National Running Day!

More like "National Running Month," literally. The month of June is always a shitstorm of activities for this household. Having 2 teenagers involved in extra-curricular activities added to the things I'm into makes for an absurdly busy few weeks. This week is probably the worst.

Monday night was the only free night to get my daughter's hair cut before the big 8th grade dance tomorrow night. Finally got that done after promising her "this weekend" about 4 times. Tuesday I needed 2 of me. Chelsea had dress rehearsal for her dance recital in a town about 30 minutes away at the same time as Charlie's only public jazz band performance of the year. Seeing as I'll be able to view Chelsea's dances AT the actual recital, I luckily have a gf who's daughter is also friend's with Chelsea AND in both dance classes. They took her to the rehearsal for me. PHEW! Jazz band was awesome!

Then, yesterday again I was supposed to be in 2 places at once. It was the last big meeting for Relay For Life where we pick up our team's t-shirts and pick out our campsite for the night. I couldn't miss that since I always want the site that's closest to the parking lot for easier loading and unloading of all the paraphernalia necessary for relaying overnight, like a tent, camp chairs, coolers full of food and drinks, clothes, raffle baskets... You get the picture. Not only was there a meeting, but it was Chelsea's Honor Society Induction. Now, she was actually inducted (That word makes me think of the scene in 'Fun With Dick and Jane.' "I'm being indicted!") last year, so this year, as an upperclassman, she was doing a few introductions and readings about H.S. So, I had to send her ahead with her father and run from the meeting all the way to her school 7 miles away. I unfortunately missed all of her stints at the podium, but I was there to receive a rose with her dad in appreciation of the work we put into our kids' education as parents. I also got to witness the candle and swearing in ceremony. So proud of my kids!

Chelsea, last year

But yesterday was also National Running Day as well! Thankfully I wasn't babysitting at all so I decided that even though I run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, I would run a mile in honor of the big day. Since I was ONLY running a mile, I decided to go balls to the wall and see just how fast I can be. It was tough, but I pushed.

That's a mile in 8:06! Holy crap!

I'm supposed to be in cardio recovery week for Insanity. It's the week in between Month 1 and Month 2. I just haven't had the time for a second workout since I have the kids across the street after school until 5 pm-ish. I haven't decided whether to get to that week's workouts when I can and still go full steam ahead with Month 2 next week or possibly do Month 1 over again. I'm REALLY terrified of Month 2! I know what M1 brought and I'm willing to put myself through that again. Not so sure about being able to handle M2!!

Today is an easy day. Put 2 on the bus, p/u one from pre-k, pick up 3 from the bus, make dinner and get Charlie to the high school so he can perform at Scholarship Night. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today with all of the babysitting, then Chelsea has her big dance and Charlie has karate. Saturday morning is my local 5k!! Gotta beat 27:52!! Then I'm having family over for Chelsea's birthday. Sunday is a dance recital marathon. Three shows at 11am, 3pm and 7pm. That means we have to be out the door at 9:30am and probably won't step foot back in the house until 10pm. Can not WAIT for that to be D-O-N-E! Only 4 more days of classes and then the dreaded testing begins. THEN RELAY ON THE 15TH!!!! We've been working towards that for 4 months. We're so very happy to see our mom walk the survivor lap another year! Thank God!

What's going on in your neighborhood?

You've Come A Long Way...

Coming up on three years since the day I decided to take charge of my health and body once and for all. A lot of good things have happened because I finally took the bull by the horns. Running has been one of the key factors in the equation of eating less and moving more to result in my weight-loss and it had brought a new joy to my life. Running has made me an athlete, a competitor. I have goals for my runs. I want to run faster. I want to run further. There's always room for improvement.

My first 5k was on June 5th, 2010. It was hot as hell, and I was still a good 40 pounds overweight. I had started running but I could not run the entire 3.1 miles. I finished with what I thought was a great time of 42:42.

That's me, on a scorcher of a day, wearing denim shorts! What was I thinking??? Oh, yeah, and the 80-something year-old man did come in before me!! Bastard!

After that 5k, I went on to train with the Couch to 5k program and ran my first entire 5k, the Smithpoint Bridge 5k, on 9/11/10 with a much-improved time of 34:40. I definitely caught the bug after that. I wanted more. I expected more from myself.

Last year I ran the LIMA 5k on 6/4/11 with a time of 31:55. Better, but not my best. I wanted to run under a 10:00 mile, for God sakes! We then did the Damon Runyon 5k at Yankee Stadium on 8/7/11, but with the heat of an August day, the narrow course through the stadium, along with all those stairs (about 300 of them), we were happy to finish, let alone come in at 37:33! So, on to the Smithpoint Bridge run again. On 9/10/11, I finished in 30:36, under a 10:00 mile! Ok, so I tackled the 5k. I tried my luck at a 10k the following week on 9/17/11 (my 16th wedding anniversary!). Since it was my first ever, I didn't know what to shoot for. I also had to contend with a HUGE hill, also known as the Ponquogue Bridge. Done. 1:04:09. About a 10.5 minute mile. Not bad.

Ponquogue Bridge- grrrrr!

So, that ended my racing season for 2011. Who AM I that I talk like this now??? I'm a runner! Yesterday was my first race of the year! I was so excited to get back out there! Why did I wait so long to race again! Almost NINE months since my last race! That's stupid. ANYWAY, my first goal was to come in under 30:00. My "pleased as punch" time would be under 29:00, but my "happier than a pig in shit" time would be under 28:00. Well, Jupiter must've been aligned with Mars with Mercury rising in the east because I DID IT!!!!!! 27:51:9!!! I came in 626 out of 1655 participants, 36 out of 122 women in my age group of 40-44!!!! I beat 70% of the women my age!!!!! Ecstatic beyond belief!

Me and my Charlie after the race.

So what did I do to celebrate? I signed up for another 5k on Saturday! It's a small race in the next town. Hopefully that means less competition and maybe I could even place in my age division!

What Doesn't Kill You...

Plyometric Cardio Circuit...it could kill you. Feels like your heart could just burst in your chest while you simultaneously throw up all of your internal organs. Then you slip and fall in a puddle of your own sweat and hit your head on the coffee table. Dead. Dead as a doornail.

But my heart did not rupture. I did not vomit. I did not slip and crack my head open. Instead I made it through the entire warm-up without stopping to take a sip of water or mop up my perspiration. Mind you, "warm-up" is 10.5 minutes long. Three circuits of 3.5 minutes made up of 7 exercises. I used to stop a lot. Then I just stopped after each circuit. Today I did not stop AT ALL! The fact that it was a little less hot and A LOT less humid helped tremendously. Granted, I did not make it through the entire workout without a moment here and there to catch my breath, rehydrate and push my heart back in place. But this is still major progress and I will basque in the glory of it, for now, until next month's workouts have me falling to my knees and actually PRAYING for death to come (just kidding!).

(Oh, and this is after going for a 3 mile run this morning!)

Can't Complain

One week (minus last night- UGH!) of not eating after dinner and the results are in... (drum roll please, like the kids from WOTN- The ReThinkers)...

3 pounds down. Gotta keep up the momentum. Insanity is getting tough with this heat and humidity. I might have to move my workouts to the morning instead of the point in the day when it's the hottest! DUH! I'm really looking forward to next week- RECOVERY! The good news is I won't be jumping around like a nit wit in this heat. The bad news? The week after starts MONTH 2!!! I can't imagine the workouts being any harder, but I am NOT going to kid myself into thinking I'm in any shape for them! It'll be like I'm right back at Square One. 

Going Strong

It's been a few days and I haven't eaten anything 2-3 hours before bedtime and I haven't grabbed any food in the middle of the night. It hasn't been VERY hard. It doesn't hurt that I'm either falling asleep early or watching 'Weight of the Nation' or reading 'Make the Connection.' That's pretty much what I did when I started losing weight. I immersed myself in all things related to weight loss. I got my hands on anything I could read about weight loss. I watched whatever I could find on the subject. Watching the Ranger (hockey) game last night was a wee bit stressful and I could see WANTING to eat something then, but I didn't. TV is the root of many evils!

Speaking of tv and evil, the 'WOTN' episode on childhood obesity in America is extremely eye-opening. One of the factors linked to childhood obesity is having a television in the bedroom. (Ironic since I was watching this on my son's bedroom tv!) Having a tv in the bedroom not only deters physical activity, but it bombards kids with advertisements for food, constantly. AND the doc goes on to say that a big contributing factor to MANY people's weight problem is what we're DRINKING!!! If parents just gave their kids water to drink they'd be cutting back on hundreds of calories each day. It's an easy solution, but something many kids will fight. I'm thinking I might try putting a pitcher of lemon water in the fridge for my daughter. My son will drink water all day INSTEAD of preparing more iced tea because he's lazy (I know powdered iced tea mix is crap), but my daughter will make more. Replacing 1 or 2 glasses a day will be a good thing, not that she has a weight problem. It will just be a healthier choice, and a better habit to form!

I have to say, the format of the documentary is a bit dry, but full of information. It does plot out the course of action you should take in order to lose weight, supporting the fact that there is NO MAGIC BULLET! It also reinforces the fact that maintenance is much harder than the weight loss phase and that diligence is the key to keeping the weight off. That is why it is so important to make changes in your life you can live with, forever. Again, I highly recommend the documentary if you have access to HBO.

Not much else to report. Still doing Insanity. I should've taken a picture after yesterday's workout, 'Cardio Power and Resistance.' It was rough. One more week and then a week of 'Core Cardio and Balance.' Can't wait to see the fun Shaun T. has in store for me! ugh.

Day One

CHECK! Managed to not eat after dinner last night! I did my Insanity workout at 4:45pm, which took until about 5:30pm to complete. They still give me agita, but I haven't puked yet! Probably can look forward to it happening in Month Two during MAX Interval Plyo or Cardio Conditioning. Anyway, after my daily dose of Shaun T., I made dinner, which was Pampered Chef's Grilled Chicken Penne Al Fresco in the Deep Covered baker, popped into the microwave. (Just some grape tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth and pasta cooked in the baker, add the cooked chicken when it's done, toss with some parmesan cheese... delicious and easy!)

We ate dinner at about 6:30pm, I cleaned up the kitchen and went into my son's room to watch some tv (since my husband was watching baseball AND hockey in the living room). I got to watch the 3rd installment of the documentary 'Weight of the Nation' on HBO. I think this was a must see episode, since it was about the childhood obesity epidemic. There was A LOT of good information and staggering statistics to learn. I HIGHLY recommend you watch it if you have the opportunity. And then the next episode came on and I fell asleep! It must have been 8:30pm! So, when I woke up from my little nap, I let the dog out, then fed her, said my goodnights and went to sleep! NO detours in the kitchen!

What also helped me yesterday was finding Bob Greene's 'Make The Connection' in a box of yardsale books from my sister. I read that book years ago and one of his 10 steps to weight loss is NOT eating 2-3 hours before bedtime. I followed that step in the beginning of my weight loss journey, but, as you know, have not adhered to it lately. I've been re-reading it and seeing what I can do to tweak my program. I can honestly say I have mastered several of the steps, like working out 5-7 days/week, in the ZONE, drinking my water, but my biggest problem is forcing getting my fruits/vegetable serving in my diet. Thankfully it's almost summer time, so that might make that task a bit easier.

Four-day weekend coming up! Happy Memorial Day everyone! I'm planning on having my Relay For Life Yard Sale on Saturday and possibly Monday, with my nephew's birthday party in between on Sunday. What are your plans for this weekend?

The Road To Hell...

I start every day with good intentions. I eat a protein bar with my morning cup of coffee to get the day started. I workout in the morning, either after my daughter goes on the bus or after the little one I babysit does. I get in an hour or more of cardio. I'll then come home and have a huge cup of tea with some toast and peanut butter, or, if it's later, I'll have lunch. That can be anything from a sandwich on my whole wheat bread or leftovers. I'll eat a Greek yogurt or some pretzels for snack. I'll then do whatever Insanity workout is on the calendar. Dinner is usually a good meal, protein, vegetables, a starch. Then something goes awry...

Dinner is usually by 6pm. When I started my weight-loss program, I didn't eat 3 hours before bedtime (thanks to Bob Greene's suggestion), so I usually didn't eat after dinner at all. But, things have been different now. I'm a little hungry, watching my favorite trash tv show on Bravo, so I'll have a snack. And then the floodgates have opened and all hell breaks loose. I'll have a few jellybeans, maybe a Pop Tart, a couple of cookies, and then I've blown it. All the work and effort I put into having a great day has been undone. What the hell is wrong with me?

The scale read 160.6 this morning. I need to get control of my eating. You can not undo a terrible diet with an hour or two of cardio. Whether someone sees me eating it or not, the damage is done.

Just For Posterity

I know y'all will be sick and tired about me belly-aching about Insanity, but I found the results of my first Fit Test and I have to say, I am AMAZED with my progress. This is coming from a lady that could only do "girlie" push-ups, and pretty pathetically, at that. I always thought I was strong, but this is more about using speed and strength to create power. I may not see a physical difference, but when I'm doing the workout, I'm getting more done and my endurance level is much higher.

So, the first fit test I ever took was on 3/26. The most recent one was done on 5/21, almost two months later (with a bit of a break between bringing the borrowed set back to the library and getting my own set).

                                                                                                                                         

(The first number represents the results from the 3/26 test, and the second number from yesterday's.)

 

SWITCH KICKS: Now I didn't know how to count these the first time, so I have no idea how many I did, but it wasn't pretty, so I only have the results from the 5/1 test to compare- 45/55

 

POWER JACKS: 40/60

 

POWER KNEES: 88/103

 

POWER JUMPS: 20/25

 

GLOBE JUMPS: 5/11

 

SUICIDE JUMPS: 11/19

 

PUSH-UP JACKS: 9/26

 

PLANK OBLIQUES: 20/46

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Not bad for two months work. Where I'm REALLY seeing the results? In my runs! I'm getting faster! LOVE IT!

                                                                                                  

Signs Of Improvement

Just did my second Fit Test since starting Insanity with my own set. The test is 8 exercises done for a minute each. You do as many reps as you can in that minute, with a minute or two of rest in between each exercise. Can I just tell you how much I DESPISE power jumps?!? You start out in a squat position, then jump up, slap your knees mid-air and then land "softly and gently" to do it all over again. They "suck a bag of d*cks" (to quote Louis CK)!!

I don't look ANYTHING like that when I do them. And I got all of 25 done in one minute. That's 2 more than last time! On my first Fit Test this round I did 20 push-up jacks and this time I did 26. That's another fun one. You go down like a regular push-up, but then jump out with your feet like a jumping jack.

You all want to go grab the phone right now and order your own program, too, right?!? Just so you know, the woman that is filming the fit test, Tonya or "The Machine," as Shaun T. refers to her, CAN NOT COUNT! I am convinced of that.

Numbers Don't Lie

Are you ever as surprised as I was when you take your measurements? I mean, I fit into my husband's size 30W jeans, so who would have guessed that my waist was indeed NOT 30"??? Doesn't make sense and is pretty disappointing, but here it goes anyway...

Weight: 159.6 (when I started Insanity)
Chest: 40"
Waist: 38 5/8
Hips: 40 5/8
Right Arm: 12
Left Arm: 12
Right Thigh: 23 3/8
Left Thigh: 23 1/2

Don't know what I would like to see change here, other than the measurements to be SMALLER. DEFINITELY want to see my weight at 139 eventually. I wish to be there by my niece's wedding which is on 8/31. That's a little less than 15 weeks away. For me, that is not a realistic goal. More than a pound a week, at my weight and activity level would mean the type of dedication along the lines of the Biggest Loser! So, 149 seems MUCH more realistic and feasible. You heard it here folks...

Accountability

It's often been said that when on your weight loss journey, you need to let SOMEONE know of your intentions. I distinctly remember Dr. Phil saying this when he had "The Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge" and plugged his book. (Can you believe that was way back in 2004?) He said you need to tell people what you're planning to do and have someone witness your weigh-ins, either your spouse or a friend, someone that can see your progress or your slip-ups. This could very well be why Weight Watchers are more successful losing weight? Hmmm...

Not a lot of people do this. I know when I started this particular journey, I didn't stand up and let my family know I was now exercising every day and eating better. I was afraid to hear them say "Again?" Like, in my mind, they would be thinking, "What makes this time so different?" Just another attempt that will probably fail. Key word: ATTEMPT. Saying that, it's as if there's a possibility for failure. Maybe that's where we go wrong- our wording. "I'm TRYING to lose weight." Again, not entirely positive. Change it to "I WILL lose weight by taking these actions: I AM eating right, (less, better)...I AM exercising four, (five, six) days a week..." Crowd out the negative talk with positive, encouraging words.

I can't tell you why this time was so different. I didn't have my husband at the scale watching me weigh-in, but I did write it on the school calendar, (the hub of every home with school-aged children), good, bad or ugly. It was there, in pen, for him to see. Now that I'm doing Insanity, I realized the changes in my body may not be as noticeable on the scale but as in overall inches lost. So I had to go out and buy a tape measure. I can't tell you what happened to the other ones I used to own. Must've tossed them when I was in a "I don't give a fuck" phase. Isn't this one cute?

I'm going to need help with measuring, but when I get it done, I'll post my numbers. I WISH I had my measurements from when I began this trek. That's another thing I recommend now! TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS and TAKE LOTS OF PROGRESS PICTURES!!! You may not see the changes when YOU look in the mirror, but the camera won't lie, and neither will the tape measure. The scale, on the other hand, LOVES to play games with our minds with all this talk about water weight and cycles and muscle weighing more than fat... For the record- we all know that's not true, right? A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same- A POUND!! The muscle is just nice and tight and compact, and not jiggly and lumpy, just like we want our ASSES to be!!

Didn't Want To Do It

This is how my morning usually goes: Wake up at 5:30am, visit the bathroom, let the dog out, feed the dog, put away clean dishes, wash whatever's in the sink, start the girl's lunch, put out the boy's allergy pill and lunch money, wake up the boy at 5:50am with breakfast in hand, get my coffee ready and some kind of breakfast/protein bar and head back upstairs to my bedroom to the computer to log my breakfast on MFP and catch up on Facebook and the blogs I follow. Then at 6:30am, I wake up the girl, see the boy out the door and finish the girl's lunch. Then I get dressed and the girl and I head out the door at 7:15am. When I get back, I try to clean and be ready if the little one I babysit comes before I have to bring him to the bus.

This morning I didn't have to bring the little one to the bus. So that means my morning is free until I have to pick up his sister at pre-k at 11am. That meant I had plenty of time to run. I was not feeling a run in me today. But the sun is shining. There's a nice breeze. It's 58*. Perfect conditions for a run, right? Aww, hell. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. (Anybody? Anybody?)

So glad I went!

I believe I have to thank Insanity for my PR. I'm really strengthening my legs with all of those power jacks and basketball drills and suicides and ski downs and butt-kicks. All of that is really helping with my speed. So, even if I don't drop a pound or lose an inch, (Oh, yeah, I picked up a tape measure today to finally get my measurements!), Insanity is doing something GREAT for me!

"Before"

So I finally took the before shots I needed to upload to Team Beachbody in order to eventually get my free Insanity t-shirt at the end of the program. Then I'll have to take some after shots, as well. I need a dang tape measure, too! I haven't measured myself in years and I have no record of the measurements anywhere to compare to my new numbers! If there's one thing I can suggest to anyone who is starting their weight-loss journey- TAKE LOTS OF PROGRESS PICTURES AND MEASURE YOURSELF! I wish I had done that. There's nothing I can do about it now!

Team Beachbody actually suggests the poses you should use to take your before pictures. They also recommended showing a lot of skin, but I just wasn't willing to go there!

5/13/12

Strange glare, oh well.

Don't ask. I just did what they told me to do!

Blah! Bra bulge!

Ah, yes, the "plug!"

Trudging along with my Insanity workouts and running. When you buy any Beachbody product, you can sign up on their website for some great features. I like the SuperGym feature that will keep track of my workouts and let me know what's next, without having to hang up the calendar that came with the set. Just more time for me to waste sitting on my ass in front of the computer!

There's some great news to share regarding our relay team and the documentary, From Fat To finish Line! There was an article just published today on www.relayguide.com covering our story! How exciting! Go on over there and read it. And if you haven't liked our Facebook page yet, what are you waiting for??? Everyone's doing it...

Monday, Monday

I just read a pretty funny (and accurate) quote about Mondays. "I hate how Monday is so far away from Friday and Friday is so damn close to Monday." Still, you just have to make the best of it. Clean slate. Endless possibilities. So, this morning I grabbed the bull by the horns and my husband and I ran 2 miles. Last week I got him to run 1 mile, once. This week he doubled it. Hopefully he'll be ready for 3.1 miles on June 2nd! I said we should go slow, make sure we get 2 miles done. He paces us and we finish in 18:45. That's a 9:22 mile! That's not slow and steady AT ALL! We also ran without gum or music! That gave us the chance to talk about our goals for the 5k. I definitely want to finish under 30:00, but I REALLY want to cross that finish line under 29:00. I would be a very happy camper if I accomplish that!

Me and my mom- Mother's Day 2012

Since yesterday was Mother's Day, my husband made me breakfast and I got great cards from him and both of my kids. I always look forward to his cards because he writes something so sweet and thoughtful every time. Yesterday was no different. To quote him: "You impress me with your energy and drive and unfortunately I don't think I can keep up anymore." My kids followed their dad's lead and wrote something thoughtful as well. From Charlie: "Mom, you motivate me to do everything that I do. Thank you Mom. Keep doing what you're doing." And Chelsea wrote: "Thank you Mom for everything you say and do. I hope that one day, I'll end up just as you are." That reassurance will keep me going strong for at least the next year! I love my family. I am blessed. Blessed to have my husband, my kids and all of my family, and I'm especially fortunate to be able to share another Mother's Day with my mom (and dad). Could you ever tell by looking at her that she was at death's door not once, but twice just one year ago! To quote my mom- "God bless her!" It was a great day.

Happy Mother's Day!

I know I haven't been around much. Nothing very new or exciting to report. Just more of the same, running and Insanity. Gotta take my before shots before I change too drastically (HA!)! I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone out there a very happy Mother's Day! That goes for every mom, grandma, step-mom, aunt, godmother, babysitter, caretaker and dad acting as mom out there. It's a grueling job at times, 24/7 for those with little ones, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Besides having a happy marriage and losing 75 pounds my son and daughter are BY FAR my greatest achievement. I may not express it every day, but I love them and would do anything for them. I am truly blessed to have them in my life and EXTREMELY fortunate to still have my mom to share this gloriously beautiful day with.

My Charlie and Chelsea

Mommy to John, Rosemarie, Laura Ann, Karen, Dorothy, Linda and Ralph- Grandma to Joanna, Lauren, Henry, Gia, Kerianne, Michael, Andrew, Matthew, Katelynn, Steven, Christopher, Charlie, Chelsea, Leah and one on the way!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

The Dirty Dozen

So that's the team! WEAPONS OF MASS REDUCTION! Now that each runner has been introduced, there will be some interesting topics we cover in regards to our weight-loss successes and struggles and why we even began this journey in the first place. Go to www.fromfattofinish.com. That will link you right to the documentary's Facebook page. 'Like' it so you can constantly get updates on your news feed. There will be contests and giveaways!

I've been up to a whole lot of nothin'. Just hitting the gym and running outside. Yesterday I got my husband out for the first time since our last 5k in September. Since he had to leave for work at 10:30am, I told him we'd do just an easy mile to get him back in the swing of things. He asked me "You will do JUST a mile?" I thought I'd have to keep the pace nice and slow, but since he's a full foot taller than me, he's just naturally faster, even without training. We finished that mile in 9:09! Faster than I USUALLY push myself! Now I just have to manage to get him to run another 2.1, at that pace, by June 2nd! Could happen!

Oh, and this morning's weigh-in was 156.8, again. I need to be a little more diligent with my food if I'm going to be ready for my close-up!



A Picture Is Worth 1200+ Words

Actually, that should be "A Picture is Worth 1200+ Pounds." Here's all 12 runners on Weapons of Mass Reduction, our Ragnar Relay Key West team! What an amazing transformation each and every one of us has gone through! The idea that I've come to this moment in my life just by reaching out to someone on their blog, letting Katie know how much her candor in her daily story-telling means to me, is surreal. I am SO blessed!

In other news, I ran like the wind today! Ok, not quite. It is another crappy day here on Long Island, and I thought my intentions to run outside would be derailed, yet again. But my team helped convince me that days like today are the BEST for running. There's no sun in your eyes, cooler temps and as Rik said, "Once you are wet, you don't get wetter." So, I "braved" the elements and headed out. It was merely misting out. Just had to avoid the puddles. Thankfully there were only a few cars out so I didn't have to worry about getting splashed.

That's 3 miles in 27:39:76. Pretty sure that IS a PR Jen! Thanks for the encouragement from my teammates! I really do need a kick in the pants every now and then!


Remember to stop by on Facebook, and "like" our team documentary's page! Let us know what you think of everything when you visit!

What A Week I'm Having!

Things are heating up on the From Fat To Finish Line-The Documentary Facebook page. 580 "likes" since Friday, I believe. If you haven't checked it out, please do. You'll read about each runner's success story and follow us on our journey to the Ragnar Relay and through the race until we say our woeful goodbyes in Key West. You can also follow on Twitter- @FatToFinishFilm (I'm really having a hard time figuring that site out!). Facebook has definitely been an amazing tool for us to get to know each other. You can imagine some of the crazy threads we have going with all of the people involved in this project. I never knew when I sat down in a movie theater the amount of work that's involved just to get a pitch accepted! I'm really enjoying the process! The best part is becoming a part of these incredible people's lives!

Well, it's Wednesday, and you know what that means...

Movement in the RIGHT direction! (and I've since worked on the toes!)

Being filmed is definitely great incentive to stay focused on eating right and continuing to exercise hard. I started Insanity again yesterday, with my own set. I did the Fit Test. My third time around with it (you do it every two weeks) and I'm definitely seeing progress! I didn't think I was in imminent danger AT ALL during the workout! AND the number of reps I could complete in the 1 minute allotted for each of the 8 exercises increased! It might have been by only a couple of reps, but it was improvement, none the less!

I didn't get to run outside yesterday since it was a torrential downpour, so I ran on the treadmill. 4.7 miles in 45 minutes and my hip isn't killing me! My first 5k of the year is one month from today!!!

EDITING!

If old posts are showing up in your blog feed, I'm just doing some editing. You don't have to read them again. I have no idea why you have to hit "Publish Post" when they were already posted. Why can't they just have a "Save Changes" button?

From Fat To Finish Line

As I'm mulling over the words to write, I'm thinking "This can't possibly be happening to me. I'm not worthy. Things like this don't happen to people like me." But they are, and they are happening to 11 other people just like me. 12 people who were obese. God, I hate that word, but it's the truth. No matter how we may have referred to ourselves- husky, chunky, fluffy, plus-sized... the reality is we were OBESE. Unhealthy. Slowly killing ourselves with food.

But something in all of us made us want to change. Whether it was the motivation to lose weight for a high school reunion (80 pounds in 2 months? Could happen! NOT!) or the fact that I was a moment away from being diagnosed with hypertension or worse, a kidney disease (thankfully I was not), I decided I had enough.

I started eating less and moving more. I lost weight. The conversation I had with my husband over the Biggest Loser marathon was looming in the back of my mind. He asked if I ever contemplated running one, and if so, he would join me. Could I really run? Instead of blowing the idea off as insanity, I tried. I started going to the track. I would run half a lap. That eighth of a mile felt like it was going to kill me, but I kept at it. I started to fall in love with running, not just because of what it could do for my body, but what it did for my mind. It started to help me like myself, to be proud of something that I did, just for me.

I'm forever looking for inspiration  and motivation to keep me going, and lo and behold, Katie's success video was posted via Spark People on Facebook back in June. Watching that video, I cried. I saw myself in her before photos and I felt the pride she must feel for having taken control of her life and succeeded, because I was finally there too. I'm at a weight I'm not embarrassed to say, in a size that frankly, I'm STUNNED by, and I'm now a participant in life, rather than a spectator.

After watching that video, I started following Katie's blog. I loved reading about all of her running accomplishments, including several half-marathons and a Ragnar Relay. Rik approached Katie with the idea to create a Ragnar team comprised of 12 people who all lost a substantial amount of weight using running as a tool. Katie invited me to be one of those 12 members. Me? Really?!? I had to think long and hard about it. The cost...the commitment...the responsibilities of home were all things that could make a trip like this all just too much. But, I have such an amazing husband. Charlie said if I wanted to do it, we'd find a way.

The team started coming together...we were from all different walks of life, but the common denominator was our weight loss achievements and our desire to run. That sparked an idea in Jen's mind. Since she is a television producer by trade, she realized that this journey of ours would make an incredible documentary! 12 people that were, like 65% of America, facing the insurmountable task of losing weight, but became part of the small percentage to keep it off. And they were running. We all ran while we were overweight. We didn't wait to be thin to start. This film will prove to those who are struggling with their weight that they can do it too. They can achieve the unthinkable, just like us. From our stories, From Fat To Finish Line was born.

"You don't have to be great to start. You just have to start to be great."

So like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter- @FatToFinishFilm. You'll be able to find links to all of the great blogs everyone writes, keep track of all the events we're running in and follow us where ever this crazy train is heading. All because I said "Yes" to run a relay.

Taking It To The Streets...

Any Doobie Brothers fans out there? (Neither am I, it's just the perfect title for today's post!) Anyway, my hip/thigh muscle is still weird. I obviously pushed myself too hard on the treadmill on Tuesday and effed it up! But I only feel a twinge here and there when I lean on the right side of my leg, like when you get in the car or lounge on the couch on that side with my legs crossed... make any sense? I have no problems walking or going up and down stairs or doing the elliptical... So yesterday I decided to attempt a run outside and see how my leg felt. No problems whatsoever!

Sorry it's so dark- that's 3 miles in 28:41!

According to my Garmin I ran 3 miles, but when I went to www.mapmywalk.com and also mapped it out on www.dailymile.com they came up with 3.12 miles. I will definitely take that! I am striving for a 5k under 30:00, but 29:00 sounds even better! I think I may just be converting to an outdoor runner! Now to start adding some mileage and really training for my half in October!

Oh HELL No!

Really Mother Nature? Is it even POSSIBLE to be up 8 pounds in one week? Three days off from exercising, a couple of binges and a visit from Aunt Flo and this is what stares back at me:

Frick Me!

Sickening! And all I keep thinking about is how I want to be under 140. Can't possibly get there with what I've been up to.

My 100th Post!

Can NOT believe I've had enough to say to fill 100 entries. What's even more surprising is that there have been people that actually READ them! I appreciate everyone that takes the time to read my drivel and leaves me little nuggets of encouragement or tiny insights into their own lives. It's been a lot of fun getting to know the people I read about and have become friends with. I look forward to reading the blogs I follow. I hope I can do the same for you!


So, it FINALLY came today! My husband gave me the go-ahead to buy Insanity if I really liked it... don't have to tell me twice! (And before anyone gets upset with me getting "permission" to purchase something (like if my mother read this!): 1). It was $145 for another exercise thingy, (I have a basement graveyard full of exercise thingies), 2). we're trying to tighten the belt buckle since we have two weddings this year AND Ragnar Key West in January AND 3). I do PLENTY of unauthorized shopping. This time I don't have to hide anything!)

Can you believe I paid $25 s/h and they had the post office deliver it?

I had plenty of time today to crack her open and do it, but I ran on the treadmill this morning and my hip/ass muscle feels all wonky now. I just did intervals of .25 miles at either 6.5 and 7.0 mph, nothing out of the ordinary. Don't know why it feels like this. Maybe being away from the treadmill for more than a week did me in? This is not just an excuse. When I get in the car and sit on my right hip, it hurts! I hope to God it's temporary!

The little book thing has the 12 DVDs in it. Tiny little box that fit into my mailbox...$25. Grrrr!

Since When?

Um, since when do you pay $24.95 to have frickin' DVDs shipped? AND since when does Fed-Ex ship your package to the local post office for delivery? Well, I guess the answer would be now! Tracking my package and the e-mail told me it was in my town! WOO HOO! And then the next time I looked it was delivered to my local post office and should take one or two days more for delivery! What kind of bs is that?!? Hmmmph...no fair!

Change...

Who else hates change? Anyone else annoyed that Blogger had to change their format? I could barely navigate the old one. Just like good ole' Facebook. I'm still not on the new Timeline format and I hope it never changes! Timeline reminds me of a dang collage, where everything is all over the place. Why? I might have no choice in the matter, but I'll go along kicking and screaming! For now I just clicked on "Old Format" and it brought me right back to the pretty old "interface." Let's see how long I can keep it that way!

Anyway, yesterday was a rough day since my dad had to have surgery to get a defibrillator implanted. He has a bad arrhythmia that couldn't be fixed with the cardiac ablation he had a few months ago, so in case that ever causes him to go into cardiac arrest, he may be shocked back to life. The procedure was quick (he was at the hospital for 8 am and we saw him in recovery at 10:15am!) and he looked great. He wasn't happy with staying overnight, but if it were up to me I'd make him live there so I wouldn't worry as much! While in recovery we saw his "cardiac electrophysiologist," (the doctor that specializes in the heart's electrical system), and he explained that the defibrillator will give him another chance at life, but "he won't live forever. None of us will." Is this something you say to a patient and his family RIGHT after surgery? Jackass. Can't ever imagine life without them.

Mom and Dad, parents of 7, grandparents of 14 (with 1 on the way!)!!

So, with being at the hospital most of the day, then coming home and returning phone calls and getting stuff done around the house, I didn't workout. A change in my routine throws me for a loop. See? Creature of habit. My nephew was here this morning, so I think I'm going to the gym for a run this afternoon since it's supposed to get up to 66* today. I haven't run at the gym all week! That's different! Right now, I swear I don't feel like doing anything!!

Look What I can Do!!

(Said in my best Stuart from MadTv voice...)

Anyhow, I decided to go for an outdoor run today, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD! That's a huge deal. If I run outside, it's usually at the track, but that's pretty boring. (That's why I actually prefer the treadmill: music + television + people = distraction.) Since it was overcast and cool I thought it's basically now or never. I popped one earbud in, put my Garmin on and headed out. I didn't plot my course, but I have my favorite streets I like to go down, certain houses I like to see (for inspiration) and puppies that always say hello when I'm on a walk with the little ones. I was a bit slower than at the track, but that's not surprising seeing I had some hills AND it was garbage day.

 

Not bad, considering I haven't run that far outside since my 10k in September! I'm turning over a new leaf and attempting to do at least ONE outdoor run a week.



What a Weigh-In Wednesday!

Well, the hard work and jaw-wiring has paid off. Just kidding, although some days I think I might need to do just that! Anyhow, my routine is back to normal since the kids are back in school and I've been REALLY conscious of what and when I'm eating. Damn it, that witching hour(s)! You know, the time when you're sitting on the couch after all the chores of the day are done (or ignored) and your favorite show is on television, and you just want to eat? I think it's because I associate tv WITH eating. Maybe it's "Triple D" and "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" and "No Reservations" and "Man vs. Food" that makes me associate tv with eating? DUH. Between 8pm and 10pm are the hardest for me. Then there's also the middle-of-the-night bathroom trips where I find myself grabbing a Pop Tart or granola bar to eat before I fall back to sleep. I know ALL OF THE ABOVE is hindering my progress, and I even say all the things you're SUPPOSED to say to yourself when you're reaching for the pretzels or Doritos and you know you're not hungry, I just overrule all of it.

However, since Friday I have been binge-free. Now, I haven't been able to binge like I used to, when I was nearly 230 pounds, but I still managed to do major damage with the Easter holiday and all of the treats associated with it. The scale read 161 one day. Are you frickin' kidding me?!? Not one bite of the Oreo brownie (VERY dry), Cadbury Cream Eggs (SO much smaller than they used to be!), cream cheese frosting (not the same unless on carrot cake!), onion dip (soup mix and sour cream, so NOT special!), kettle chips or any of the other crap I ingested (the word "ate" would suggest I even TASTED the food) was worth it. So, basically I proved to myself that "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." I just have to force myself to believe that when I'm in the snack cabinet.

So, with eating and hydrating properly and running and Insanity and the Arc trainer, the scale has moved, in the RIGHT direction:

Note to self: PEDICURE!



(God, I have Fred Flintstone feet! My grandma tried to tell us it was from walking around barefoot. Do any of you have a clue why people have flat feet?)

I am going to try and run outside more often. I get even more anxious before an outdoor run than a treadmill run. I think it's because I put so much pressure on myself to improve with EVERY stinking run, either by increasing distance, doing faster intervals or achieving a new PR. Yesterday I hit the track and ran 3 miles in 28:26, but I took a water break at miles 1 and 2, stopping my Garmin. What sucked about the run (and played with my head) was that one side of the track was stifling hot because of the full sun (and 65* temp) and the other side I was running straight into the wind. So, I didn't want to run fast on the hot side because I felt like I would die and I just COULDN'T run fast on the windy side. I DEFINITELY need to log more miles outdoors!

The Ball is Rolling!

Last night was our Ragnar team's first conference call! It was my first chance to connect a voice to all of the pictures that I've seen on blogs and Facebook... When I was dialing the number, my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding out of my chest (it didn't help that I had just finished Insanity's Plyometric Cardio Circuit just 10 minutes prior). And then Rik, the team captain, asked us to introduce ourselves and give a little insight into why we were doing the relay. Now I had to talk on TOP of those nerves?!? Thankfully he didn't get to me for a while so I had a chance to write something down and be semi-prepared. I think I probably STILL sounded like an ass.

My first run- 3.5 miles.

So in that 2 hour and 9 minute call, we covered A LOT of ground. We discussed mandatory gear, (per the Ragnar Race Bible), as well as items that would be necessary just to make the experience more enjoyable, like a sleep sack (note to self: Google that!). Other topics of discussion were hotel accommodations, pre-race team dinner arrangements and a post-race team farewell brunch on Sunday. One of the most anticipated highlights of the call? LEG ASSIGNMENTS! I was tentatively Leg #6, which was an 8.7 miler, 7.8 miler and a 4.1 miler. Although I know I could handle any one of those legs on any given day, having to do all THREE of them within a 36 hour period was possibly setting myself up for failure. I also felt that our captain, being a seasoned runner and Ragnarian, should have the challenge. Rik was graciously allowing everyone else to choose their legs and was about to leave himself with only a choice between easy runs. He seemed happy to finally be in Van #1, which includes runners 1-6.

My 2nd run- 6.2 miles.

Unfortunately, the 12 runner positions are categorized by mileage/elevation. There are 6 hard/very hard (most mileage), 3 moderate and 3 easy positions (the least mileage). So, seeing there are more hard positions than the others and as of yet I have not done a half-marathon and don't have the experience like some of the others, I chose Runner #8. That consists of a 3.5 mile run, 6.2 mile run and a 2.1 mile run, totalling 11.8 miles. Much more doable. I'm in van #2, with Meredith, Jen S., Allison, Ada and John. I think we'll have a great time.

My final run- 2 miles.

I'm still having to pinch myself to wake up from this dream! I can't believe it's really happening. Oh, did I mention that our teammate Jen R. is an owner of a television and film production company? Did I mention she's trying to put together a documentary based on our weight-loss journeys and the huge part that running has played in our successes, with the culmination of the film being the 200 mile Relay? Unfrickin' believable!!! No WAY this can be happening!

(On a sad note: there's a hold on Insanity and it's due back at the library today. I'll try and get one more workout in today before I have to part with Shaun T. Cue sad music...)

M.I.A.

Well, that would imply that there was actually some action going on, which there really wasn't. I'm behind on Insanity and I have only walked a bit the last few days. I also overate just about every day this week. Scary how quickly we can ease back into bad habits, and yet it takes so long to create good ones. I wasn't surprised when I saw that the scale reflected that. I think I got it all out of my system. I went and ran at the gym and managed 6 miles in 59:09 and then I walked a mile in 16:30 on a 5.0 incline. My right quad is angry at me, but I still plan to get my Fit Test in and see how much speed and strength has improved over the last few weeks. Ooh, which reminds me- I need to try and renew Insanity from the library for another 3 weeks!

I know Biggest Loser is the season of "No excuses" and they've really driven that point home, but I'm thinking I may be stressing a bit because I'm realizing that the Ragnar Relay really is happening! I guess I'm still doubting myself as a runner. Thankfully, we have 8 1/2 months to train and prepare. We have our first team "meeting" (conference call) tomorrow night at 5pm. I can't wait to get to know everyone.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

Unexpected day off yesterday. I hit the gym early so I'd get in a workout before the little ones came for the day. With the craziness of Easter, I'm behind on my Insanity workouts. They basically just cycle through the same ones until you reach Month Two, so I don't have to bore you with daily updates. They are really tough, but exhilarating workouts. Tomorrow will be my end of week two, so it's time for a  Fit Test recheck. I had to write down how many of each exercise I could do. I can't wait to see the improvement. I have to say, I can actually do REAL push-ups now! That in and of itself is a major accomplishment!


Ok, just finished Cardio Power, and the few days I took off seemed to make the workout harder! Major indigestion! I'm thinking I should do these workouts first thing in the morning and save the gym for the afternoon. Blech!

Weigh-in tomorrow won't be pretty. One reason:

Happy Easter Everyone!

So, this was the first year that the "Easter Bunny" did not hide chocolate eggs and leave a note for the kids as to how many and what color eggs they should find. (Charlie would always find the obvious ones so quickly and we would have to stop him so he didn't find them ALL!) I think at 15 and 13, it's about time. Charlie said we should just find different hiding spots, but then we'd need a master list of WHERE we hid them so we find them all and Molly doesn't!

I always get my husband some candy. He can use the extra calories! Dark chocolate dipped Peeps! I hope someone is willing to share with me!

I've already eaten a Snickers Peanut Butter egg and a few Reese's mini cups. They were ok, nothing spectacular. I still have to make my deviled eggs and the pizza pinwheels to bring to my parents house this afternoon. The spinach dip and Nana's Applecake were made yesterday. I should have bought a veggie platter! DUH! Maybe my dad made some (fingers crossed).

After an 8 mile run and bloody nips, I still pulled it together and did my Insanity workout at 5 pm yesterday. Walking is a bit harder today and my back is a bit stiff. I don't plan on doing the workout before I go to my parents, depends on how busy I am. Will I come home from my parents' house tonight and do it? It's a nice thought...

It Actually Happened To Me!!! (WARNING!! stomach-turning content)

I APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ!

Yesterday was a horribly busy day. I babysat the 2 little ones all day and I hosted my family's egg coloring get-together, so I couldn't get to the gym for my regular elliptical/arc trainer workout. Everybody who could make it came around 1:30 pm and didn't leave until almost 6 pm, so then it was time to make dinner (last meatless Friday of Lent!) and feed my family.

One of my 25 year old niece's contributions...she did an entire Angry Bird scene!

Guess what? After dinner I didn't feel like working out, so my husband and I got to watch my other lovuh, Justin Timberlake, in 'Friends With Benefits.' Let's just say that that is as good a movie as the book '50 Shades of Grey' supposedly is. (*wink, wink*). Anyway, no Insanity workout! I feel so guilty leaving Shaun high and dry! Oh, well. My husband gets home from work early today. Maybe I can finally convince him to try it with me. Not holding my breath for it.

Anyway, so that brings us to today. I didn't have my nephew this morning so I could get to the gym early for my long run. Aerobically, I feel like I could handle a marathon, no problem. But the legs grow heavy and weary. I have to cut my long run in 2 sections because the damn treadmill has a one hour timer on it. So, I ran 5 miles in 50:37, then I ran 3 miles in 30:27. That's just a little over a 10 minute mile. Awesome. I walk a slow 1/2 a mile to cool down, go get wipes to clean off the treadmill and head to the locker room to stretch. Imagine my surprise when I saw this staring back at me from the mirror:

HOLY SH#T! I walked through half the gym with bloody nips! (It was actually worse at the gym, but since my shirt is soaked through with sweat, the blood kind of got diluted a bit.) This is totally MORTIFYING!!!! I have never had that happen before! I definitely have experienced chafing, but not to the point of bleeding! All I can think of is the video 'Marathon Thoughts' that I posted a while back. "Who will feed my babies...?" The strange thing is, you'd think my boobies would look horrifically ugly, but they don't.

What the hell am I supposed to do about this (other than wear a dark tech t-shirt from now on)? My sports bra seems to hold the girls in place really well, so they're not bouncing in my face... they're too deflated to do that now, anyway. Anybody else have this happen? Any suggestions? 

At least I didn't "pants my poop," yet.

Late Start

It was the first day of vacation yesterday. My frickin' husband woke me up at 6am (from a nice little daydream,  I might add) to ask if my son had school. Well, the school calendar is on the side of the fridge, and every day that they are off is highlighted in purple. (ASIDE: Do you do that? Get the school calendar in the mail a couple of weeks before school starts and highlight the sh*t out of it? Well, I have two kids in two different schools right now, so they each have their own color for events and important notices pertaining to each of them.) NOT TO MENTION I kept telling him how many days they had until they were off. It's really my own fault for talking to the side of his head on a continual basis while he plays MLB The Show on the PS3.

So, I decided to not go to the gym early and "hang out" until he went to work at 10:30am. We just sit in the living room and watch Live With Kelly while eating breakfast- NOTHING spectacular. I managed to run on two of my regular running days this week (T and TH)! AND I had a great run, to boot yesterday. 5 miles in 45:27! Just over a 9 minute mile! So maybe I'm not dropping a ton of weight, but Insanity might just be helping with my speed. I'll take that.


Pure Cardio was on the agenda. Every DVD starts out with a 12 minute "warm-up," followed by a 5 minute stretch, then the "max interval training," and ending with another 5 minute stretch. As you're bent over, at the end, stretching your hip-flexors and what have you, (praising God Almighty that you survived another round), the sweat is just pouring off your body. I am SO not afraid of sweating. There's no better feeling. I KNOW I did what I had to do when I'm dripping like that.

See the difference at the bottom of my shirt? Look at my sweaty knees, for Godsakes!



Do y'all like to sweat, too?

Insanity Link

Ahhh...the first day of Easter vacation. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. And I will be torturing myself with a run and another Insanity workout. If you're interested in finding out more about Insanity, you can just Google "Insanity Workout," but here's the main link: Insanity DVDs

Want to see what you're in for?

There's my lovuh! Yum.

They're not cheap. 3 payments of $40 and $25 shipping and handling! Now THAT'S insanity! I've found it for less in other online stores, so I'm thinking about it. I absolutely remember QVC having it sometime last year, but not anymore. (I LOVE QVC for their easy-pay plan!)



The New Love Of My Life

**SIGH** But is that a frickin' wedding ring on his finger? That totally DESTROYS the fantasy y'all! So after I Googled images of "Shaun Thompson" I then had to find out if, in fact, he's married. One "article" says he's gay. Now, I can work my fantasy around him being married, but I'll NEVER be able to turn his head if he's gay. I can still appreciate and admire this fine specimen, though.


Shaun and I still had a date with Cardio Power today. I'm going to try my damnedest not to stand him up! This is after spending 45 minutes on the elliptical and 45 minutes on the ARC trainer at the gym this morning, mind you. I probably should have waited a smidge longer after eating a piece of toast with a scrambled egg and a vat o'coffee. I can still feel it up near my throat. So, more power jumps, globe jumps, belt kicks, hurdles, tricep dips, etc. Sweat was flying everywhere. I'll just blame the wet spots on the dog. The librarian is going to have to pry this system away from my death grip in order for me to return it. I just don't know if I can swing purchasing it for $145 right now. What will I do if I can't get my Shaun T. abs fix?

----NEWS FLASH----- The scale read 155.4 this morning. Batteries were dead in the camera. I'm pretty sure you all know what my scale looks like saying "155.4" anyway. It's what I weighed back on 2/22/12. Bummer.

Power Squats, Push-up Jacks and Suicides...Oh My

Day 5...Plyometric Cardio. Felt the stomach contents rising on one occasion. Took a break. Pushed through. "Dug deeper," as the hottie Shaun would say. I do think, even in one short week, that I'm improving. Let's see if all of this really can make me a faster runner. Speaking of running, I'm running today. My last run was Wednesday. NOT a good thing. Won't be a speed demon anytime soon.

Best news of all? A BREAK FROM THE INSANITY TODAY!! Then it's back to the torture tomorrow...

My "inspiration!" *yum*

"This Sh*t Is Bananas..."

says Shaun T. after our Pure Cardio workout, while laying on the gymnasium floor, dripping with sweat (still looking mighty fine, I tell you). Yesterday was Day 4 of Insanity and I'm actually looking forward to the workouts! Might sound crazy, but I feel stronger already! Let's see how I feel after Plyometric Cardio today.

And it's always two steps forward, three steps back. This time Miss Little Debbie got the best of me last night, even after I said to myself that if I REALLY wanted them I could have them in the morning...

Damn you and your sugary, vegetable shortening CRAPPY goodness!