One Week Check Point

As I stated previously in my Goals - Short Term/Long Term post, I'm going to maintain accountability by posting my goals and then following up on my progress on the ol' blog.

1 week = 8 lbs lost; work-out 6 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes/day; track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise


Let's evaluate the week, shall we?

Diet
By "diet", I mean counting my calories.  For the most part, I'm still following South Beach principles as far as food choices go, but I'm upping the ante by paying attention to specifically how much I'm putting in my body.  The biggest struggle I encountered was recognizing I needed to establish a "NET" calorie goal because the more I work out, the more I'm going to need to fuel.  I set a 1200 NET calories per day target and with the exception of eating too few calories the first two days, I did well.  I also became VERY lax over the weekend which is something I don't want to make a habit.

Exercise
I set a target of working out 6 days of the week for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.  That didn't quite happen, BUT considering I went from VERY minimal exercise to a 4-day workout, I feel pretty good about the week.  I spent 2 days walking (with incorporating a bit of running at the end of each walk) and I spent 2 days riding my exercise bike.  I managed to burn a total of 1366 calories with an average of over 40 minutes per workout.

Hydration
This is an on-going struggle.  I hit over 100 oz of water each day, BUT my target is 144 oz, so I have a lot to work out in this category.

Sleep
My goal is to hit 7 hours of sleep per night.  Out of 7 days, I hit this goal 5 nights.  Still a work in progress, but I'm getting there.

Weight loss goal = 8 pounds
Actual weight loss = 7 pounds


Thoughts:  I am pleased with the results, but I do see where improvement can be made.  As I mentioned above, I became a bit too lax over the weekend.  Even though I went to restaurants with a plan, it was easy to stick to the ordering plan, but difficult to pass up table freebies - bread, etc.

Next check point (1 month) will be on September 26th!


Off to a great start!

GOALS - SHORT TERM/LONG TERM

A wise person I know suggested that I not overwhelm myself with how "lost" I've become in my weight loss journey.  She thought it best to break my ultimate GOAL into smaller, more attainable check points.

With that in mind, I've come up with my 1 week, 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, and 12 month check points.  Seems a lot less daunting that way.

I figured to keep myself accountable, I would go ahead and publish these check points to my blog and then follow up on my progress when appropriate.


1 week = 8 lbs lost; work-out 6 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes/day; track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise

my fitness pal

1 month = 20 lbs lost, run/walk 4 days/week for a minimum of 45 minute; cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 45 minutes; be able to run 2 miles non-stop (@ 14 min/mile pace); track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target




Daily Mile



3 months = 40 lbs lost, run/walk 4 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; be able to run 6 miles non-stop (@ 13:30 min/mile pace); track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target

sleep bot

6 months = 70 lbs lost; run 4 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes;, cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; be able to run 10 miles non-stop (@ 13 min/mile pace); track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target

24 Hour Fitness

9 months = 100 lbs lost (GOAL); run 4 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; be able to run a half marathon non-stop (@ 12:30 min/mile pace); track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target

The Woodlands Marathon (half for me)

12 months = maintain weight loss; begin full marathon training; run 4 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target


Since I offiically got back on my wagon (for real this time) on Monday, 8/29, I will check back in on my first check point on Monday, 9/6. 

Weekend Recap

I had a lovely weekend.   I didn't want it to end, actually.  I've been thinking lately that it would be a really great plan to make the work week 4 days and the weekend 3.  Who's with me?! 

I started out Saturday morning by making myself a peanut butter, banana, and honey wrap.  I didn't want the bulk of bread weighing me down when I headed out for my long WALK, so I used a whole wheat "homemade" tortilla from H.E.B.  It was perfect.

I opted not to carry water with me for my WALK because I wasn't planning on doing a whole lot of miles and because I truly do hate carrying anything more than I need with me.  I did pop a Powerade Zero in the mailbox so that I could stop on by the house without actually going in the house to hydrate. 

I decided to count the change I came across as I've noticed a lot of coinage lately on the ground.  I found a penny, but no...I didn't pick it up.  Then I happened across a dollar bill.  Eureka!  I surely did pick that puppy up (but only after looking around me to make sure nobody was watching as if I was doing something wrong).  Later I happened across another penny.  So, the dollar made my long WALK profitable, I'd say!

this is a dramatic reenactment since I didn't have my camera with me at the time of discovery


Around mile 3, I returned to the ol' mailbox for a drink.  I then continued on my merry way.  My left knee started giving me a bit of trouble - complaining, I guess you could say.  It was kinda popping a little bit here and there as I rounded corners.  I made it back to the house around 5.5 miles and decided I should ice it.  Good thing I did, too, as there was definitely a bit of fluid in there.  =/


We didn't have family lunch this weekend because my dad was flying in from San Fran later in the afternoon and we didn't want him to feel left out.  I did, however, go with my mom to IHOP for a second breakfast of sorts.  Hey...when you burn 800 calories so early in the day, you get HUNGRY!
 

After IHOP, I hung out with my mom for a while, then we ran errands, then picked up my dad from the airport and went to BJs for a late lunch. 

I dropped them off at home and then headed to my own place to chill with my doggies until it was dinner time.

I had purchased a Groupon a few weeks ago for The Brownstone Cafe and my friend Kim and I decided we needed one of our infamous KNOs (Kim Nights Out - it originated when we were in college together).  We had a most wonderful time enjoying our respective meals, catching up on our respective lives, and sharing a Nutella crepe for dessert.  Since we all know I'm terrible about remembering to take pics, this is one I found on Google that closely resembles the deliciousness that melted in my mouth!

source here

 


Sunday, I decided to not set my alarm.  The dogs woke me up at 6:56am because they were STARVING.  I swear you would think I never feed them.  Shortly after they ate, Penelope decided to put herself back to bed (she never leaves my side, so this was weird).  Delilah and I decided to join her and we slept for another 3 hours.  Bliss.

My parents and I then went to see The Help.  I loved it, though I wish there were a few things they had included in the movie that I thought were pivotal parts of the storyline.  I then went back to their house to enjoy the new puppies as older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay brought them by for the afternoon.  Later younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig joined us and we had a wonderful family feast!

I tracked my food all weekend long, I started reading a new book (The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers) that is quite good, I hung out with some of my fave peeps, and I rested up.

 

Now let's just get to another weekend, shall we?! 

Sweaty Sunday and the rest of the weekend

My road is always paved with good intentions.  I was so drained on Friday after work, y'all.  I mean like the life was sucked out of me.  I didn't even get home until 8:15pm.  That's a long a$$ day.  I had planned on doing a 4-mile walk or heck...I would have even been satisfied with hitting my new exercise bike, but alas...I was burned out, so I went to bed at 9pm with no exercise.

I had thought to surprise myself by getting up at 5am to go ahead and get my long WALK in.  When I woke up and put the dogs out, it had already started drizzling.  By the time I let them back in - it was a storm.  Ugh.

I went back to bed.

When I finally did get back up, it was HOT, HUMID, STEAMY, and every other adjective you can think of to describe miserable conditions for outdoor training.  I decided to do my missed 4 miles.  I only ended up doing 3 and the last mile was just awful.  I felt defeated.  I then hit my exercise bike for 30 minutes before showering and dressing for family lunch at BJ's Brewhouse.

After our lunch, I went to get a facial at Visage Salon and Day Spa.  I had purchased a Groupon for a 50% discount a couple of months ago and was excited to use it.  I really loved the relaxing music playing in the room and the fact that my esthetician didn't try to sell me the products that I knew I wouldn't buy.  Once my massage was over, I did something I've never done.  I cheated on my hair stylist.  I've been going to Leena for 13 years now, but I just couldn't deal with my overgrown bushy mop-top any longer.  Visage also had a hair salon, so I asked if they could squeeze me in and I only had to wait 15 minutes to become publically acceptable once again.  I don't have a picture, so sorry, but really I didn't do anything extreme - just cut a couple of awful inches off and then had my layers "tuned up".

I wanted to get up at 5am again on Sunday for my long WALK, but I stayed up too late on Saturday night (bad Kim) and managed to head out for my WALK around 7:15am.  It was already ridiculously hot and humid, but so what?  I mean it's going to be this kind of weather for The Hottest Half on 8/14, so I might as well get used to it.  This was the first time I used my new camelbak.   The night before I filled the bladder with water and added 3 Nuun tablets and then put it in the freezer.  Maybe I should have put it in the pack first because it was a real struggle on Sunday morning to get the frozen bladder in the pack.  =/ 

I looked ridiculous....overkill for a walker, but whatever, I mean the camelbak prevented me from having to hit home for additional hydration before my 8 miles were through AND this is imperative for me because I have a bad habit of hitting home and not resuming my mileage. 

The first mile was ROUGH.  I was having some major issues with my calves being super tight.  I had even foam rolled and stretched before going out.  1/3 of the way through my first mile, I pulled over to stretch my calves against the curb.  They still hurt, but I kept on going.  They loosened up during my second mile and I could finally speed up.  I did really well until I hit the 6th mile and then I struggled for the last two, but not because I was hurting...it was because of a lack of fuel.  I just wasn't hungry in the morning before I headed out, so I choked down half a Clif's bar.  I didn't bring anything with me, so I ended up burning 1157 calories only having had 120 in my system before I left out.  I know for this coming Sunday's 10-miler that I will need to plan out my fueling better - in other words, make arrangements to eat something halfway through my WALK.  Oh...and in case you were wondering, I did drink the entire 72 oz out of my camelbak by the time I hit my front door.  I was kinda bummed about this because I had hoped the 72 oz would be enough for the entire half marathon, but...apparently that won't work.

I immediately took off my shoes and socks once I got inside...RELIEF!  I then noticed chafing!  CHAFING!  I didn't think about my arm hitting the strap from my camelbak.  Doh!  I will know where to Vaseline it up next time!  I took this picture of myself with my phone cuz the battery was dead in my camera.  There was one small area on my shirt dry.  Weird.  The rest of me was soaking wet.  I couldn't wait to hit the shower and use my minty wash to cool me down.

After I was all clean, I got dressed for my MUCH needed massage.  It could not have come at a better time.  I went ahead and made an appointment for another one after this coming Sunday's 10-miler!

I grabbed lunch at Lenny's Subs.  I was ravenous at this point.  Then I took my lunch to my parent's house and hung out with them until later when my mom and I met older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay at the movie theater to see Friends with Benefits.  Probably not the most appropriate movie to watch with one's mother, but it was hilarious!

All in all, it was a lovely weekend - once again rejuvenating me for the week ahead.

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend, as well!  =)

Weekend Goals

I have some goals this weekend!

#1 - there will be house cleaning
...well, to be fair, I'm not gonna clean the whole house.  It could all use a good scrubbing, mind you, but there are only so many hours I'm willing to commit to this undertaking in one weekend.  I've gotten really lazy on my household chores since I started working so many hours unfortunately.  =/  BUT...no sense dwelling.  The rooms that will be cleaned/scrubbed are:  the kitchen, the dining room, the family room, the guest bathroom, my bedroom, and my bathroom.  My grand plan is to get this all done before family lunch on Saturday.  Fingers crossed, y'all!

#2 - there will be half marathon training (hopefully in my new shoes).
...I will do 4 miles on Friday night and 8 miles on Sunday morning.  Goal pace = 15:30 (walking)

#3 - there will be biking
...no, no...still not ready or able to mentally get out on a road bike (scared), but I will ride my new recumbent bike which is strategically placed in my family room for 1 hour Saturday morning and 1 hour Saturday evening.

#4 - there will be calorie counting
...love the myfitnesspal application on my phone and will be using it to track my food, water, and exercise beginning tomorrow.  My goal net calories is 1400 per day.  We will see how I do!  On a side note, did you know that the application has a UPC code scanner you can use which will upload the nutritional info to your profile?!  how awesome is that?!?!

#5 - there will be "pamper me" time
...European facial scheduled for 2:30pm on Saturday (thank you, Groupon).  Deep Tissue massage scheduled for 11:00am on Sunday (thank you, Tamu - my new massage therapist).  I may even try to work in a MUCH needed pedi.

#6 - there will be sleep!
...7-8 hours per night - NO EXCUSES!  yep...been a bit bad about going to bed at a decent hour this whole week.  Bad Kim!

#7 - there will be TV watching.
...I have Sesson 4 of Dexter and Season 3 of Big Love just waiting to be watched.  They were Christmas presents, y'all, and I still haven't watched them yet!  What gives?! 

So...there you have my goals.  What are yours?

random stuff

I got my new recumbent bike on Tuesday afternoon at work.  My dad convinced me I should let one of the guys at work put it together instead of trying to do it myself.  Turns out this was a smart idea as my dad had to help the dude put it together...it was a bit complex.  My dad was then soooo soooo nice and brought it over to my house for me.  He kept trying to help me out further by placing it, but I couldn't have him do that since I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted to make the room work.

As a kid, I LOVED moving furniture around in my bedroom.  I thought it such an adventure to have a different room design.  Unfortunately for me, I have a small home and a fondness for furniture.  This means there is very little room for my creativity.  =/

I had a vision, however, and carried it through.  I was afraid, you see, of having to get rid of my coffee table ottoman that I absolutely adore.  I managed to make it work without going to such extremes.  I just moved things around a bit to give my bike a great view of the TV.  I do, however, feel a bit guilty.  In case you haven't caught on, my one true love Penelope went blind over a year ago.  She is 10 years old and was raised in my house, so she knows it forward and backward.  It's kind of mean to move things around at this stage in the game, but I think she will figure it out.

Another issue I've been having lately is with my WiFi.  I apparently forgot my passkey.  So, I've been all old school connected through what seemed like an endless supply of wires.  I had no clue how to create a new password or reset my router, so I did some Google-searching, learned how, and managed to do it ALL BY MYSELF.  Mind you...I'm not very computer savvy, so this was a BIG deal to me!

In other news...found out today that my Galveston Seawall Half scheduled for November 19th has been canceled.  This makes me sad as it seemed like a really cool race.  Ah well...maybe they will do it again next year!

and then there is...training.

Training is going...okay.  Since I made the decision to walk The Hottest Half (not a decision I'm proud of, but one that is necessary for survival), I've determined that the new shoes I bought aren't going to make the grade.  They are a really great motion control shoe for "the heavier runner".

New Balance 1012

I like them as far as comfort and feel go, BUT it's a heavy shoe.  The weight is 12 oz.  Yikes!  I did some shopping on Amazon last night and found a lighter (7 oz) shoe (a cross-trainer) that I think will be better for the walk.  With training wearing the heavier shoe, though, I should be super speedy once I get to lighten the load!  ha!

New Balance Women's WX20 NB Minimus Training Shoe

Last, but not least...I got the biggest craving EVER for green bean casserole.  I decided to feed the beast and make me some.  I forgot to take a picture (bad blogger), but trust me when I tell you it turned out delish and it was oh so simple to make.  I just took one can of 98% fat free cream of mushroom and whisked in 3/4 of a cup of skim milk.  I added salt and pepper to taste and then a 19 oz bag of frozen green beans that had been thawed out.  Next, I took a small can of French's fried onion and put all but the last 1/4 in the mixture.  I poured the mix into a casserole dish, topped it with the remaining onions, and baked it on 350 for 45 minutes.  I've determined that 1 cup is about 200 calories.  That's a lot of green bean casserole happiness!

So, that's about it in a nutshell.  I guess I've been kind of boring the last few months with my posts.  Welcome to my world - haha!

Hope y'all are having a lovely week!

I heart my weekends!

I started off my weekend the right way.  I met up with my friend Amy for dinner at Alicia's Mexican Grille.  Do you know how I met Amy?  I always say she is the only good thing that ever came to me from Craig's List.  I did the dating thing for a while (no, that isn't how I met her) via Craig's List and although I met a couple of nice guys, I didn't meet the right guy.  I also met some weirdos, wife cheaters, etc.  I have since vowed to not go that route again, by the way.  Anyway, I posted a CL ad about 3 years ago seeking out a gym buddy and Amy was the only one to answer the ad.  We became fast friends...eventually foregoing the gym for dinner/tv nights at my house once a week.  Amy moved to the other side of town a while back, so our dinners have become less frequent, BUT the good news is that she is moving closer to me (ironically in the same apartment complex I lived in before buying my house) come mid-August, so that makes me happy!

After our delicious fajita dinners, we decided to go to the bar Amy works at once or twice a week for a drink.  I saw this sign in the bathroom and it made me laugh:

I went home relatively early because I had to work for a couple of hours on Saturday.  Boo! 

On Saturday, after work, I decided to hit up Target and Walmart to look at their recumbent bikes.  A wise woman I know encouraged me to purchase either an elliptical or a bike to ride while I'm doing my zoning out (reading, watching tv/movies, etc) thing after work.  This way I'm at least getting some kind of movement in and I can do so in the comfort of my own home.  Target, it turns out, only sells recumbent bikes on-line.  Walmart, on the other hand, didn't let me down.  I found the one I wanted (having done a bit of research on-line) and discovered that I could buy it $15 cheaper on Amazon.com, so I instantly ordered it.  Yay for the Amazon.com application on my phone!  It will be here on Tuesday - can't wait!  =)

I then went home and showered in preparation for my family lunch - this time at ol' faithful BJ's Brewhouse.  I ate the jumbalaya - delish (but my mouth was on fire - haha)!

After lunch, I went home and took a much needed nap.  I was exhausted for the week's work stress.  After a 2+ hour nap, I went to my parent's house for a puppy-welcoming party!  Older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay brought home their cutie patootie little puppies.  They are Shih-Poos (formerly called Shitzapoos) - a Shihtzu/Poodle mixed breed - named Willie and Waylon.  We had the best time watching the puppies play with their new toys and with Oliver!

On Sunday, I went out to do 6 sweaty miles.  I walked them and met my goal pace which was to keep it under 16 min/miles.  I am capable of better...or I will be once I get back into my routine and get into better shape.  Just hoping that 3 weeks is long enough to get me where I want to be!  Lesson here - procrastination does NOT pay off when it comes to race training!

I chilled at the house for a few hours and then I went out to my Meliska's house to hang out with Meliska and Liam!  We had a blast!  I can't get enough of Liam's smiles and laughs!!!

Last night I decided to make the infamous overnight oats (Fit Chick Britt is always posting about them, afterall).  I Googled how to do it (cuz I was too lazy to search through Britt's posts, although I should have) and then I got down to business.  The tip I read was to do 1 part oats to two parts liquid.  I had a peanut butter jar with a little bit of peanut butter remnants hanging out.  I added 1/2 cup of oats, 1 cup skim milk, cinnamon, a Splenda packet, and half a banana (sliced).  I then shook it all up and put it in the fridge.

I couldn't wait to try it this morning (after stirring it up, of course), BUT then...when I did...I was kinda disappointed.  My oats were runny.  I'm a fan of thick oats.  My usual routine is to mix 1/2 cup of oats, 1 cup of water, 1 TBSP Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, and cinnamon and then cook in the microwave for 2 minutes.  It's heaven in my mouth.  These overnight oats have potential, but I think I have to work on the right mix and measurement of ingredients.  Good thing I've been stocking up my "empty" jars of peanut butter!

So, all in all a nice relaxing weekend...just what I needed to get me through another hell week at work!

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend, as well!

blah

I'm in a funk.  A bad funk.  I do nothing but work, think about work, play my Zuma Blitz on Facebook to zone out, read from my current book (Wither by Lauren DeStefano) to zone out, and/or watch my latest obsession on Netflix (Eureka) to...yeah, you guessed it...zone out.  The zoning out is my version of survival mode to get me through this awful summer at work.

I've put on quite a bit of weight over the past few months.  I'm terribly embarrassed over this.  It's not just from a lack of movement.  My diet plan has just been non-existent.  Well, to be fair...every day I wake up with a plan, but my follow-thru sucks.

I've been getting sleep, finally.  That's a plus.  I'm just not happy, though, and my lack of happiness combined with my stress is causing some emotional eating.

I don't have a plan on how to get on the right track.  I know that I have to get this excess weight off of me STAT.  It is making me uncomfortable in mind, body, and spirit.  I used to be so proud of myself and now...I just feel...discouraged, disappointed, disgusted...

My training for my upcoming half marathon is a joke.  You would think I have 4 months before the race by the way I've so nonchalantly done absolutely nothing in preparation. Tonight I managed a pathetic two miles - mostly walking.  My body hated it.  My mind rebelled.  My heart is just...not right.

I have thought about dropping from my race, but well...isn't that just too easy?  What about the next one on Oct. 9th?  Or Oct. 29th?  Am I just going to continue to fall deeper and deeper into a hole I can't get out of?

No...I'm going to face the music and do The Hottest Half.  I just know it isn't going to be pretty and that I deserve the wretched results.

So...until 8/12 when I leave for Dallas...I vow to move every day in someway.  Let's see what I can do in 3 1/2 weeks.  I may still be struggling emotionally, but it's time to put the big girl pants on and do something about it.

sleep, hydrate, eat, and MOVE: the plan

So you promised you wouldn't judge me and that's the only reason I'm showing this to you guys...

This year hasn't quite turned out how I had hoped so far with regards to my weight loss and fitness goals. Desperate times call for desperate measures.  No worries...I feel like I'm getting back on the right path, but let's just say some damage has been done and I've had a few set-backs, so I'm working my way back to where I once was so that progress can be made.  In the mean time...survival mode has been put into place.

Step 1 is to get sleep.  I'm getting that.  The goal is 7 to 8 hours a night.

Step 2 is to hydrate.  I'm doing that.  The goal is to drink 1 gallon of fluids a day (combo of water and Crystal Lite iced tea).

Step 3 is to eat right.  Remember the same game I discussed in an earlier post?  I like that concept and that's how I'm working my week days.  Following the South Beach diet, monitoring my calorie intake, taking cravings into consideration (I have a mad need for oatmeal and chicken salad lately) and sticking to my plan.

Step 4 is to MOVE.  I am not in the same shape I once was.  Sad, true story.  My body and my lungs are just not cooperating.  Three bouts of bronchitis in the past 3 months do not a happy, healthy Kim make.  I created a mileage plan and the goal is just to accomplish the mileage whether it be through walking, crawling running, or skipping (haha) my way to completion.
and here it is:

So, there you have it.  For the first time in a long time, I feel motivated and encouraged.  This is a good sign.  I will keep you posted on my progress!  =)

if at first I don't succeed, GET BACK ON THE WAGON!

How many times have I gotten off track on my diet plan in the past 6 months?  How many times have I had to regroup, recommit, refocus, and all that jazz?  Does it matter?  Point is, I've gotten back on the wagon.

I, like so many other peeps I know (specifically of the female gender) emotionally eat.  When I'm upset, I eat to soothe my soul.  When I'm happy, I eat in celebration.  When I'm mad, I eat to calm my inner beast.  When I'm sick or hurt, I eat to ease my pain.  There is always an excuse, it seems.

I was stressed out over the whole car purchasing thing.

Finally getting into a relationship after a year of not even dating caused me some anxiety as you can't be a 34 year old woman without some emotional baggage from past relationships that creeps in the back of your mind when getting involved in new relationships.

Work pretty much always has me in one tizzy or another.

The pain in my side held me back for almost a week.

Being sick for the past week and a half has put a dent in my training plan for my upcoming two back-to-back half marathons.  My lungs are still not where they need to be, so I haven't been able to run.  I can walk, though, so I have had to reconfigure my plan.  More on this in another post.

My point - if at first I don't succeed - I just need to GET BACK ON THE WAGON until I get it right once and for all!

I'm so sick and tired of trying again.  I know I can be successful - I've proven that.  Remember this girl:

She was me not so long ago.

I know I'm not where I want to be, though, and the only way to get there is to commit to the process - mind, body, and spirit.  I need to stay focused.  I need to remain loyal to my food plan AND combine that with an exercise (cross training) program along with my running schedule to get me to my goal.

I can do it!  I will do it!

Happy April!

No jokes today because I'm not sneaky enough to pull them off.  My smile/smirk gives me away every time.  tsk tsk...

So, I bought a new car this week.  Yeah, that's kind of a big deal.  I mean besides a house it's the most expensive thing a person buys...or at least this person.  It's my second car purchase...I'm practically an old pro.  I wheeled and dealed my way into a 2011 Chevy Traverse 2LT.  Her name is Ruby.  Do you like?

In other news, I found out I will not be able to participate in the 2012 Houston Chevron Marathon as I will be attending my cousin's wedding in Springfield, IL that weekend.  Family is very important to my family, so I know that I belong at the wedding.  This means that I will be changing my registration for The Woodlands half marathon to the full marathon.  This gives me 6 more weeks to train and an extra hour to complete the race (as compared to Houston).  A win/win situation, perhaps?

So, what's in store for April?  The parentals leave for vacation tomorrow which means I will be pulling dog duty at their house for an entire week.  Perhaps this go-around I will actually take advantage of their home gym.  Yes?

I have the Tomball Bunny Run 5K on April 9th.  This is my second repeat race for the year and my second 5K for the year.  Consequently, last year's run gave me my current PR.  I'm hoping to outdo myself and PR-it again.  It's possible cuz I am KIMpossible.  yeah...and a total cheeseball, clearly.  Lauren and Meredith are going to be running their hearts out with me.  Who else is in?

Later that night, I have a date to the Rocket's Game (and killer seats, I might add)!

On April 20th, my brother and sister-in-law are coming into town to celebrate Easter.  I was thinking I was going to be an only child that day as both of my sisters are abandoning the family on Easter in favor of their stupid tropical vacations, but I'm not bitter or anything.  I haven't seen Eddie and April since Thanksgiving, so I am excited about their visit!

On April 23rd, I will run my 2nd half marathon for the year - The Hippity Roc Half in Cypress, TX.  If I get my lazy booty into gear and if it isn't too hot out there, who knows, perhaps another PR?  I'm on a roll here!

Of course, we know that April 24th is Easter AND it's my double cousin Danielle's birthday - 17 - ye gads.

Last, but not least, I leave out on April 30th for my vacation.

What big plans are in store for YOU this month?

revamp

Yesterday morning I Tweeted the following:

today is a new day and I'm going to be doing things a little bit differently

What did I mean by that?

Well, a wise woman I know (someone near and dear to me who I call mom) has this saying that goes something like this, "if you always do what you've always done, then you are always going to get what you've always gotten." 

I'm not happy with several aspects of my life right now.  I know that if I get some of it right, then most of the rest will fall into place.

4 MAJOR areas of my life need revamping - sleep, food, exercise, and attitude

They are all interconnected.

I am requiring 7 hours of sleep a night.  I know I have required this before and not followed through.  Believe it or not, I am capable of following a plan.  I will prove it to you (and me)!  =)

I am requiring a food journal of sorts.  Being a South Beacher does not mean calorie counting, BUT we all know calories do count.  I want to be aware of what I'm putting in my mouth as I have been quite guilty of emotional eating lately.  I downloaded an application for my phone (My Fitness Pal) and I have started documenting my food.  This way I can eat within my plan, monitor the calories I'm consuming, AND be accountable for everything I'm putting in my system.  I've also come to realize that it's okay to feel hungry.  What a concept!  Let's just accept that and move on.

I am requiring cross training.  I have found myself relying solely on running.  Isn't that what got me into trouble to begin with (think pelvic stress fracture)?  I was supposed to be incorporating cross training as soon as I was released back to running.  Yeah, that lasted 3 weeks.  Bad Kim!  I need to do a minimum of 3 runs per week, but I also need to be cross-training twice a week with weights and/or cardio.  Consider it done!

Last, but not least...attitude.  I'm a quitter.  I know this.  I'm my own worst enemy.  I know this.  I'm a self-saboteur.  I know this.  WAIT A MINUTE.  I have been all these things.  Just because I have been doesn't mean I still need to be, if that makes any sense.  I am the one who makes the choice of which path I follow.  I can choose a path of positive thinking.  I can follow the mantra of "if at first I don't succeed, try try again".  I can stop being a defeatist and start being a realist.  Getting to my goal weight is going to take time, patience, and a whole lot of hard work.  Getting to my fitness goals is going to take time, patience, and a whole lot of hard work.  Since when have I shied away from hard work?  The patience issue...well that's the ticker for me, now isn't it?

I just signed up for another half marathon - The Chicago Monster Dash - October 29th.  This is the 4th official one for the year.  I've yet to sign up for the See Jane Run October 9th Austin half and the TriGirl 13.1 which should be returning to Humble (Houston area) in December.  Assuming I hit these 2, that will be 6 for the year.  Who is this girl?!  She is me.

I want to be eating 13.1 for breakfast.  That's something I won't have to journal - ha!

BUT for right now...let's just get me to my first half for the year, my first post-injury half for the year.  It will be here in less than 5 weeks and I'm not even close to being ready.  It's crunch time.

So, it's the dawn of a new day with a new plan to get me where I need to be.

Bring it.

Second day SUCCESS!

I promise you that my intention was never really to go day by day to report to you my successes and/or failures. not really anyway.  I prolly won't.  maybe.

We know Monday was a fail.  kinda.  I mean I ended up getting a really yummy quiche and great asparagus soup out of the night, so that's something.  I just didn't nail my list.

Tuesday, on the other hand...well that was a success!  Redemption is mine (um...at least for the moment).

Tuesday's goals were as follows:  up at 5:45am, play my games for 1 hour, clean the floors and guest bathroom, watch two TV shows from my DVR, do kettlebell DVD, read one chapter from my book while taking an Epsom Salt Bath, in bed by 9:30

Since I went to bed at 10:15 last night and woke up at 5:45 this morning, I actually got 7 1/2 hours of sleep.  This is a rarity!  After work, I came home and dealt with my beasts dogs.  I then reheated some quiche.  I didn't end up eating my soup because I ate half a bag of steamed brussell sprouts for a late lunch so I was kind of all green-veggied out.  I then played my games for an hour and watched one more episode of Modern Family from my DVR.  Oh then guess what?  It was time for Glee - yay!  So I watched that and then changed into my running gear and headed out the door after taking some glamour pics.  There was to be no kettle bell workout for me since I had a make-up run to take care of.  The plan was 3, but secretly I knew my route would give me about 3.5 miles.  I was not feeling intervals for whatever reason, so I decided to just run my mileage outright and see what happened.  Up until this run, the most I had run outright since my injury was 2 miles.  I did 3.5 last night - no intervals - no walk breaks!  Can I get a "whoa"?  I consider that to be a win!  The best part was that I maintained the same pace I had been running at the 2 mile mark without intervals and the 5 mile mark with intervals.  weird.  So...I don't know what I'm going to do with regard to my 5K coming up in a week and a half.  I guess I will wing it for the time being.  Either way it doesn't look like a PR is possible, but then again...my game face hasn't been on either.  A race + spectators + competitive Kim = all kinds of crazy!

I came home from my run and cooled off.  I then cleaned my floors.  Didn't get to the guest bathroom, but I'm not gonna beat myself up over that one.  Next up was my Epsom salt bath.  It was awfully nice to soak in that puppy while catching up on my book - I managed 3 whole chapters in my book - "Such a Pretty Fat" by Jen Lancaster.  I may or may not have gone to bed a bit on the late side, but hey...I ain't perfect....I'm me.

This morning I registered for The Woodlands Half Marathon which isn't until NEXT March 3rd (you know...2012).  I'm sure you must be thinking I'm a little premature (which is better than immature,  so I'll take it).  I'm just sure they will fill up their 7500 slots fast, so I'm not taking any chances.  Part of me soooo badly wanted to sign up for the full, BUT without running my first full until January 2012 (Houston Chevron), I just can't commit to another one. 

In other news, I've been working on coming up with my outfit for my brother-in-law's 80s-themed birthday party at the end of this month.  I finalized my masterpiece, y'all.  Wait until you see.  It's gonna be RAD!  That will be such a fun blog post!!!

That's all I have for you for now.  Have a good day, party peeps!

bye bye bag ladies

I know I've mentioned before how undisciplined and unruly I am.  It's true.  I'm not proud of this, mind you.  I think it has something to do with my hair.  What chance did I have?  There must be a direct correlation!  If you too suffer from frizzy, crazy mop-top syndrome AND you lead a well-balanced/managed life then please keep it to yourself.  I'd rather live in my la-la land of denial than face the facts that I'm just lazy and disturbed!  ;)

Now that we got that out of the way...

I don't sleep anymore.  It's not that I can't sleep, it's just that I don't.  I stay up to ridiculous hours and then I wake up at the crack of dawn.  I only get around 5 hours of sleep per night.  This is not healthy.  This is not conducive to being productive.

What am I doing up so late?  I'm hesitant to even tell you.  It's so ridiculous.  I'm not watching TV or movies. Oh no.  My DVR is getting ridiculously full!  I have Season 3 of Big Love and Season 4 of Dexter all brand new in their packages fresh from Christmas just waiting to be watched. I'm not cleaning or working out.  I'm not reading or taking a nice leisurely bath.  Nope.  I'm playing games.  Mostly Zuma Blitz and Rummikub.  See...pathetic.  I play Zuma because I'm really good at it.  I typically walk away from the week with the #2 score.  The #1 score always goes to a girl who went to high school with me.  I have threatened to drop her as a FB friend so that I can be #1.  She thinks I'm kidding.  I'm kinda kidding.  =D  I play Rummikub because it's mostly a game of strategy (there is a bit o' luck involved).  The really stupid thing is that I find myself getting really really intense playing Zuma and getting really really angry playing Rummikub.  Aren't games supposed to be fun?  I think the work-up of my emotions so late at night prevents me from feeling tired which leads me to staying up so late which leads me to playing later and...I think you get the idea.  It's only after one of the dogs puts herself to bed and the other one whines incessantly for hours that I finally give in and go to bed. 

My eyes have bag ladies under them.  Yes, that's right.  Bag ladies. 

So, what to do?  I could, of course, just not play the games.  This isn't likely considering my total lack of discipline.  I could, say, limit the amount of time I spend playing the games.  I could incorporate other activities in my life - a, dare I say, balanced life of sorts - tv, reading, cleaning, SLEEPING, etc like I used to have.  I could give myself a bed time.

Anyway, I've decided the best thing to do is to give myself weekly goals established on Sunday or Monday (depending on when I get the post out) and then to follow up on them the next week.   These goals will not be just about exercise, but all walks of life since apparently I need lots and lots of help.

This week's goals:

Monday - make/prep my meal for the week, clean the kitchen, play my games for 1 hour, watch one TV show from my DVR, run 3 miles, read one chapter from my book while taking an Epsom Salt Bath, in bed by 10:45pm

Tuesday - up at 5:45am, play my games for 1 hour, clean the floors and guest bathroom, watch two TV shows from my DVR, do kettlebell DVD, read one chapter from my book while taking an Epsom Salt Bath, in bed by 9:30

Wednesday - up at 4:30am, run 3 miles, clean master bath, play my games for 2 hours, watch one TV shows from my DVR, read one chapter from my book while taking an Epsom Salt Bath, in bed by 10:45pm

Thursday - up at 5:45am, play my games for 1 hour, watch one TV show from my DVR, run 3 miles, read one chapter from my book while taking an Epsom Salt Bath, in bed by 10:30pm

Friday - up at 5:30am, play my games for 2 hours, watch two TV shows from my DVR, x-train for 30 min to an hour, in bed between 11pm and 12am.

Saturday - up between 6am and 7am, run 6 miles, do as I please so long as I'm in bed between 11pm and 12am.

Okay, fingers crossed I can stick with the plan to sing "Bye, Bye, Bye" to these bag ladies beneath my eyes.  Ready, set, GO!

the power of gum (apparently)

Saturday's schedule showed a 3 mile run.  Saturday's 3 miler didn't happen.  =/  Where to start?

I have been bad about getting proper sleep.  I averaged 6 hours per night all week long.  BAD KIM!  I went to bed around midnight on Friday night.  I had the crock pot working away and I'm pretty sure it woke my dogs up around 3am because they insisted on waking me up to "explore" where the scent was coming from.  I couldn't go back to sleep until 4:30.  =/  I didn't set an alarm.  I didn't wake up again until 9:45.  I am currently taking a couple of medications that require me to wait 30 minutes in between taking and then another 30 minutes before eating.  I took the first medication.  I waited until 10:15 and I took the next one.  My plan was to eat something at 10:45, but then I figured since my thighs were still so very pathetically sore from Thursday's 2-miler, that perhaps I should soak them in an Epsom salt-bath for a little bit (uh...maybe I should have done that the night before).  Next thing I know, it's 11:15.  OH CRAP!  Family lunch is at 12:30.  I'm a super slow turtle runner - especially since I have extra calcification on my pelvis slowing me down, so I need to book it - STAT!  I never had breakfast.

I leave the house.  I had already stretched, so that was good.  I did not remember my gum, so that was bad.  I know many of you think I'm a silly girl for insisting that my gum "keeps me hydrated" and helps "regulate my breathing", BUT I really stand by those statements.  One of my meds leaves me quite thirsty, so while 3 miles should not require a drink - especially in these weather conditions - I was dying for one after the first half mile.  I was breathing like I was dying, too, for that matter.  I finally got it somewhat under control for my second mile, but I was so concerned about time and my thighs really were sore, so I decided coming from the bench with only one other 2-miler under my belt, 2 miles was going to have to do.

I was able to plug my Garmin in and compare Thursday's 2 mile stats to Saturday's.  I took 37 seconds off my average pace.  That's pretty impressive!  It could have been that I felt more confident, that it was morning versus evening (after work), but still...  The disconcerting thing was my heart rate.  I forgot to lap out Thursday's run, but I know that my average heart rate for the entire run was 156 bpm.  I did remember to lap out my Saturday run.  My average heart rate for the first mile was a 197 bpm while my average heart rate for the second mile was a 157 bpm.  This made my average a 177 bpm for the run.  The even scarier number was the max heart rate for the first mile - 244!  Yikes!  My max on Thursday was a 177.  What happened yesterday?!  Was this all because of the gum?!  Lesson learned - never ever leave home without it!  Rest assured, I will be keeping an eye on this, however, as I know that 244 is not a good number.

In the end, I'm okay with only doing 2.  I don't want to push myself.  I don't want to re-injure myself.  I want to be able to have a successful journey this year!  I would rather have a good 2 miler, than a crappy 3 if that makes sense.

Since I got my doctor's full release, I am now ready to move onto that other part of THE PLAN regarding picking out at least one 24-Hour Fitness class to attend per week.  I've picked out this week's class.  I'm a bit nervous about it, but I told myself that if I hate it, I don't have to go back to this one.  It's Tuesday @ 6pm and it's called the 24S.E.T.  Here's the description from their website:  This cardio/strength combination class alternates strength exercises to sculpt every major muscle group with easy to follow step moves.  Hmmm...easy to follow?  We'll see about that!  I was never very good at Simon Says or Follow the Leader!

The week's exercise plan:
Sunday - rest
Monday - 2 mile run
Tuesday - 24S.E.T
Wednesday - 2 mile run
Thursday - kettle bell workout (DVD)
Friday - cross-trainer elliptical (with arms) for 45 minutes
Saturday - 3 mile run

There you have it - one 24-hour class, two cross-training arm work-outs, 3 runs - perfect!  We'll check back in Saturday or Sunday to see how I did!  =)

and she shall run free...FINALLY

After 10 whole weeks of being benched, I can finally be proud of my pelvis for healing up so nicely.  I had a follow-up visit with my orthopedic doctor today.  Have I mentioned how great he has been?  Sure, I had to wait an hour in the waiting room for him, but I didn't mind...not really...maybe it had something to do with Angry Birds keeping me occupied, but alas...I digress.  He really takes that time to talk to you...to listen.  I like that.

So, he had mentioned during our last visit that upon my return he wanted to take x-rays.  This confused me since my stress fracture did not show up on the x-rays we took 8 weeks ago.  He explained that the injury was too new at that point and that he should see that the bone has calcified in the new x-rays.  Hmmm...interesting.  So, I took x-rays and it was soooo cool to see my calcified former stress fracture.

I was told to take it slow and easy and to stop if I feel any pain or discomfort at all.  He said to make sure I'm incorporating cross training into my schedule and to avoid hills for the time being.  I asked if I needed to start out on that horrible awful treadmill and much to my delight he said it wouldn't be necessary.

So, I have 11 weeks to prepare for my next half marathon - Dallas Rock 'n' Roll on March 27th.  I've created a schedule based on Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training guide, but modified to fit my needs.  I'm excited, but kind of a little scared to get started.

Oh and another thing...since I've last run, some cRaZy things have happened.  The time has changed.  The weather has changed.  It is now dark in the morning before work and it is now dark in the evening when I get home.  Even though it has been in the 60s and 70s the past week or so, the air is damp and I find myself being so chilled.  However am I going to deal with the really cold temperatures we get?!  It's all going to be one big adjustment, but I can do it!

So, Saturday's big huge "long" run is going to be a 3-miler.  Sounds rough, huh?!  ;)  Don't laugh, but it probably will be for me since it has been 10 weeks since this girl has run and over a month since I've worked out.  When the doc said REST IT to HEAL IT, I did just that!  So, cheers to a new season of running - hopefully this one will be injury free and worry free so that I can run free!

The Plan Part 1: Health & Fitness

A new year for most means resolutions.  Let's face it...many resolutions will be made, but not so many will see their way through the year.  It's sorta human nature.  Why?  We get bored...  We get tired...  We get lazy...  It's too hard...  We don't want it bad enough...  Take your pick.  All of the above, perhaps?

2009 started off as a year full of intentions and fizzled out turbo fast.  I somehow picked it back up in July and started on my weight loss journey losing 65 lbs by Christmas.  I also incorporated regular exercise into my life at that time, as well.  For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was on the right path.

2010 started off as a year full of continuing what I had begun in July, but with a new twist...a new challenge...RUNNING!  I managed to lose another 40 lbs, I ran my first 5K, my first 10K, my first half marathon, and many other races.  I dealt with my first two injuries, as well - first hip tendonitis for 4 months in my right hip, and then an anterior superior iliac spine avulsion (pelvic stress fracture).  I weigh less than I have since I entered into high school and with the exception of my little pelvis issue, I feel great.  I didn't maintain my weight loss goals, however.  You see, for 10 months I practiced abstinence from the foods I was not allowed to eat.  Once I started allowing the occasional treat, it was like opening the flood gates and it became harder for me to manage the diet portion of my weight loss, so I became stagnant in that arena.

2011 is the year of finishing what I started.  I will reach my weight loss goals.  I will reach my fitness goals.  They go hand-in-hand, I realize.  By weighing less, I will be a better, stronger runner.  I will once again train for a marathon (Houston Chevron 2012) and hopefully, this time, injury will not prevent me from seeing it through.  I am working on a plan.  It is not practical to go the abstinence route, but on the same token, I need to practice a little better discretion on what I choose to splurge on.

Goals =

50 to 70 lb continued weight loss (the window exists because I've never known a normal weight as an adult (well since I was 8 years old, for that matter), so I have no idea what will look good / feel good on my frame) following the South Beach Diet

minimum of 50 miles per month = 600 miles for the year (368.6 miles in 2010)

complete 4 half marathons (already picked them out cuz that's how I roll)

compete in a minimum of one race a month (yes, even in the horrid wretched summer heat)

compete in my first mini triathlon (and if I like it, do a second one)

cross train with a concentration on arms at least 2x per week

cross train with one 24 hour fitness class per week

train for 1 marathon

work towards a 36 minute 5K (previous 5K PR is 39:40)

bring my lunch to work every day (unless I have a scheduled lunch date with a friend)

There are my goals!  What are yours?

By the way...My Christmas post is totally coming...I just haven't uploaded my pics yet cuz work has been a bit nutty!

no half marathon for me

Went back to the doctor today...

Not a big shocker that he said walking the RunGirl 13.1 would NOT be a good idea.  For the record, I'm still picking up my race packet, though.  Long sleeved tech t-shirt?  Yes, please!  Technically I paid for it, right?  I may not have earned it, but well...circumstances beyond my control.

He went into his spiel about 4 to 6 weeks for recovery.  I explained to him that this weekend will make 6 weeks since my last run, so I don't understand why we don't have more progress.  He countered with the whole...4 to 6 weeks once I *rest* it.  Huh?!  He suspects that all the walking around in the parks was a wee bit counterproductive to my recovery.  He then explained my elliptical usage should be on a low incline.  Ohhh....ooops!  I was mostly doing my mileage on the weight loss program which is kinda up and down.  Yeah, apparently that wasn't right.  Well...in my defense, I had not done the elliptical in 3 weeks either.  He said stress fractures are tricky and we have to be patient.  Hmmm...back to that whole patience thing.  Yeah, I don't have any of that.

He told me that these things never happen at a convenient time - it's always when someone is working hard for something which is what makes it so devastating.  He was quite sympathetic, which I appreciated, BUT well...we had one more matter to discuss...  I asked him about the Aramco Houston Half.  I explained that I had knocked my full down to the half and was now wondering what my status was going to be for this race.  He said he wants to see me in another month and we can evaluate at that time.  I told him that I have until 12/19 to bail out.  He said he hates to tell me I can't do something I've been working towards and then asked me if I could walk that one...he would feel better if I walked that and thought I would be in a position to walk a half marathon in another 7 1/2 weeks.  Um...that's not how I saw me taking Houston.  It has a 4 hour time limit for the half, so yeah...I could totally walk it in that time, BUT this isn't what I wanted...this isn't how I imagined it.  It's bad enough it isn't the race I initially signed up for, but now to not even be able to RUN the half...  I know what you are thinking...I was perfectly willing to walk the RunGirl 13.1 if he would have allowed me to.  It's different.  RunGirl 13.1 is like a local half...it was part of my training...Houston was the big ticket item.  I don't want to do it half-assed.  Houston has a policy in place that if you can't race, you can defer your registration for 2012 (by 12/19).  I have an email out to the committee to find out if they will honor my full marathon registration since I had prematurely knocked my registration down to the half 3 weeks ago.  Regardless of their answer, I will be deferring my registration to 2012...come half or come full.

So, there you have it.  No RunGirl 13.1.  No Aramco Houston Half Marathon.  Just me wishin', hopin', and prayin' for a full recovery in the next 4 weeks so that I can get back in the game.  I only have a year to prepare for a marathon, after all, and we all know it's gonna take me that time to get my act together - mind, body, and spirit!

Weekend Recap

Friday
My dad and I flew out at 7:25am to Chicago for our annual management meetings.  We pulled the whole aisle/window seat game hoping nobody would be in the middle seat and...IT WORKED!  Yay!  Had to finish reading a book that was required reading for the meetings.  =/  When it was done, I started reading a book recommended by my friend, LaShaune, called "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" - Essays by Sloane Crosley. 

We were picked up from the airport along with my uncle Mike and then taken to our headquarters to say hello to all the peeps.  After an hour, we were taken to our hotel where we would spend the next 24 hours.

First was lunch, then meetings, followed by the award banquet.  The last 2 years, my service center walked away as The Big Winner, so it was a bit humbling to not receive the same honors this year.  =(  We did earn 3rd place in customer service and then we had some drivers earn special recognition for their efforts, but it was a bit disappointing because I know we have the skills and the talent to perform better.  I'm beginning  my plan of action to regain our elite status for next year!

Saturday
I decided to go walking with two of my favorite people out of our New Jersey operation at 5am.  Maybe not the wisest choice considering I went to bed at 1am, but hey...I only see these people once a year!  I took my Garmin with me so we would know how far we walked and we hit 3.75 miles in an hour - not too shabby considering I was all kinds of achy (maybe due to the coldish weather?)!  I then showered and met the rest of the peeps for breakfast before we started our meetings.  We had a half a day of meetings followed by lunch and then...that's it until next year!  Most everyone flew home in the afternoon, but since my family is from Chicago, my dad, brother, and I always stay the extra day at my aunt and uncle's house.  We went over there and hung out.  I got my aunt and brother hooked on Angry Birds (cuz my friend Amy got me hooked on it on Thursday).  We were sitting there playing it while my uncle and dad were watching football.  Later we went for a yummy Mexican dinner and then I went to bed because the life had been sucked out of me.

Sunday
I woke up at 5:15am to hit the gym.  14 miles was on the schedule for my running group, so that meant 14 miles on the elliptical.  I downloaded a book on my Nano this time - "Devil in the White City", to help make the time go by faster.  It was hard to get into the groove though - for one thing, this book is strictly a narrative - would have made for a better read, than a listen.  I actually switched over to music for the last 3 miles for a change of pace.  Secondly, these were different ellipticals than I am used to, so the miles were going by more slowly.  I hopped off my elliptical at mile 5 and went on a different machine - not sure what it was called, but it looked sort of like The Gazelle, but a bit more complex.  I only did it for 1/2 a mile because it was a killah and it took me 10 minutes just to do that much - yikes!  Then I went back to the elliptical for the remainder.  It took me 3 1/2 hours for the entirely of the 14 miles (ugh) and I was booking it, so that was kind of obnoxious!  My family was nice enough to wait for me to go eat.  I got back to the house, showered uber fast, and then we went to Walker Bros Pancake House - a staple in my family!  I ordered scrambled eggs, rye toast, and this month's special - pumpkin pancakes!  Yes, I sound gluttonous, but I was HUNGRY after all that work!  When we were parking the car, he pulled into a 2 hour limit spot and I asked him if that was going to be okay.  He answered with, "this ain't no Kim at the gym!"  It made me laugh!  =D  After brunch, we headed back to the house to hang out until our flight.  My dad and I did not fair as well on the ride home, so I kindly did not make some stranger sit between us and scooted over to the middle.  We landed and went to my parent's house.  My mom made us some homemade soup and sugar free / fat free apple cinnamon bread.  I then retrieved my dogs from her care and went to my own home!  Ahhhh...home sweet home UNTIL Saturday when I leave for Orlando!!!  =D

survivor

So I'm notorious for hatin' this whole "dark by the time I get home from work" thang.  It messes with my head.  It doesn't take much to mess with my head, mind you, but still...

Okay...first things first.  I bet you are wondering if I was able to master the 13 miles on the elliptical.  Well...I didn't only master it, I overachieved it by 0.1 of a mile just to make it a half ellipticathalon.  You see 26.2 miles is a full ellipticathalon.  I don't ever want to go that far.  If I do, PLEASE have me committed.

My plan was to hit the gym bright eyed and bushy tailed, but that didn't happen because Runner's World was doing a live blog feed of the ING NY Marathon and I was drawn to it like bees to honey!  I was pulling for Shalane Flanagan to win it for the women, but I was quite proud of her 2nd place finish!  Imagine running your first marathon and finishing 2nd place?!  Bananas!  Then again, when she competed in her first half marathon here in Houston in January of this year, she won it!  She's amazing!

Okay, so once the winners were established, I geared up, grabbed my Powerade Zero and my iPod shuffle and headed to 24-Hour Fitness.  I picked my machine, tested the ol' iPod to make sure there were no technical difficulties and then I was off.  My quad/thigh was a bit achy at first, but I told it to "man-up" and I adjusted the intensity and the incline and eventually found my rhythm.  The machine only allowed me to set it up for 60 minute segments, so after the first 60 minutes, I reset it for another.  About half way through my second 60 minute segment, I had to briefly pop off the machine to refill my bottle - water was gonna have to do it for the rest of my jaunt.  I took that opportunity to stretch my legs.  I hopped back on the machine and finished up that 60 minutes.  I reset the machine for the final 60 minutes knowing full well it wasn't going to take me that long.  I worked on my arm swing during the entire work-out since I know that has been a weakness for me.  I would have killed for an audio book, FYI.  Half ellipticathalons are MEGA BORING!  33 minutes later, I was done.  13.1 miles completed.  I can honestly say I have never before spent 2 hours and 33 minutes in the gym in one segment before.  I would love to say that I will never do that again, but sadly this may not be the case depending on what's going on with my injury.

Good news is that my leg doesn't feel any worse for the wear today.  Honestly - my upper back and shoulders are a mess (from the arm swinging).  Weird, right?!

I was able to make an appointment with the sports medicine ortho at the practice I go to.  The ortho who did both of my ACL knee surgeries ('94 and '98) retired several years back and the ortho who helped me through my hip tendonitis (earlier this year) is a joint specialist, so I decided to go with the sports medicine expert.  This one lists running as his hobby, so he'll understand!

I took today off (as I would after a long run), but I'm hitting up my elliptical new BFF again tomorrow.  I'm planning on a 4 to 5 miler.

Where there is a will, there is a way!  Destiny Child's Survivor popped up on my shuffle while I was laboring away.  The lyrics inspired me.  Here are just a few:

I'm a survivor,
I'm not gonna give up,
I'm not gon' stop,
I'm gonna work harder,
I'm a survivor,
I'm gonna make it,
I will survive,
Keep on survivin'

Oh and I almost forgot to share with you that my blind beagle, Penelope, stole 2 packs of Clif's Shot Bloks, 5 Larabars, 2 Luna Bars, and 2 South Beach bars while I was at work today.  I had a bag full of my goodies on top of my desk in the kitchen and she must have been desperately seeking something/anything to satisfy her hunger?!  Hmmm...guess who is NOT getting dinner tonight.