough to really feel as if I am making a difference! Today I logged 90 minutes at the gym. I spent the first hour on the treadmill. I did 30 minutes of interval running, increasing/decreasing both speed and incline levels. Next, I did the ladder incline routine at a speed of 4. By the end of my hour of cardio, my face was beet red and I was drenched; but I felt amazing. I used the next 30 minutes to do stretching and ab work. Yesterday was my strength training, so I gave my muscles a break from pumping iron....but tomorrow I will focus on toning.

Today, we are celebrating the Easter holiday with my family. I am looking forward to the children playing and to some good, old fashioned, comfort food! Luckily, I burned over 500 calories on the treadmill, so I won't feel as guilty indulging tonight.

Beginning April 5th, I am going to start reducing and eliminating processed sugar from my diet. I will still eat fruits, veggies, and whole grains that may have natural sugars; but I am going to give up my candy, cookies, ice cream, blah blah blah habits. I continue to have this layer of fat around my mid-section and hips that I just can't seem to shed. I KNOW that my diet is contributing those love handles and I hate them. After I conquer my sugar addiction....next will be my addiction to diet soda! One thing at a time for now!

By the way...stepped on the scales today. Really not sure why....but it was pretty much what I expected. The same normal number appeared on the screen. It is like my body's way of saying - "This is how much I am supposed to weigh". My clothing is fitting much better, so I know that I am making progress. For now, I am going to bury the scale until I have been able to resist sugar for a while!

Some Good Advice!

Here are a few good good distractions to take your mind off food cravings for high fat foods. Number 6 would be high on my husband's list.....

1.Take a walk.
2. Splash cool water on your face.
3. Take a bath.
4. Go to a movie.
5. Take a nap.
6. Have sex.
7. Meditate.
8. Eat some fruit.
9. Call a friend.
10. Walk up a few flights of stairs.

http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/weight/weight_imagery-and-visualization.htm

Missing In Action!!!

I apologize right now for my absence in my blog posts. I got swept away with Spring Break activities and blogging was just not high on my priorities. I was able to squeeze in some amazing workouts last week. For Walk Kansas, I logged a total of 615 minutes and 50 servings of fruit and veggies.

I started my week out really strong with some super long trips to the gym. I averaged 1 1/2 hours for several days in a row. As I got closer to the weekend, my schedule filled up quickly. I did not go to the gym Friday, Saturday or Sunday...BUT, I logged a ton of walking minutes those days, outside on Thursday and indoors on Friday.

My food consumption was kinda like my workouts! Earlier in the week I was on task...eating healthy meals and snacks. However, by the time Friday rolled around, I was outta control and binged that night while watching New Moon. My poor food choices and binging continued into Saturday. By Sunday, I was too bloated to even think about eating, so I am now back to my normal routine....aside from the Robin Eggs I indulged in yesterday! (hehehe) Easter Candy is my all time favorite!!!

This week, I have been to the gym on Monday and Tuesday. Today I did a 20-minute glute-sculpting treadmill routine that really got my heart pumping. Afterwards, I logged more time on the Elliptical, but I did not really push myself. My legs were too sore from the treadmill. I wrapped up my workout with some abdominal work. The weather is gorgeous outside, so I really hope to get outside and take advantage with a LONG walk.

I do have one success to share today! About a month ago, I purchased a pair of work slacks. When I bought them, they were almost too tight. Today, they are almost too big! They are loose around my waist, hips and booty. I also feel as if the crotch is hanging half way down to my knees. I have NOT stepped on the scale in several weeks. Honestly, I don't really care what it has to say! If my clothes are fitting better and I have more energy and feel better....that is enough for me!!!

This is how I "roll"

Thursday will be an adventure, as I plan on taking both of my youngest kiddos to Rollers for some skating action! I have decided that I want to make the most out of this trip, so I am going to skate along with the kiddos! If I am going to be there for two hours, I mine as well take advantage of the opportunity to exercise. Now, I am a little nervous....the last time I was on roller skates was New Year's Eve 2002! TJ and I took Cass skating and I was pregnant with Seth. I am pretty sure that I was tripped, but I ended the night early by falling and catching myself with my knee. For MONTHS, my knee hurt. When I would kneel to scrub the bathtub, it was painful. I have since recovered from this injury, but I am tempted to wear protective gear tomorrow, just to avoid any chances of a repeat. I have no doubt that I will make the best of this opportunity to relive my middle school days. Watch for pictures tomorrow.....if I can walk!!!