WEWAWO

Week #3 Check-In

2012-01-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

This last week reality hit. The reality that I am a mother of 5 small children. Including a baby who doesn't sleep through the night yet. The reality that on any given night, one - or more than one - child may wake up throughout the night with an array of different ailments. Which is exactly what happened. Puking to be more exact.

How does this translate into my weight loss? Well, no amount of pretending to be a spry, focused athlete who is driven to get out of bed at 5:30am lasts after being woken up multiple times on multiple nights. Long story short? I chose to sleep in folks, and missed a couple of my workouts.

And since I still can't seem to get the food tracking into a well-practiced habit. Well... there ya have it...

Though, the silver lining is that 4 lbs lost... It's a start, right?

Oh, and the children are sleeping better this week, and I have been that spry, focused, driven athlete. (Now where's that food journal?!?!)

Wk #3:
Weight Loss this week: -.2 lbs
Total Weight Loss: -4 lbs
Pounds to reach goal: 50.8

Eating Goals

2012-01-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

This is what I have typed up, on my fridge.

With one minor tweek.

The Vegetables are first.

Thought I would share.

Iceman Out

Week Two Checking In...

2012-01-17T18:07:00.000-08:00

Ah, I like to eat. I'm sorry, it's a weakness of mine. (Uh, duH!)

This week is was hard to abstain from sweet little nothings (that add up to "somethings") and yummy indulgences that are too common in my house. My goal is to lose at least 2 lbs a week. So, though the weight loss was in the right direction, not entirely what I wanted to see. I sure don't want to be vacuuming out all those cars in June. On to better tracking this week. Keeping up with my food journal always helps me to stay on track.

As for exercise, I did get my 3 weekly runs in, but just barely. I did some internet sluething and realized I have "Posterior shin splints" Geesh they hurt. I guess it's directly correlated to flat feet and no arch support. Oh, how that is me. But I have bought new shoes, have been doing some rolling and stretching. I will add some icing. And hopefully I haven't done too much damage.

Wk #2:
Weight Loss this week: -1 lbs
Total Weight Loss: -3.8 lbs
Pounds to reach goal: 51

Onwards and upwards my friends.

Ice Out (well, and on, my posterior shin splints)!

Rolling Along

2012-01-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

Maverick Here. Just thought I would check in. I am still feeling a little like agreeing to sign up to run a 1/2 marathon on June 3rd is insane given the current state of my life but another part of me thinks the discipline of training for it is exactly what I need and will likely extend into other areas as well. So for now I am marching forward with the idea that I am indeed doing this race.

Currently my training includes no running at all. In fact I haven't done a cardio workout in more than a week. I have however, rolled my leg out multiple times a day, done leg lifts and the IT band stretch everytime I have had a free moment. I have been bringing the foam roller to work and going over to my brother's cube during breaks to roll my leg out. He has basically decided to ignore me, the guys in the cubes near him seem to have accepted the fact that they might come around the corner and see me laying on the floor of Mike's cube. It is like I have a little team of people that now know I am trying to get my leg healed to run and if I don't actually get this knee rehabbed then they will wonder why I spent so much time being weird over at Mike's cube. So that alone is motivating me to continue strengthening my legs and rolling out the injury. I am planning to hit the elliptical this weekend and try a few other cardio workouts this week but will probably wait until next weekend to try a treadmill workout.

My goal is to be ready by the beginning of April to start a formal training program so that gives me 2-1/2 months to rehab my leg and re-build my cardio fitness. Should be a no-brainer.

Also, down 3 pounds. Long term goal, 12 more. Short term goal, 2 more by the end of January. No problem.

--Maverick Out

Be Scared, Mon Frere

2012-01-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

When I first started this blog, I blogged my Weight Watchers weigh-in's each week. It was another good level of accountability, and it was a nice way to give an overview of my week to look at later. So I thought I would start up that tradition again since I am in full-on competition mode with my brothers.

So wk #1:
Weight Loss this week: -2.8 lbs (Yeah!!)
Total Weight Loss: -2.8 lbs
Pounds to reach goal: 52

So who knew that journaling food intake and working out can help you lose weight?! :) This week was the 1st time I have done both of those things, together, in a long time. It's nice to see my efforts reflected on the scale.

So, dear brothers, Watch out, I'm on the move!

7 Stickers!

2012-01-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

Goose In...

I have 7 stickers on my 1/2 marathon training calendar. It is very 1st grade-ish how giddy I get when I finish a workout to go and put my smiley face on the calendar day for that workout, but it works for me!

Some how, some way, I have managed to quickly strip off 5 bloatish pounds in the last week or so. I am so glad. I really wanted to be only 10 lbs up but somehow ended up 15 lbs up and it wasn't pretty. I feel invigorated now that I am starting to get my eating to match my workout efforts and 10 lbs doesn't seem as traumatizing as 15 lbs. Darn it, if food just didn't taste sooo good!

Here is what my my training schedule looks like for the next 11 weeks:
M, W - 3 to 4 mile run
T, Th - rest
F, Su - cross train; bike or ripped in 30 video
Sat - long run, increasing one mile a week

I am still not doing well with my water intake. I just want to drink coffee the entire time I am at work. Must improve on that, will keep you posted. I am eating greek yogurt with granola in the morning, a turkey-no cheese-panini with pesto and sundried tomato spread in the afternoon, and a regular dinner-whatever my husband makes. I have still been drinking red wine but just finished a bottle so I think I will purge that from my diet for awhile. I also have been having a square or two of dark chocolate every afternoon. I think I had a bite of Grace's grilled cheese this afternoon, too. Oh well. I am trying. When I am thin, I really don't eat much, so spare me the comments about that I am not eating enough! :) I am old and it takes less and less to fill up this nearing 40 woman with this slowing metabolism!

That's all for now. Proud of what I am hearing from the Maverick and Iceman camps, and so glad we have Jester and Viper as motivating sidekicks!

more updates soon!
Goose Out!

Rolling Along

2012-01-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

OK First of all. I am hormonal. And I talked to a friend who is also experiencing crazier than normal hormonal episodes who assured me that we are stuck with it for the next 10 years or so. yeah. But there is some progesterone cream at the health food store she has been using and said after a couple months she thinks it is helping. So I will be picking some up tomorrow. Just thought I would share in case there are any other 41 year olds out there.

So I have been a little crabby the past couple days and when I told my husband that I was thinking of going to the Y he pretty much pushed me out the door. And Isabelle was so excited to go play there she practically dragged me out. So I went to the Y.

I was standing at the elliptical machines which I have been using for the past couple months in an effort to give my knee a break but the treadmills were calling me. Especially with this 1/2 marathon looming out there. So I got on and told myself I would take it easy. So I did a 5 minute walking warm up and then I did 5 minutes at 5.5 mph, then I thought I should go to 6 mph after another 5 minutes, then I thought I would just go up to 6.5 for 5 minutes and then go back to 5 mph for 5 minutes and so on. But of course about a minute into the first 6.5 my knee starts hurting. So I walk for a minute and then try to run at 6 mph but it still hurts so I drop down to 5 but it still hurts. Worse than I remember it hurting before I started doing the Elliptical machines.

In the mean time I have an ipod now and I am plugged into my ipod+nike machine which is tracking my workout while I listen to wonderful worship music. And I just really want to run free while I worship the Lord. And it isn't working out!

So I finally have to just walk while I worship and I had a little chat with God about not running. I really want to run but was thinking I might have to give it up. Then I thought about our cousin J, who needs a Top Gun Moniker and I happened to see a scene from the movie this weekend and one of the instructors went by "Jester" and so I hereby proclaim our cousin to be Jester. So Jester had the same injury I have this past year and she worked through it and is able to run again. Ice and lots of let rolling got her through. So I realized that I can experience God's healing for me if I am willing to do the work of caring for myself (I prefer the healing without the work), I worship God by doing the work he has given me. And in this case he has given me an injury that needs attention not ignoring.

So tomorrow morning I am going to work with my foam roller under my arm and will have smoothed out that IT band within an inch of its life by the end of the month. I will call Jester to get her exact rehab plan.

I am off right now to roll out my legs and the ice them while relaxing on the couch the rest of the night.

But I Work...

2012-01-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

OK OK I am here. I have thought of posting several times this fall but instead decided to just let my butt get bigger and bigger and spread further and further across my desk chair. I don't keep a scale at home but I kept telling myself I had only gained about 5 pounds because my pants were all still fitting fine. And I can drop 5 pounds without thinking about it. At least that 5, I gain and loose that 5 all the time.

Then a few things happened simultaneously. My pants felt tight, I realized the jeans I was wearing were a size larger than I normally wear and thus why they felt roomy and I went to a yoga class and spent an hour staring at my butt in the mirror. During that yoga class I kept trying to realign my body because my butt was sticking out so far. Then I decided it was just shadow since the lights are dimmed during the class. So I reached back to confirm my theory and was horrified to realize that was actually my butt. I am one of those people that if I gained 100 pounds it would all live in my lower half. It would not distribute evenly. If I was sitting in a car you would never know I was over weight. During the dark time when I was 10 more pounds than I am right now I still had a flat stomach. It is all in the butt. Anyway, after yoga I went down to find the scale in the locker room and confirm my fears. I am 10 pounds heavier than I was 6 months ago. 10 pounds! In 6 months! NOT. GOOD.

Admittedly that little revelation does have me a bit freaked out and slightly obsessed. Yet one problem remains. I am still working. I still sit at a desk all day, I am still tired after work, have a million things I want to do and somehow rarely get running to the top of the list before bed. It isn't that I never eat healthy or never go work out it is just that I have lost the consistency and it is easy to loose track of how much you have eaten when you are just responding to what each day brings and it is hard to train for a 1/2 marathon when you might go run 3 times one week none the next and once the next and then back to 3 times.

Few thanks for letting me get all those excuses off my chest.

So at this point my intention is to run this 1/2 with Iceman and Goose. I also would like to do the iron girl duathlon. I am toying with returning to Georgia for another triathlon at some point (the water is much warmer down there) but I am not ready to rush into things since I have no clue when I am going to train for anything quite yet.

I did manage to loose 2 pounds before Christmas but the likely hood it has stayed off is questionable. Let's say I gained 1 back so I have 9 more to loose. And I actually have been trying to loose another 5 for years. So if I must start in ernest then I might as well loose that 5 too. So 14 pounds total is what I would like to loose by summer.

I am not sure how committed I am to it since today at lunch I got a vanilla white chocolate mocha from Caribou to finish off my regular sized bowl of pasta from Noodles.

I did have a happy surprise on Saturday. I went in at 9am so Isabelle could go to the 9:15 kids yoga class she loves and noticed they were setting up for body pump which I love but haven't done for months. They normally don't have it until 10:30 which was too late for all I wanted to do that day but it was a special holiday schedule and the class was at 9:15! I quickly checked Isabelle in, and discovered her class was canceled, and rushed back to get my butt kicked by one of the instructors I had enjoyed back when I was an Edina housewife. I am happy to report that while I definitely have been moving slower the last 2 days I was not even in the ballpark of the sore I was the first time I did the class. Which I reason means I have not fallen nearly as far into mush land as I thought I had.

This week my plan is to plan. While planning I will attempt to be aware of what I am eating and where I can exercise.

I have a few thoughts so far:

I have created a 5 day menu that I plan to implement monday-friday for at least the rest of the school year. Spaghetti, pork tenderloin, thai chicken wraps, tacos and pizza. The weekend we can be creative but m-f we are keeping it simple. While these meals may not be overly healthy I find that I loose weight simply by eating at home. I think it is because I eat far smaller portions when I dish up my own food and because my tacos are way less calories than the local mexican restaurant. Ditto for my lunches, salad every day. I love it. Could eat it for dinner too and be happy.

Santa put swim goggles and a cap in my stocking this year to replace the cap and goggles that have disappeared off the face of the earth. I am thinking of going in one morning a week to swim. I will get ready and head to work afterward.

I will do the morning cycle class on Saturday while Isabelle is doing yoga.

I will continue the Wednesday evening yoga class which has been about the only thing I have done the past few months.

That leaves running/elliptical. When will I do this? And I would like to do a body pump class too. Need to figure out what I am prioritizing in my life and schedule. I figure around April 1 it will be light enough and warm enough to run outside in the mornings so I just need to get through the next 3 months in good enough shape to start a training program.

I am not even going to pretend to respond to Iceman's competitive challenge. Just sign me up to detail someones car. I am exhausted thinking about trying to compete. I would be up for some sort of work together and encourage one another along the path plan, but I know Goose and Iceman are both rolling their eyes as they read that.

Smell That Change

2012-01-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

(Tap)...(Tap)...(Tap)... Is this thing on?

Iceman here. No, really, it IS me.

Here it is, January 2nd. And I am excited. It's time to reclaim that body that I let go to child birth and stress about 18 months ago. I know I've been saying the same thing for the last 18 months. But there is a distinct change in the air, smell it? Maybe it's the dawning of the new year. Maybe it's the fact that I have promised no less than 5 people that I WILL run races with them in the spring. Maybe it's that I've gone to see a Dr. that can actually HELP me with my fatigue and eating addictions and I'm finally on the mend from those things. Whatever it is, I'm here. And I'm ready.

So this morning I donned my running shoes, charged up my ipod, and got to the gym for the 1st time in a couple of weeks. And today I've been faithfully journaling my food in my favorite food tracker. I even made myself a great big, 10 day countdown, sugar detox page to hang on my refrigerator. (That part has me a little terrified, can I go 10 days without sugar?)

(*gasp*)

My favorite part of this morning was to be able to text my brothers and toot my own horn that I had gotten my work out in already.

See, were in a competition.

We are all on the "chubby" side. Genetics, environment, who knows. But the fact is that all three of us struggle with our weight and have had varying degrees of success over the years. But we've all ended up chubby right now. Why not make it a little interesting. :) So, to whoever loses the most percentage, plus runs these two races... go the spoils. Namely have all your cars detailed cleaned by the other two. (My brothers have a side incentive of whoever wins gets the others motorcycle for a year, but my husband wouldn't let me bet his... Where's the faith, right?)

Let the trash talk begin.

It's nice trash talk, motivational trash talk. But every work out and weigh-in is definitely being trumpeted loudly. (or texted, twittered, emailed, blogged... you know)

So take a good deep breath and smell the change in the air. (Though it might be the stench from my old sneakers so brace yourself. )

Game On.

Crawling out of the chip bag with crumbs on my chin...

2012-01-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

...goose in.

So I have 4 stickers on my 1/2 marathon training chart this week! I am so sore! But sore where it counts, namely the thighs. Whew, those things go so wrong when I stop exercising and eating well. Darn genetics!

I ran 3 times this week, 3 miles each, and did one day of Cross-Training by doing the new Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30, now hereby known as just "Ripped". I found the first week routine to be easier than the first week routine in the Shred.

My eating is having a harder time coming back together. I just love salty, crunchy chips! And red wine! And cheese! If I eliminated these three things, life would be good. I am working on it.

I am also intrigued by a book Iceman told me about called Wheat Belly. I am going to try and pick it up and start reading it this week. Basic premise is that I need to cut back on wheat in my diet.

I am very determined to get myself back in shape and make that scale say what it is supposed to say by the 1/2 marathon in March.

Iceman--where is my ticker???

Goose out.

HALF!

2011-12-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

Goose In.

Today I ran 3 miles in what will now be known as my first day of training for my half marathon on March 18. I am officially obsessed and excited. It is my "before I turn 40" goal and I have just one year left to make it happen!

Grand plans were made earlier today with Iceman to put ourselves in the lottery (with Maverick and cousin J????) for the Grandma's 1/2 marathon in Duluth, MN next summer when we trip up there. But I got myself all excited and started looking around GA and remembered the popular Publix half marathon in March.

This is exactly 11 weeks and 4 days away and I have become quite the couch potato in the past 10 months since I began working, so I wasn't sure if I had enough time to train, but I found a totally doable 12 week training schedule and since i inadvertantly just happened to run 3 miles today which is on the 2nd week training schedule, I have decided to jump in!

So, Iceman, get that ticker ready for my March 18th half marathon! While you are at it, get the ticker going for the Iron Girl Sprint Tri that Viper and I are doing May 20th.

Let's get some unfinished business out of the way first, though. Where have we all been anyway?? Well, we are all growing in girth and mushing up, I think that is for sure. Lots of excuses, top being Mav and I going back to work after 17 and 12 years at home, and Iceman-well, she just can't stop having babies! But I think we have all officially had our "come to Jesus" meetings in front of the mirror and I hope I am not the only one you will be hearing from more frequently on here from now on.

i have decided that i will forever be gaining and losing the same 10 (ok, fine, 15) lbs. There is no secret how it happened here. It is easier to chose not to work out and eat well. Working at a computer for the first part of the day and then tumbling home to a thousand activites for my 4 gems makes it a good excuse to just not find the time to make it happen. I want to find some excuse for the gain and the mush, but the only real excuse is I stopped moving and started shoving cheesy nachos and wine in my face every night! :) maybe you can relate. or not. then you are Viper. She is a freak of nature. We just won't discuss her right now. (love you Viper).

So, Iceman and Maverick, I am calling you out. What is your truth to reveal here? Bring it on. Let's resurrect Wewawo! Looking forward the health and fitness challenges we will tackle in 2012!

Goose Out
(ICEMAN--get my tickers going!)

Former Athlete.

2011-10-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

We are all just a sad lot.

Goose here. What have I been up to? A science experiment. How long can a person maintain their weight and fitness level without purposing to exercise and eat well?

Somehow, with a side factor of stress, which for me manifests itself in an inward shriveling up, I have managed to maintain within 5 lbs my superfit weight. However, things are a jiggling 'round here.

It's true, I stopped exercising pretty much all last winter, much to Viper's dismay and harrassment. Spring and Summer were not much prettier, but I threw in a handful of Shreds and runs to remind my body that it likes to move.

Then, I got a "jenius" (spelling intentional) idea to sign up for another triathlon in order to force myself into regular workouts in order to train. Well, race day came with only a few shreds and runs, a couple stationary bike workouts and zero swim workouts under my belt. I like to live on the edge.

So the sprint triathlon was Oct. 2. I arrived with Viper in good spirits, having reconciled that I knew I could do each portion, just not sure I could do them all together, but that I would certainly be able to finish even if it wasn't pretty.

A formula developed in my mind. A science experiment of sorts. A graph plotting of training vs. health vs. outcome. This would be my third triathlon. And so, taking my experiences into account, here were the three styles of preparedness I have entered these triathlon: 1. Well trained, but deathly ill with bronchitis. 2. Very well trained and very healthy. 3. Untrained and very healthy.

The question was, which type of preparedness is the fastest and which is the slowest?

It takes no scientific genius to know that the well-trained and healthy was my fastest and best time, but I wondered about the other two: trained and unhealthy vs. untrained and healthy.

During the race I actually felt great. I was in a good mood, I found a steady pace, I had fun. So when I finished I think I had higher expectations for my time than it actually turned out. Turns out that trained and unhealthy enough to end up in an ambulance after my first triathlon was FASTER than my untrained and healthy triathlon! Wow. I wouldn't have guessed that!

But, I had FUN! I felt GREAT! I stayed STEADY. And I decided to be proud that, as Viper said, with a handful of shreds and a couple runs I was still fit enough to get out there and do a triathlon!

I have high hopes for getting back out there to run. I have 14 months before I turn 40 and have decided I would like to run a 1/2 marathon before then. Possibly this coming spring. So that is my new goal I will aim for and try to get my training groove back on. In my defense, I started working last spring and have not figured out how to incorporate regular exercise since then. Any suggestions?? (and remember I have a family of 6 and several animals that need me so it is not as simple as just doing it after work!)

Good to be back, I will try and not be a stranger. Maybe I can even dig Maverick and Iceman out of the woodwork. Mav is working full time now and Ice has 5 homeschooling kids, but that baby of hers is almost one and its time to get back to fighting shape!

Perhaps we should plan the 1/2 marathon for next summer in MN, ladies? We need to give Jessy a moniker and she can do it with us!

Goose Out

I'm Still Standing

2011-07-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

I am not a fast runner. Nor do I run particularly far. I like to run 3 miles during my workouts but sometimes I run 4 and sometimes I run 2, since starting working and with my knee injury sometimes I just walk 2 miles. One morning I just walked the 1/2 mile loop around the block and came home because I didn't have a lot of time but I wanted to get my blood pumping before I started the day.

Over the past year or 2 you have read on this blog the workout adventures of Iceman, Goose and I. Goose was a busy over achiever placing high on triathlon ratings and running 10 mile races in impressive times. Iceman was distracted with babies but in her heyday regularly ran 5 miles and finished a 10K several minutes in front of me a few years ago. They both train hard and deserve the accolades of success that go with their hard work.

BUT,

I am still standing. Still running. Still moving my body. I may go through ups and downs. More or less training, occasional weeks of neglect. BUT, I keep getting up, keep starting over, keep moving forward.

BECAUSE,

I know I have won the race simply by walking out my front door and not by how much I accomplish once I leave.

And now I find myself making the guilt call to Iceman in the morning to make sure she is returning to her workouts post baby number 5 and wondering if Goose's friend H, or Viper as we like to call her, is still taunting her with workout success.

I am sure eventually they will both pull themselves together and blow past me once again but you have to admit there is something to this slow and steady thing.

That's all I have to say about that.

The 10K that almost was

2011-05-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

It wasn't mean to be. My 10K run. It wasn't meant to be. I enthusiastically started training in January and was even still looking pretty good through Febrary. Then something went wrong, I forget what now, probably the weather, and I just sort of lost my enthusiasm for the task. However, up to 3 weeks before the planned run I still intended to do it. Then 2 weeks before the run I started to waiver but I was feeling a little guilty. After all I stated my goal an made Iceman put the counter on this blog and all.

Mom and Dad to the rescue! I was flown out at the last minute to Florida where my parents winter to drive my mom home because my dad hurt his back and couldn't make the drive. So while hundreds of other winter weary runners in Minnesota braved what I am sure was horrible weather for the sake of the first spring run, I was on a lonely road somewhere in Illinois speeding toward home with my mom and daughter in tow.

I did have one wonderful run in paradise and then me knee hurt so bad I abandoned running the rest of the trip. Knee pain frustration can be a future post.

Just thought I would share.
Maverick Out.

That was a little unsettling

2011-04-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had an opportunity to help our boy scout troop raise money for camp scholarships by working at shift at the "brat wagon". We sold burgers, brats and dogs from a cart outside a local grocery store. I had the early shift this morning starting at 10am and ending just as the lunch rush started. It was nice to help out the troop. I ended up manning the grill warming up the pre-cooked meat. I found the experience a little unsettling.

Who is buying a brat at 10am? Well, fat people. Until a little before noon when normal lunch time begins we did not have a single normal weight person purchase food. A few bought 2 meals, a burger and a brat which comes with 2 bags of chips and 2 cans of pop. One guy rolled up in the grocery stores automatic cart because he could barely walk and said he needed to finish his cigarette before he could order! I kept wondering if any of these people had ever seen the "Biggest Looser". I felt like I was watching a scene from one of the contestants "life before" videos.

This past week I read something in Family Circle Magazine where they guy asks what a couple eating chili cheese fries, a couple eating deep friend calamari and a mom eating an extra large deep dish pizza have in common? They all told the doctor, "I can't control what my kids eat." Funny, sad, true. I can't help but ask myself some days if I am not the reason my daughter won't eat anything. I mean I do eat lots of veggies and I love healthy food but I would be lying if I claimed I didn't introduce more than my share of unhealthy food into her diet and enjoy those foods myself. It was definitely a little unsettling.

Since I was feeling so unsettled after the brat wagon I went into the grocery store and bought lots of veggies, went home and made a salad (of course I heated up chicken nuggets for Isabelle. Try not to judge me.) Then I went to the gym to work out. Turns out the other thing unsettling is my food when I work out in the afternoon. I guess I should go back to pre-meal work outs.

Just thought I would share.

Learning to train

2011-03-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

I have been working away here training for my 10K. And then again, not so much. But I haven't given up! The 8 week training plan I am going to follow just started this week so although I haven't pulled it out yet I am hardly behind at this point. I have learned a couple things in the past couple weeks about my personal fitness.

Number One:

It turns out the longer I walk before I start running the longer I can run before my knee hurts. So doing a 2 minute power walk and then cranking up the speed on the treadmill means I cannot run for 30 minutes but walking for 5 minutes or more before cranking up the speed means I am just starting to feel a little soreness 3 miles later. In other words I need to park really far from the starting line and get in a good walking warm up.

Could be a life lesson in this. Don't rush in to things too quickly. There is some saying about walking before you run. I always thought it had to do with kids learning to walk but who knows. Maybe the real lesson is simply to know your body.

Number Two:

I could run at 5.5 miles per hour on the treadmill ALL DAY LONG. I don't even have to engage my brain in the task. I could just go and go and go forever. Yet somehow I feel compelled to run at 6 miles an hour because I think that is where I am supposed to run. I mean I can run quite a while at 6.0 but I have to concentrate so much harder.

After discussing it with my husband we decided that 5.5 is my optimum zone 3 fat burn speed. It is the perfect place where I am not going so fast I am only burning sugar but not so slow I am doing nothing. My perfect all day long mid point. For the longer runs this is where you want to train your body to hang out. Not sure that 6.2 miles is considered a long run by most people but it is long to me.
So I have no idea what that means for my training but I thought I would share. I would love it if 6.0 was my optimal fat burn zone but apparently you don't get there by only running at 6.0 or higher which is what I had been doing all of last year. I think I need to mix it up a little more.

I think I am going for the ultra simple 10K training plan which is really below my skill level but he next up is going to require more work of me than I really have the time to give it. The point of doing a 10K at the beginning of the good weather season was to motivate me to get back into shape early and be able to really enjoy my running all summer long instead of spending the summer getting my running up to par only to have school and cold weather hit when I am at the top of my game. And I think the simple plan will accomplish that just fine. Well maybe it will be a hybrid training plan between the two since I am already half way through the novice training plan. Either way, I am getting there.

Hello, Old Friend

2011-03-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well, the time has come, again, to dust off the old workout paraphernalia. The baby is starting to sleep through the night, I'm not feeling so newly postpartum, and my gym membership is needing some attention.

So this morning was the morning. Ipod charged, shoes located, workout bras - oh, they still need replaced - but use-able. Gloria woke me up about 5:30am and after I fed her and got her back to sleep, I made a beeline for those workout clothes and ultimately, the gym.

Here's a few things that occurred to me during my inaugural 5th child workout.

1. I love to workout. Let me rephrase that, I love to workout to my tunes. Boy, get a little Janet Jackson running through my veins or plug me into some New World Son and I feel like I have lightning bolts shooting out of my fingertips. Seriously. You know in the movie Flashdance where she's starts running in place as the music starts blaring? That's ME! (You know, not as graceful or perfect-of-body) Especially this morning, when I haven't listened to my play list in almost a year. It's audible caffeine.

2. I think "moderation in all things" is such a wise way to live life. But when it comes to working-out, it's just not me. I walked into that gym this morning reminding myself that I had already accomplished my goal of just getting there. And that an easy 20 min. on an elliptical would be more than enough. Just to find myself, 35 min. later, talking myself off that thing.

3. I miss my expensive gym membership. Can I say that? I won't be going back. It was a wise fiscal decision. And this new "discount" gym is completely adequate. Actually more than adequate. It's even closer and I get to park closer than the fancy place. But this morning I missed the sleek locker rooms, the smell of chlorine in the air, the pulse of the aerobic class music that I was, one day, going to try out... My new gym will do just fine.

The best of all was feeling so accomplished and ready for my day so that when I see this sight, I'm ready for my day.

Outdoor Running

2011-02-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

This weather really makes me aware that running season is almost upon us. I am getting ready!

It is almost 50 today in MN. That is pretty crazy for February but we aren't complaining. The cold will return. It is only February.

I ran my neighborhood today. It was great in so many ways but hard in others. My knee hurt more than usual from all the hills and uneven pavement. That frustrates me. My mind felt alive.

As I ran I started making a few lists:

Here is what I love about being able to run outside in my neighborhood:

It is right out my front door. No driving.
If I go on a 30 minute run I will be home in 30 minutes not 45 or 60.
I love getting to know my neighborhood. I know the cracks in the road, what houses are for sale, who is remodeling. I watch the changes happen. When I drive through my neighborhood I am not just passing through but I am on roads I feel like I really know and have a connection to.
Sometimes I run into friends.

Here is what I do not like about running in my neighborhood:

It is hilly.
Traffic.
The sidewalks are crooked so I am running at an angle half the time.
Knowing that I cannot decide to quit 2 miles from home, I must keep going. I like to have an out.

Here is what I like about treadmill running:

It is flat, unless I don't want it to be.
Climate control.
Childcare
constant speed.
instant statistics
control.

Here is what I hate about treadmill running at the Gym:

It is boring.
constant speed.
instant statistics
The feeling that I am a rat in a cage.
Going nowhere.
All the distractions. My mind can never settle on a thought.

I am wondering if this is the year I need to start driving to some better outdoor running locations. There are a couple lovely 2 mile loops just a mile or two from our home. Both do have a couple hills but also have some nice flat even stretches as well. One is actually so close I have run to it, around it and back. Or do I venture even further to one of the nice flat beautiful former railroad bed bike paths where I could run for miles and miles with little incline. I have often wanted to jump off my bike and go for a run on them, maybe this year I will.

Forgetfulness and Frozen Parfaits

2011-02-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

I am 36 years old and I had something happen to me that has never happened before.

I forgot to eat.

What's that, you say! Forgot to eat?! I do that all the time!

Well I don't. Oh, there have been times in my life where I have chosen not to eat. There's been times where I push it off. But I don't forget. I've always been keenly aware of my hunger. I can tell when it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. I am acutely aware of it getting stronger and more demanding. It has always been a conscious choice and effort to skip breakfast, or wait till I got home to eat even though I would be "starving".

But the other day my 5 children and I had homeschool co-op. It's always crazy getting out the door and I hadn't had time to eat. But I made myself a Greek Yogurt Parfait that I thought I would eat in the car. Well in the car I decided that I would wait to eat until I got there because, lets face it, eating a parfait while driving is a little tricky and I didn't have that far to go.

So we get to co-op and I get immersed in handing out Valentines, stopping children from crying during devotions, nursing babies and finally giving up and taking everyone to the nursery. Then the nursery starts to fill up with Moms and babies and I'm chatting away... Then my friend Mary walks in about a half hour before lunch, munching on a sandwich and this wave a realization hits me! One - I have a, now probably frozen, parfait in the car, and two - I am REALLY hungry.

So I guess there are new experiences to be had, even at the ripe old age of 36.

Oh, and the parfait was only partially frozen and was quite yummy.

Iceman Out

Day in the life of a Rock Star

2011-02-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

Some days it just comes together. Today is that day. So I thought I would share.

I got up, had breakfast with Isabelle, read her a devotion, read myself a devotion. Helped Isabelle make a Valentine bag and address all the Valentine's I had purchased for her class, put on my work-out clothes, made my bed and a short grocery list, put Isabelle on the bus and was out the door to my weight lifting class.

After the class I buzzed through the grocery store, had a quick chat with Goose on the way home, showered and was dressed with groceries put away and Isabelle's lunch waiting for her when she got off the bus. Ate my own lunch, then made ahead several little things for easier future meals, sliced up the fresh pineapple I bought (before it went bad this time), cleaned up kitchen and then moved to my desk. Purged and organized coupons, balanced bank statement, updated personal notebook so all the pages weren't just hanging out, sent invoices to plow clients for last weeks snowstorm, called a delinquent client, signed up for some college organization web site the school insists we need, paid some bills, signed hubby up for a required continuing ed class he needs, put away some pictures. All while Isabelle was entertaining herself with various crafts.

I am a rock star!

I share this here because I don't think that exercise and weight loss are the only keys to a healthy life. I think being on top of your life and organization is also an important key to a healthy life. I also share because I think that exercise and watching what I eat gave me the energy I needed to have a rock star day today.

I have a large glass of water and I know what I am making for dinner. I am now going to read the magazine I bought at the grocery store and take a well deserved break.

Maverick Out

The Solitary Woman

2011-02-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

Ok Let's face it. Maintaining your health, at the end of the day, is a solitary sport. I mean you may have people in your life supporting you, encouraging you or even doing the same thing as you but when it comes down to it, only you can do the work and achieve the results. Loosing weight, getting in shape, training for an event, they all have to be about you and for you.

I always want someone to do something with me. Someone to validate what I am doing, keep me accountable and maybe even tell me what to do so I don't have to figure it out myself.

All that is not to say it isn't fun to share the journey, to go on a run with a friend and exchange healthy recipes, I still love all that, but I as I have been wanting to loose weight for about a year I am realizing it is all up to ME.

I found a couple pictures recently from back in my glory days of weight. I had been up to my heaviest weight and realized looking at a picture of myself and Goose after the birth of her second child that I looked more like I just had a baby than she did. Serious changes began in our home a few months later and I got down to my lowest weight since I was in jr. high. I knew I looked and felt great but I started telling myself I could never maintain the rest of my life, even though I did for over a year, and that was the trigger to let it all go. So here I am nearly 10 years later 20 pounds heavier.

I was going through some pictures this week and found these from my glory days:

Check out my LEGS! So skinny. It wasn't a dream, I can have those legs. I still have those shorts but they do not fit like that anymore.

A rare picture of me thinner than Goose. In their defense, both recently had babies.

Looking at these pictures made me remember that time in my life. When I was focused. When I was doing it for me. When I felt great and looked great. And I didn't think it was so much work or any real sacrifice. And I must confess I didn't not appreciate at the time how great I looked.

So I have decided to go forward in my health journey a little more quietly. Don't worry I will still share, I still like validation, encouragement and an occasional running partner. But I am realizing I need to stop thinking about and talking about my plans and instead quietly just start doing it.

I have 2 goals this time around, health and fitness. I have lost the weight and I have been in great shape. I have never done it together. But it is time and I am ready.

Up from the Depths...

2011-01-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hello World,

I don't even know what to title this post. It's me, Iceman, it's so cold here in the Northern Tundra that "Iceman" is an appropriate handle.

As my wingmen have said, I did, in fact, just give birth to babe #5. Well, it's been a month now. Is that still considered, "just giving birth,"? It sure feels like it. I'm still trying to get my brain wrapped around my new "normal." Somehow the jump from 4 to 5 kids is a BIG jump. What DO you do with the newborn who's crying and hungry while trying to explain the finer points of multiplication to my 8 year old. Or dealing with a screaming 4 year old and 2 year old who can't share while I'm handicapped by the nursing baby and the book that I'm trying to read to my 6 year old. (Yes, this all did happen this morning...) This will all get easier, right?

Oops, little break. The 2 year old just whacked the 6 year old in the head with the business end of a plastic sword. Oops, another break, 8 year old needed some direction with math.

I'm back.

So as for body reclaiming. Here's what I know:

1. With a stronger body I know I will better take on this physically challenging role.
2. Being physically more capable will help me to be emotionally more capable. Plus all those feel good endorphins from exercise.
3. Looking nice helps me feel better about myself.

So what IS a good plan for an already maxed out schedule.

Well I am going back to Weight Watchers Tonight! Waa Hoo! O.k. I'm a little apprehensive about going back because I'm not really there, mentally, to start being disciplined with my diet. I'm hoping for a big "kick in the pants" tonight that jump starts that mental change.

I have joined a small gym that I haven't actually been to yet. I remember with the last baby, telling my husband that when the baby starts to wake only two times at night I'll start going. Well I'm already there with this one. Yet working-out 4 weeks postpartum seems insurmountable. Maybe this week I'll work on the diet and next week we will start in with that gym.

O.k. back to school, babies, well, life. Hoping I hit my stride sooner than later.

Iceman down but not out.... :)

Throw Down

2011-01-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

I think we need a challenge! With Prize!

I need to pull together my eating and my exercise. And I need to do it on a new schedule as my morning workouts sort of went out the window when morning Kindergarten started.

I happen to know changes have been afoot for Goose and Iceman as well so we are all reinventing our eating and work out schedules a little. The holiday's are over and spring is right around the corner. Time for something to get us back on track.

The Challenge:

Since we are all runners I propose a 2 month challenge.

Month number 1-January 30-February 26
Run 15 miles per week
weight train in whatever way suits you 1 times per week
Post weekly meal plans

Month number 2- February 27-March 26
Run 20 miles per week
weight train 2 times per week
post weekly meal plans

The Prize:

The person who runs the most miles and completes all other training should get $5 coffee cards from the losers. One prize per month

I propose adding biking to the challenge in April but we can review when we get there.

You have a week to prepare and accept the challenge and then I will look forward to the weekly updates.

If we have any readers who want to join in spirit just let us know in the comments.

Secondary goal: Get a picture of iceman in some race this year.

A healthy lifestyle is journey. A marathon not a sprint. We are butt kicking animals one day and then we fall down and become wide load couch potatoes the next. The question is, do we get back on track or will we let failure define us?

Maverick

Marketing Martha

2011-01-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

I have been getting a little magazine called "everyday food" for the past year and love it. I love it so much that when the renewal came in the mail I bought gift subscriptions for my mom, Goose and Iceman as Christmas gifts. Why keep all those yummy recipes to myself?

Here are some things I enjoy about it and look forward to sharing with family:

Every month there is a 1 week meal plan. Now often in magazines they are complicated week long meals but I have actually done a couple of them and they are simple, delicious and simple. Plus they are good. OK I have a limited list of requirements for my food, quick and tasty.

The food is for the most part healthy, lots of stuff that is dairy free, encourages organic living.

I have gotten lots of magazines with recipes in the past and even recipe magazines before and I will say I have lots of recipes I use from them but I have never had one magazine that I so consistently found and used recipes I enjoyed.

This month I have already tried and enjoyed the Shredded buffalo chicken sandwiches and am going to try out some of their smoothie variations.

Not that Martha needs help marketing but I just thought I would share.

Maverick out

The full spread

2011-01-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Maverick In

Well I think that H would make an excellent "Viper", the leader of the flight school. She could shape us all up. Just a thought.

I don't like to be a cliche. I want to be original. So I decided against jumping off my butt on Jan 1 like everyone else and have continued to meld with the couch for another week now.

It has been over a month since my last run and getting close to a month since my last any other form of exercise and I have made a few observations:

The good news is that although I don't have a scale and can't say one way or another what my weight is, my clothes aren't any tighter.

On the other hand...my body is starting to hurt, not the good kind from exercise but the bad kind from atrophy, I am sleeping terrible, becoming a slacker around the house and in general becoming one with the downstairs couch.

Sometimes you just give in to your inner sloth and go for it. That is one of the down sides of MN. The cold just sucks the life out of you. But then maybe that is the whole point, back in the day we needed that additional layer of fat to survive. The thing is, I don't need additional fat now, I have a furnace.

Then again when you are in MN unless you have some crazy commitment, you need a club membership. NEED. And as we have had to cut back on things this year I had to cut that. However, I started a part time job this week and although I wasn't planning to make any changes for a few months I told my husband I would be going to the nearest club as soon as possible.

I can't live like this. I mean I know I did live like this for years. Sluggish, tired and without much enthusiasm for life and getting out there and living it. BUT, I have seen the other side. I have tasted the good life and can never go back.

So here are a few things I am considering to keep me motivated this winter and throughout the year:

Cross Country Skiing. I must admit that I have told hubby at times that when I see Cross Country Skiers I think they look crazy. I mean people who do it REALLY love it. But I talked with a neighbor who recently started doing it at a ski hill a couple miles from our house and became interested. It is only $8 for rental and trail pass. That price excites and motivates me. Plus my hubby grew up doing it with the family and I am always looking for something our whole family can do together that is healthy and active. So potential future post about how that works out to come.

While races are fun they are also costly so I am not quite as ambitious as Goose limiting myself to just a couple things.

The spring Get In Gear race. I had said I wanted to do the 10K but as my butt has spread across the couch I have been thinking the 5K might be a challenge. However, if I do sign up for a new club membership in the next week I will go back to my 10K plan. I don't expect to be able to run the whole thing by the end of March but I want to do something that will really challenge me at the beginning of the season and get me off the treadmill.

Sometime in August: first annual Wolfe/Byrd/friend family duathlon. Bike/run/bike. Iceman and I will plan it, set it up and unless we can motivate the rest of our families, be the only participants. Still it is happening!

Possibly considering the Irongirl duathlon here in the cities this summer. Not making full commitment at this point but I do want to keep up my triathlon body a little.

Biking: More family bike rides, something we enjoyed last summer. Looking to borrow or buy a ride behind for Isabelle so she can join the fun and we can loose the big parachute on wheels.

I really miss my body pump class and my nice toned arms, legs and abs. I am not sure I will be re-joining the Y since I have found the cut rate clubs also have treadmills for half the price. If the new club doesn't have something similar I will be forced to make up my own routine. At least I have learned a lot from body pump.

My hubby has full access to a wonderful workout room at the fire department and I will be challenging him this year to use it. Another competitor in the family duathlon this summer.

That should be enough to keep me entertained and in shape.

ICEMAN---What news from the postpartum ward?

Maverick Out.

So cliche'

2010-12-29T16:35:00.000-08:00

Goose here. Oh my goodness, for a split second there I forgot what my blog persona name was! It's indeed been too long since I posted!

I figured I'd better make a post quick before the new year starts or we'd come across as the proverbial cliche, resurrecting our workout mojo as some kind of pitiful attempt at a resolution.

So what have we been up to? Turning into piles of mush, of course...you?

No, not really. Iceman finally got her 5th sweet baby fully cooked and is now 6 days into reclaiming (as much as you can with a nursing newborn) her body for herself. I have no doubt she will turn into a crazy machine in a few short weeks, though I figure she will have to give up sleeping in order to figure out how to diet and exercise amidst 5 children under age 8, homeschooling, and those high maintenance newborns- darn lucky they are that they are so helplessly cute or we might question our sanity in procreating so often. I must admit, since baby iceman was born, I have been looking at my almost 6year old baby and wondering why she is so big. But what does that have to do with wewawo anyway? So enough about that. We believe in you iceman!!!

(just as an aside, I am posting on an iPad and when I type wewawo, it wants to autocorrect it to weasel. Hahahahaha.)

As far as I know, maverick claims mush, although can you blame those poor people? They have, like, 27feet of snow up there! Not only would I not be working out, I'd probably be dead in that wretched environment! And for the record, she looks pretty good to me in the pics I've seen of their Christmas celebrations.

Oh, merry Christmas by the way. I'll throw in a hearty Happy New Year while I'm at it, since I'm positive I won't be posting again in the next few days. Let's face it, people, with my track record you'll be lucky to hear from me again by spring.

Anyway. It's true, after a solid year of nonstop workouts and race training, I have not moved my body in one single way that goes beyond me merely getting from point a to point b in an entire month. I thought I might come up with some introspective post about what I was learning about my non moving sabbatical (or would that be a moving sabbatical?) but I didn't post soon enough and now I am just getting downright disgusted with myself.

It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that, while I breezed all the way from thanksgiving to Christmas eve on the low end of my self imposed acceptable weight range thanks to an extra measure of stress in my life (I tend to respond to stress with a total loss of appetite, which actually worked out well for me since I have not been working out) I have now not stopped eating since Christmas eve, could it? I mean, really, a mere 5 days ago I weighed 4 lbs less than I did today...can you believe that is even possible??? And I can tell you exactly what happened...on Christmas eve my home became filled with all kinds of chips, cheeses, chocolates and baked goods as well as goodies like homemade mac&cheese, potato casserole, quiche. All sorts of yum and all resolve left me!

But I have smacked some sense back in to myself. I perused early feb/mar runs to sign up for to get me motivated and am going to aim for a 10k run in feb or mar, and possibly a duathlon (run/bike/run) in April in preparation for the sprint triathlon season in which my goal is to compete in three this coming year. I am very loosely pondering a half marathon, but we will see if I am able to get back in to my workout routine adequately.

Of course, my trusty sidekick, H, has continued to faithfully workout like a freak and send me taunting text messages while i sit watching my thighs turn to cellulite while snarfing chips and cheese. Here is a lovely example of a text she sent me today:

H texts: "I rode like a lion...1hr5min, 20 miles! Do you want to know what it feels like to be me?"

At least the skinny, muscled freak is good for a laugh, hahaha! :) And its only because her even more freakish husband rides for at least 2 hours a day and so she feels a little "pressure" hahaha. But enough about my beloved H or I will have to give her a moniker here and allow her to post snark about me! :)

So bottom line for Goose...the month long gooberfest is over! We will be back in the 60's here by tomorrow, so I plan to see if I can even still run 3 miles without stopping and then dust of my trusty 30 day shred and get back to work uncovering my 6 pack abs and freakishly strong arms :).

I look forward to hearing how maverick and iceman plan to pull themselves together in the new year after they tunnel out of all the snow they live under.

Goose-Out

400 pound slob

2010-11-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

I felt this blog was a little lonely. I mean nothing posted since July? Have we fallen that far? I know Goose did a second triathlon in early September. Nothing about that? I know Iceman is pregnant so she has a brief pass but we will all look forward to her words of inspiration soon.

So I thought I would contribute again. Just to keep it going.

I am a 400 pound slob. Or at least I would secretly like to be one. I really want to give into the lazy, gluttonous person inside me, sit down on the couch with a pint of ice cream and never get up again. I never want to go on another run, never want to lift another weight, never want to do another sit up. I don't want to push myself. I don't want to work exercise into my schedule. I don't want to think about what to eat or not eat. Just mindlessly pop whatever is in front of me in my mouth. That is what I want!

Then again I see people who have given into that same desire and I wonder. How can they go around like that? Don't they know how unhealthy they are? Don't they know they are shortening their lives? Don't they know they don't have to be sick or unhealthy? Don't they know they can look and feel good? Isn't it worth it to them? Aren't they worth it to themselves? I saw a woman walking into Target the other day that was quite obese. You know when the fat starts hanging down from the lower part of your stomach? She wasn't that old. And I just wondered if she was doing anything about her weight or if she had just given up and was living like that.

I don't want to give up.

I realize on the one hand there is a lot of distance to cover between the 130 pounds I would like to be forever and the 400 pounds that would have me with fat hanging down to my knees but on the other hand is there really? Just like staying thin is a daily decision to control portions and drag myself out of bed for a morning run or a yoga video becoming an unhealthy person is a daily decision not to. I loose weight one day at a time and I gain weight one day at a time. Gaining weight is as much of a decision as loosing weight. I either decide to do something or I decide to do nothing.

Lately I have been deciding to do nothing with exercise. After such a great year last year and the triathlon I have sort of fallen apart. I kept up most of the summer but this fall it all fell apart. The eating has been better and kept my weight balanced but I know it is time to put them both together again. To decide that my health is worth the effort. I am worth the effort. I don't have to kill myself. I am not training for anything right now but I do need to keep going.

Actually I am training for something. After Goose and her friend H had done their second triathlon together the continued their morning work out routine. One morning Goose's husband came by and asked, "what are you training for now?" H replied, "Life". That is what I am training for now. Are you training with me?

Lumberjack 10 mile run-Stillwater, MN

2010-07-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

I trained. I ran. I conquered.

I had a successful run last Saturday in the Lumberjack 10 miler. No, I didn't wow anyone with my speed but myself, and there are technically no bragging rights when you come in 898th out of just over 1,000 runners. But victory is in the eye of the beholder and this girl accomplished her goals in training and finished at the top of her goal range and is quite satisfied with herself! :)

I specifically trained for this race for 6 weeks, and my runs really ran the gamut as you saw if you kept up with my weekly training check-ins. The week had kicked off with the always awesome, 20 hour, two-day road trip of 1100 miles of driving (I drove it all) with four children and a grandma sidekick.

I decided to celebrate our arrival on Tuesday night with a bottle of wine to erase the experience from my memory. Awaking Wednesday morning and realizing I had a race to run in a few days and had done nothing in 3 days but sit on my ass (can I say ass here?) and consume a bottle of wine, I decided I better pull it together. I ran 3 miles, banished alcohol for the rest of the week and ate and hydrated like a purist until Saturday.

When I first arrived in MN, I could tell the weather was going to be much kinder to me than GA weather had been, as I could feel a nice breeze in the last two morning runs I did before the race (a 3 and a 2 mile) and felt like that would be a huge benefit to me in how I felt during the run.

The day itself could not have been more perfect for a long run. It had stormed in the night, so although the humidity was noticable, it was completely overcast and in the 60's for most of the run. It was hugely helpful to not have the sun beating down. Perfect, could not have asked for better.

We were bussed out 10 miles from downtown Stillwater, and I was so pleased to see that not only was it a gorgeous run along the St. Croix river, but it was very flat.

I really was not nervous, more anticipatory. Maverick had come with me to be there at the finish line and take pics, and my friend, Monica, was running with me. They were my security blankets!

One thing I noticed right away about the participants in this event compared to the sprint tri, was how fit everyone was! I was really surprised. I mean, there were 1000 people running this race, and every one of them looked like they could do it. In the sprint tri (granted it was called a "my first tri" so it did run the gamut of body types) you saw every type of person, young-old-fit-fat-muscley-flabby. Here, everyone looked like a serious runner with toned running legs. Did I fit in? Did I look like I belonged there? I wondered.

I learned something new about distance runs, and that is that they give you pace runners so you can follow a certain pace that you want to finish in. Nice! Monica and I decided to start the race back with the 10 min. mile pacer.

We were off! I felt good right from the get go, and pretty soon I had passed the 10 min mile pacer and then even the 9.30 min. mile pacer...my goal was to stay very steady because I really wanted to run the whole race without having to walk.

The first 3 miles went very quickly and easily for me and I remember thinking, I've already done a 5k and still have a ton left in me! There was a water station about every two miles, and as my marathon friend advised me, I slowed down and took 2 cups at each one, one to drink and one to pour over my head to keep me cool.

Here are some things I learned during this long race: running is not a pretty sport--especially for men. During the run I had the pleasure of watching a man right beside me blow his nose in his hand and wipe it on his shorts. Another great experience was when I ran past a man who stopped right on the side of the road and pee'd. That was special. And then there was the man who made some coughing, wretching sounds and I wanted to suggest that he might want to throw up on the side of the road and not in the middle of it.

There was also a variety of spitting going on, and I passed one horrifically sweaty, shirtless man who eminated an odor that I quickly sprinted past. It was also really fun running alongside a woman I couldn't seem to get away from for awhile who had the strangest running stride where she dug her toes into the pavement so every stride was loud and obnoxious. I am a smooth runner and I could not understand why she was making so much noise with her shoes.

I also couldn't help but spend some time wondering about the few women who ran in just sports bras with their tramp stamps showing, when really, it wasn't there best look. Do these people not have mirrors? husbands? friends that care about them? how does it happen that people walk out of their house like this thinking, yea, I'm totally rockin' this look??

I also enjoyed pondering the type of person that ran marathons and used this race as a training run. There were a handful of people that chose to run the 10 miles out to the starting point instead of being bussed out there, and then they ran the 10 mile race. There were also a few that I passed on the run that were heading back to the start point, so clearly they had already finished the 10 miles and now were running back. These were clearly marathon trainers. What posesses a person to want to run this much? I know how much time I have had to devote to training for the tri and this 10 mile run...I would have no life at all outside of preparing my body if I were to train for a marathon (which, mark my words, I will NEVER do!)

Anyway, back to my run...

After mile 3 I heard people saying the next 2-3 miles were the worst because it was a gradual incline, mostly on a dirt packed, gravely road. I honestly didn't even notice the gradual incline until the end when there was one steep hill that was pretty short with a water station right at the top so I thought it was fine.

Then I started hearing talk that it was "all down hill from here", and from mile 6-10 it was a gradual downward slope into Stillwater. Again, I didn't significantly notice the gradual downgrade, but I am sure it helped to make it a pleasant race.

At one hour I remember thinking, wow, I've run a whole hour already! And then thinking, wow, bummer, I still have to run for a good 40 more minutes at least. I think I lost a little steam with that realization and had to push through until I felt like I hit a new breathing stride right before 7 miles.

I felt good again until I hit 8 miles and then I was like, ok, I'm good! I'm done! I was bored and tired and over it. I started questioning why I do things like this and how I will never, ever run a 1/2 marathon, let alone another 10 mile race because I am not a distance runner and why in the world did I let H talk me into another sprint tri in Sept because I hate this and its not fun and I am bored and tired and I hate this!

I let myself wallow in that manner for a couple minutes and then I pulled myself back together.

I reminded myself that it was a ten mile race and I'd already gone 8 and we were talking less than 20 minutes of running left and I would be done, I could sooo do this, I had trained well and really I was not nearly as spent as I had felt in the run leg of the sprint tri and I had kept going then. I was just getting a little bored. I knew that I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't keep running.

So Forrest kept running. Finally I hit the 9 mile mark. Do you know how long 1 single mile is when you have already run 9 and all you want to do is cross the finish line and get it over with? Oh my goodness, so long! The last mile felt as long as the first 9 miles! I could see the general finish area. I had been running in between the 9.30 and 10 min mile pacers nearly the entire time so I knew I was right in front of my top goal of 1 hr. 40 min finish.

The last 1/4 mile I hear the 10 min pacer behind me, closing in! I tried to pick it up but I just couldn't. She closed in on me and I literally crossed the finish line with her, but that was a-ok with me...it meant my time came out literally exactly 1 hour 40 minutes and I was very proud that I ran the whole thing and maintained an average 10 minute mile stride for the entire thing.

Right as I crossed the finish I heard my sis, Maverick, call out to me, and then I see our friend, Brian, with my 7 yr old on his shoulders! What a special surprise! She had been camping with Iceman and her family nearby and they had come in to Stillwater and my girl got to see me cross the finish line after watching me work my butt off all these weeks running and working out. The specialness is most probably lost on her at her age, but hopefully when she is older she will remember how her mom worked for a goal and she got to watch me achieve it.

I really needed a mental minute right after finishing so I walked off a bit and stood in a water spray they had going. The set up was much better than the tri and there were bottles of water, chips, bananas, bagels, protein bars for us to replenish with, and I got to sit with my sis-maverick, my sil-iceman, my brother, friends Brian and Monica, one of my daughters, and four of my nieces and nephews for a while and just enjoy the end of the experience. It was really great and really special!

I really thought I'd be more sore, but I recovered nicely and even water ski'd the next day. I did not run for 3 days, but this morning I told myself that I needed to get out there and do it, don't get slack just because the race is over. So I headed out and did 4 miles and was very glad it wasn't 10. :)

Thanks for sharing in the 10 mile journey with me, its been a fun learning experience. Now, onto the next event!

Goose-Out

Week 5 - Into the home stretch 10 miler training

2010-07-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

WHOA!

What a fun surprise! I just logged on to post and see that Iceman has been busy sprucing up our little blog!! Very nice and well done, Iceman! :)

But back to business...

I RAN 9 MILES TODAY! IN 1 HOUR, 26 MINUTES!

I am feeling it, it will probably take the next week until the race for my legs to recover. But it went well. E is in the middle of the 3 day GA state swim meet and the last two mornings we have had to be at the pool at 7am, so I wasn't sure how I was going to get this 9 mile run in because I can barely tolerate the heat/humidity when I run at 7:30am, I would never consider running in the middle of the day when we get home from the meet session.

But today I had the genius idea to call my girlfriend with a gym in her basement and asked her if I could come over and run for a very, very long time on her treadmill. Wow, what a difference an indoor treadmill run is compared to the rugged outdoors, the weather elements, changing elevations and raw, pounding asphalt and concrete! I have worried that I am not much of a runner as each outdoor run is different and I never know if its going to be hard or easy when I head out.

This climate-controlled (air conditioned room with ceiling fan), 0% incline, smooth running surface with a tv in front of my face, towel for wiping sweat, and jumbo water bottle within reach run was like a filet mignon run compared to the bologne on wonder bread sandwich outdoor summer runs I have been doing. Not to say it was easy...I mean, I ran 9 miles people. It took me almost 1 1/2 hours. That is a lot of running. I was dripping with sweat, my legs felt a little crampy at the end and my toes were bothering me.

But I was very pleased with myself. I ran at 6.5 mph for the first 6 miles, then I slowed to 6 mph for mile 7 and then I was wanting to get finished and felt good so I kicked it up to 7 mph for mile 8, then down to 5.5 mph for 1/2 mile and then 6 mph to finish out the last 1/2 mile. And the treadmill told me I burned over 1,000 calories, can that be possible? No wonder you can eat whatever you want when you run!

Now, if I can only hope for a smooth, relatively flat run course in Stillwater next weekend, I should be able to get through it. However, I hear Stillwater is pretty hilly. That will be a killer for sure.

Didn't Shred even once this week, just couldn't make it happen I guess. One more day of state swim meet tomorrow, and then Monday morning bright and early I am hitting the road with the girls for a 1000 mile road trip up to MN from GA. Luckily I am supposed to take it easy this week...I think 2 days sitting in a car qualifies. I am only supposed to run a 3 and a 2 before the race next Saturday.

Have I mentioned that H did wrestle me to the ground and convince me to sign up for another sprint triathlon with her in September? So I guess there will be a new countdown ticker on the blog after the race next weekend. But that is it!! That is all I am doing until the spring...I will get into an easier groove of normal 3-4 mile runs and work on some new strength training through the winter.

So this weeks workouts...

Monday: OFF
Tuesday: 5 mile run, abs and pushups
Wednesday: 3 mile run with my biking sidekick, Sarah, abs and pushups
Thursday: 5 mile run, abs and pushups
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 9 mile run
Sunday: OFF (maybe shred, but I doubt it)

Next weeks update will be about the race!

Goose Out

Another training week finished--week 4

2010-07-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

So this week started out with the 4th of July holiday. I tested my theory from last week that it seems I can eat whatever I want when running this much and I ate like a pig...all week--there were left overs that had to be eaten, of course.

Just so you believe me, in two days over the 4th, me.myself.and.I. ate an entire bag of Lays Salt and Vinegar potato chips. The whole bag. Just me. All by myself. In two days. Did I mention my period came this week, too? Hmmm, maybe there is some correlation there.

I also drank wine nearly every day this week and had margaritas with a friend one afternoon after the pool. Oh, and I had made these yummy cookie ice cream sandwiches, and well, of course, we had to finish them all this week. Basically I have had my years quota of hot dogs, ice cream sandwiches, and potato chips in just a few days.

The day after the 4th I did step on the scale and was about 1.5 lbs up, but attributed that to the bag of potato chips (ya think?) and figured I'd pull it together for the rest of the week.

As you can see from above, I did not, but somehow, someway that I cannot understand myself, when I weighed myself yesterday prepared to be like 3 lbs up, I was actually 3 lbs down from the day after the 4th. I stepped on the scale 10 times to make sure it was reading it correctly and then used another scale in the house to confirm it. The body is wierd. Oh well, I'll take it. :)

I felt a litle lackluster and unmotivated during my workouts this week, but I managed to get them done. So today was supposed to be 8 miles. Actually yesterday was supposed to be 8 miles. I have been having trouble sleeping the last couple days and the night before last I was up until 4am with extreme insomnia, so I decided to not get up early and run.

So this morning, I had slept a bit better but still could not drag myself out the door until 8:20am, which was too late as it was already very hot and humid and sunny. I just felt so stiff and hot. At about 4.5 miles I could tell I was getting dehydrated. Why do I get dehydrated so easily?? It is frustrating. I was feeling crampy and light headed and really wanted some water.

So I walked for about 5 min and then decided I'd run past my house to get the little bottle of water I had put in my mailbox. By the time I got there I had gone about 6 miles and I just knew I was done, I don't want to push myself to a point where it is not healthy when I can tell I am sluggish. I was walking and drinking the water and had chills even though I was sweating profusely, which is how I felt at the end of the triathlon, so I figured I needed to just call it quits.

I got home, had a huge thermos of cold water and laid flat on my back under the ceiling fan and started to feel much better. I am sure my bad eating and also my period this week helped to make this an off week for me. I am going to really concentrate on my water intake this week. I feel like I drink a lot of water and eat a lot of fruit normally, but I think this week I had a lot of caffeine which I normally do not have, as well as more alcohol than I normally have in a week, and that threw off my hydration or something.

So this weeks workouts:

Monday: OFF
Tuesday: 4.5 miles, pushups and abs
Wednesda: 3 miles with Sarah along biking next to me, pushups and abs
Thursday: 4.5 miles, pushups and abs
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Shred
Sunday: 6 miles

This week my mom comes into town and E has her state swim meet Thurs-Sun, and then we hit the road for MN. I will be busy, so hopefully I can get up early and get the runs in before the day begins.

Goose Out.

Ten Miler training--Week 3

2010-07-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

Whew! I may just be, finally, getting my groove thang on with this distance running training!

I am very excited after my 7 mile run this morning! It went so well! It helped immensely that after a 20 day exile of non stop temps in the 90's and 1000% humidity, some relief finally broke through in the south. When I headed out this morning it was 68 degrees!! Holy cow what a difference it made!

I just ran and ran and ran, didn't even look at my watch until I had already been running 45 minutes. I ran for 1 hour and 10 minutes and felt very proud of myself. I may, just maybe, actually be able to run this entire 10 miler...whodathunkit?

Training this week:

Monday: 4.5 mile run, abs and pushups
Tuesday: Shred dvd
Wednesday: 3 mile run (I had the pleasure of Sarah riding her bike with me during the run, she was so pleased with herself for riding 3 miles and it was nice to have the company) abs and pushups

Thursday: 4.5 mile run, abs and pushups
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 7 mile run
Sunday: OFF

Only 3 more weeks to go. I think I can keep up this pace for 3 more weeks. Still contemplating one more sprint triathlon with H in September, but haven't signed up for it yet.

Incidentally, not that I would keep up this kind of weekly mileage unless training for a race, but as a public service announcement, I thought I'd let you know that I have learned in the last 3 weeks that if you run nearly 20 miles a week you can eat anything at all that you want and you won't gain a pound!

Until next week...
Goose, Out

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ICEMAN!

2010-07-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

It's Iceman's birthday today!

Iceman is currently taking a break from wewawo training because she is cooking baby #5 in a short 8 year period! Iceman works so hard in between these baby cooking sessions, and I just know that this time next year on your birthday you are going to be back at it full throttle and I look forward to catching a race with you next summer!

Maverick and I are lucky gals to have such an amazing SIL! If I had been able to hand pick my own SIL I don't think I would have done as good a job as my brother did in choosing Iceman for himself and our family!

Not only is she a wonderful sister to me, minus the "inlaw", but she is an amazing wife and mom and an inspiration to many with her commitment to always strive towards healthy living, homeschooling her brood, tolerating and loving our wacky family and loving and living for the Lord while she does it all.

Happy Birthday, Iceman! I love you very much and hope this new year of life is an exciting and blessed one for you!

xoxo Goose

Ten Mile Training--week Two

2010-06-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

Week two finished.

I was telling my friend H that I much prefer knowing I only have to keep up this pace for 6 weeks. We had, like, 6 months to train for the Triathlon, and granted I was starting from sedentary so needed that time, but it seemed to go on forever. I much prefer knowing that I only have to run 20 miles a week for the next 4 weeks now and then I can switch up my workout routine again.

So this week...

Monday - 4 mile run, pushups and abs
Tuesday - Shred
Wednesday - 3 mile run, pushups and abs
Thursday - 4 mile run, pushups and abs
Friday - Shred
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - 6 mile run

I left the house for my 6 miles this morning at 7:30am and noticed that the humidity was not as thick as its been the last couple weeks. Also, I had a more shady route planned. I also put a small water bottle in my mailbox to run by and grab a sip at some point.

I headed out and felt....good! Wow, I don't know what the difference is from day to day, but the first 4 miles felt, dare I say...easy? I just felt good the whole time. I really needed this mental boost, as I have been feeling discouraged with my running, wondering why even a 3 mile run has felt so taxing lately.

I realize more and more that the mental component of athletics is almost every bit as important as the physical component. I really see this in play with my super star swimmer, my 11 yo daughter, E. She is as much a mental competitor as she is a physical competitor. She stays so calm and cool...steady. I want to be like her when I grow up. As a side note, this weekend was the prelims for the county wide meet in our area. My girl is #1 in her events in the county going into finals tonight. I think I am more nervous for her to hang on to that spot than she is!

Anyway, back to mental strength. It is important. Your body can have the ability to get through the exertion of whatever you are putting it through, but if your mind is not strong and determined to get through it with your body, then you won't make it. Sometimes the body does give out before the mind, but more often I think the mind gives out before the body. Food for thought.

So, after running 4 miles I hit the giant hill in my n'hood. Last week I didn't even consider running it after 4 miles and was so spent I didn't know if I could even go on. But this morning I was able to run up it and it wasn't that bad. I got to my mailbox at 5 miles and decided to grab the water and take 30 seconds walking to drink it even though I was still feeling good and thought I could get one more running mile out of me. After I drank the water and started back up again it felt a little hard to get through that last mile. I thought the brief walk might give me a little boost, but it seemed to poop me out. Plus, nature was calling, so I just wanted to get through that last mile quickly. :)

So all in all, it really gave me hope and a boost to have a good run this morning. I may actually be able to do the 7 miles next Saturday.

So, the take away today is Mental Strength. It is important. Keep up the good work.

Goose Out.

Summer Training with Maverick's Son

2010-06-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

My teenage son is working to get into shape over here. He ran track for the first time this spring and really enjoyed it. Now that he has the bug he is motivated to get in better shape for next year. He is also a boy scout who love to hike and wants to complete a merit badge in Hiking. This requires him to do 5 10 mile hikes. I reason why not combine them into a 10 mile run/walk? And so I am encouraging him to consider joining Goose in the Lumberjack days run. He has also set his sights on West Point and there is a rigorous physical test he will need to pass for that. So many reasons to get into top shape.

I thought I would try to get him to share some of his thoughts and plans here with all of us. What goes through a young energetic mind when getting into shape? In order to best get the results I am hoping on this post I will frame it as a question and answer post rather than expecting him to sit down and actually write something for me.

Maverick: What do you enjoy about running?
Son: I couldn't really place it. In comparison to biking, for instance, I like feeling like I'm propelled under my own power. Also, I feel more in control of my motion while running.

M: Are there any tips you learned from track that you can pass on to help us improve our running?
S: Probably not long distance running, but I was taught to work the arms. It's actually amazing how much easier it is to run harder if you pump your arms more. Also, control your breathing and relax.

M: What was your best time this year in your events?
S: I don't remember, but I'll give my guesses
100 meter: 13.4
200 meter: 27.3
400 meter: 67.6 (Made that up completely. Somewhere around there.)

M: What do you listen to while you run?
S: I usually either space out or think while I run. Headphones and mp3 players are a hassle.

M: Where would you love to run?
S: Trails. I don't particularly like running on perfect flat surfaces, at least in comparison to a hiking trail or wooded path.

Thanks to Maverick's son for being a good sport about posting with us. Hopefully in August we will see him at the Lumberjack 10 miler.

The Very Lazy Triathlon

2010-06-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

So I am signed up for the "Lazy Man Triathlon" at the YMCA. It started on June 1st and I have until July 15 to swim 2.5 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. No problem I thought to myself when I signed up. My first triathlon landed in that time frame so I can count those miles as part of this other triathlon. Double triathlon duty, how great is that?

Of course Goose kindly passed on her sickness to me while I was down visiting (I still barely speaking to her for that) which somehow turned into me not exercising for over a week after the triathlon which means I need to step up the pace to finish this thing on time.

Including my 3 mile walk today (I am done running for the summer trying to get my knee working with me again) I have thus far done:
swim-2 miles (I did a full mile yesterday to try to get this part over with)
bike-31 miles
walk-10.1 miles

I have 3 weeks to complete my mileage. The swim should be a piece of cake. I will finish up next week in the pool. I am planning a 30 mile bike ride over the 4th weekend which will bring me half way through. I think this is the area I will need to focus on. I need to hit the trails for several rides over the next few weeks. I think I know my plan for tomorrow. It is 6 miles round trip to the Y so which I did Monday for body pump and I guess I will do again Friday for my other body pump class. And then I need more walking.

I guess for the next 3 weeks if you are looking for me you will find me either on my bike or wandering the neighborhoods.

Can I be done exercising after this????

Goose's first week of training

2010-06-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished my first week of training for the 10 mile run.

Monday: 3 mile run, ab crunches and pushups
Tuesday: Shred dvd
Wednesday: 4 mile run, ab crunches and pushups
Thursday: 3 mile run, ab crunches and pushups
Friday: Shred dvd
Saturday: 6 mile run
Sunday: I am taking off!

I did today's 6 mile run at 8am this morning hoping to beat the heat and humidity, but no such luck down here in the south. And unfortunately the route I chose to run had no shade, so I may have to rethink that for next Saturday's long run.

The six miles was hard. I haven't run six in awhile and I couldn't do it. After 4 miles I had to alternate a couple minutes of walking here and there with the running in order to finish the last 2 miles. And all I could think about those last two miles was water. I have learned from my marathon friend, K, that I need a fuel belt for my longer runs. Small bottles of water fit into a belt that you strap to your waist. We'll see if I can work that in to the tight budget on the next payday.

It took me an hour to do the six miles. It was boring. I need a new headset for my ipod so I haven't been bringing it, but I think it is going to be a necessity for the long run Saturdays. I dread having to do 7 miles next Saturday already.

My marathon friend, K, wrote me up a 6 week training plan that I am going to follow exactly. So next week, I have to run a 4, 2, 4, 7. And I like to do the shred a couple times on the off days to keep up the strength training.

I am not sure I have the mental stamina to be a long distance runner in the long run. I'm really okay with a 3-5 mile run and being able to incorporate other things like swimming, biking or shred. So this 10 miler might be my distance One-Hit Wonder and I'll stick to 10K's or less after this, and maybe do a couple more sprint triathlons.

H has two more sprint tri's she wants us to sign up for. I am contemplating. My body feels beat up after 8 months of constant work. I am thin, fit, strong, toned, but sometimes I wonder if all this effort is worth it! Why does it take so much more work to stay looking good when you get older? Such a bummer.

I did finally drag my stubborn butt to the doctor a couple days ago, when after 2 1/2 weeks of being sick it still felt like I was swallowing glass. No strep, just a long and annoying virus. She did give me amoxicillian, but recommended I try Mucenix D first for a couple days to see if it loosens up the yuck and dries me up. That seems to be working well and so I have not taken the antibiotic. I also bought a women's multi-vitamin which I think I have needed for awhile and will probably help my energy level a lot. Trying to drink tons of water and stay hydrated and work out early in this heat and humidity.

Eating has been fine. I try not to think about it much. Some days are bad, but I think most days are good so it evens out. Running really keeps the weight off and you can still eat a good amount and splurge. I was down another pound today after this week of running 17 miles, and I am not even trying to lose now.

Well, that is all for now...I will let you know next week how my second week and the 7 mile run goes.

Goose Out

Goose's new countdown

2010-06-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

The new countdown you see is for me. We will be in MN at the end of July and I signed up for the 10 mile run in Stillwater for the Lumberjack days on July 24.

Ugh. What was I thinking??

Well, what I was thinking was that after the triathlon I needed another new challenge to work for to keep me motivated in my exercising. I knew 10 miles would really challenge me, as I have never run more than 6 miles at a time.

Truth be told, I am more worried about accomplishing a ten mile run than I ever was about accomplishing the triathlon.

Plus, the brutal run I had at the end of the triathlon, as well as the horrible recovery I had has messed with my mental strength and made me doubt that I am actually a runner.

I am finally at the tail end of my sickness...two weeks sick!...and have run three times since the tri last week, and all three times I stopped at 3 miles. Today is the first day of my actual training program that my friend who runs marathons recommended. It's actually not too bad. I am going to run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and she told me to just run 3 miles, 4 miles, 3 miles, and then on Saturday do a long run, starting with 6 miles this Sat. and increasing a mile each week until the run.

Ok. Sounds do-able. However, I live in Georgia, and the opressive heat is already upon us. I have been trying to run early, by 8 or 9am, but when it is getting to the high 90's with massive humidity, even at 8 or 9am it is 80 with high humidity. This morning I went at 9:30am, and it was so hot! So hot! I don't want to drink much water before I run because then I will have to pee while running. I don't want to carry a cumbersome waterbottle while I am running. But it seems that after 3 miles I really need something to drink. What's a girl to do?

So this is my frustration right now. Staying hydrated in the heat, and pushing past this wierd 3 mile mental meltdown I have been having since the triathlon.

Oh, and I am going to get back to consistently doing the Shred at least 3 times a week in order to keep my core, leg and arm muscles strengthened.

H wants to sign up for 2 more sprint triathlons. One in August and one in Sept. I am not sure. Still thinking about it. I'd like to do the August one but it is only 3 weeks after the 10 mile run, so not sure I will have enough time to work on my biking, since I am planning on focusing on my running until the 10 mile run.

Ok, that is all for now.

Goose Out

Maverick's Big Day

2010-06-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

Well the big day has come and gone. It was wonderfully challenging, full of excitement and adventures.

My day started off like Goose's with an early alarm, which I had long been awake waiting for, a banana and smoothie in hopes of getting the body doing its usual morning action. We dressed, packed up our stuff and headed over to the event. There we placed out stuff in the transition area laying everything out for the most efficient transitions from one activity to the next. Goose had done some reading on first triathlons and all the stuff you needed and had brought the checklist to be sure we covered all the bases. She filled up a cute orange bucket with water for us all to share so that we wouldn't be running or biking with that annoying grain of sand in our shoes. We then headed over to get our timing chips and have our number written on our bodies. I think the number is what made me feel really official, the kind of thing real athletes go around wearing on their bodies. Even today, 3 days later, you can still see faint traces of my number on my leg. (which I attribute to my dry skin which pulled the ink many layers into my skin.)

While Goose and her friend, H, trained like they were going to win the thing. And while Goose claimed her goal was just top half of her age group, she is competitive and as you have probably read, worked to win. I on the other hand had no thoughts of winning, placing or even thoughts of where I would be for my age group. I truly just wanted to finish. Which I knew when I stepped up on Saturday I would have no trouble doing. Because almost all my training was done indoors I really had absolutely no sense of how long anything would take me. So I went with the very un lofty goal of 2 hours. I might have shaved that down a little but because of my inability to run I decided to aim high in case I ended up not being able to run any of it.

I have to say I didn't really feel nervous. I mean, I knew I could do the swim, anticipated that it would be slow because of the people around me, knew I could do the bike and knew I could definitely walk if not run the last portion. This would be a no brainer for me. I just needed to do it.

So we get in the water, which was so warm compared to MN lakes at this time of year, and since I walked in with Goose there I found myself right in front. I did look around wondering if I should move back but then I thought maybe if I could start out front I could just keep out of everyone's way. Well that is exactly how it worked out for Goose but not so much for me. I was almost immediately enveloped by other swimmers and all the kicking around me I was either swimming over people or getting swum over. I seriously did not think I was going to make it at first. I thought to myself, am I going to have to quit before I even get started? NO, I would just keep going. I ended up flipping to my back and just kicking along. Then I would flip over and doggie paddle for a while. If it looked clear in front of me I would start to freestyle for a while but inevitable when i would finally look up I would be way off course and the time I added with that speed would be lost in re adjusting course. None the less I was amazed how quickly it went. As I had read in one web site, I panicked in the beginning but by the end had calmed down and was feeling fine. I ran out of the water and through the sand, then to a concrete stair that would lead me down a long path to the transition area. As I was heading up those stairs, surrounded by spectators, I tripped. Yep, right down on my hands and knees on the stairs. Heard a collective, "Oh". I hopped back up and as I headed out I heard one woman say, "that would be me." Nope it was me this time but I guess it happens to everyone. I was un hurt and kept moving.

Swim time: 13:50

Once I got to the transition time I was standing a little confused looking for the landmarks to find our bikes when I hear Goose's husband and girls calling my name and telling me where to go. I ran over and started the process of getting ready. While Goose and her friend H were in special Triathlon clothes so they didn't have to change I opted for the more affordable swimsuit and shorts routine. I decided to bring my bike shorts and then change to my running shorts for the end. The bike shorts which are tight around my legs turned out to be a little more challenging to put on than anticipated while wet. None-the-less I got them on, put on my bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses, grabbed my bike and ran off feeling excited.

swim to bike transition: 2:57

Goose had borrowed me a real racing bike for the event from a friend of hers. I had brought my own clip pedals so I would know they fit my shoes and were set how I liked them. At first I was a little unsure when i saw the bike. I was intimidated by how fancy and official it is. I usually ride a nice hybrid bike which is heavier and has wider tires and handle bars that would look nice with a basket out front. But after a spin around the neighborhood I knew it would be a fun bike to ride in the event and I was right. I felt like a pro, I was flying through the course, I was passing people on hills like they were standing still. My power cycle class was really paying off. I was even wondering if I might catch Goose who I didn't think would be that far ahead of me. All the sudden I look up and I am being passed by H who swam in the age group behind us. Still her hubby is a competitive biker so it stands to reason that she would be an excellent biker as well. I knew Goose was on a hybrid bike and claimed biking to be her weak skill so I felt confident. I finally saw her on the other side of our out and back course and was amazed at how closely behind her I came to the turn around. I kept pushing it even though I was getting a little tired. Although I never did catch her I felt great knowing that I had made up some lost time on the swim in the bike.

Bike time 46:10 (faster than Goose)

I kept asking Goose's hubby how far behind her I was while changing shorts and shoes but he didn't seem to be grasping the question and just told me she had already come through.

Bike to run transition: 2:10

I started heading toward the run start and was hysterical over the weight of my legs. I could barely flop one foot in front of the other let alone run! I decided to just walk for a minute or so to get my legs calmed down. Finally, although they still felt like bricks, I decided to run a little. In training I had only 2 times gone straight from my cycle class to the treadmill for a run. Both times I felt fine. My legs did not feel like bricks at all. However, both times my knees were hurting within a mile. I decided I didn't want to risk an injury that would keep me from the race so instead I simply avoided the run part of training figuring that I was getting enough cardio in other areas to get me through. While I was partly right, from a cardio standpoint I felt like I could run 10 miles, the strength in my legs wasn't what i would have liked it to be. I had decided to drug up before the race in hopes of possibly running the whole thing but I just wasn't strong enough. I did have some knee pain but not enough to stop me from running, although I walked up all the hills because they tend to be what causes the most pain. In the end I think the run was a disappointment for me. I wanted to finish feeling triumphant but having to walk so much of it I ended feeling like I couldn't/didn't give it everything. I am not sorry I didn't train more for the run, I would rather be healthy enough to finish healing and race again than to kill it now and be unable to exercise at all this summer.

I was turning the last corner of the run which would lead me to through the finish line there was a guy standing there yelling at everyone, "don't leave anything on the table!" While now done I wonder if I could have pushed it more in the run I specifically remember that as I passed him I said, "I have nothing left on the table." And I meant it. I think of that moment when I begin to doubt my effort. I did what I could do that day. I gave it my all.

Run time: 37:57

It felt great to run across the finish line. As I was going across I heard the announcer call my name (and pronounce the city I live in, Edina, wrong.). I was official and everyone there heard my name called. I had completed a triathlon and so many, many people were behind me. Officially I was 38th out of 96 in my age group and 491 out of 856 total racers.

Total race time: 1:43:02

My low expectations paid off, I exceeded them greatly and felt like I really kicked it. And with my knee injury hopefully resolved by next summer I will be able to shave even more time off.

When I ran across that finish line I have to say I wasn't thinking I would ever do this again. Mainly because of the swim portion. But the more I think about how small a portion the swim is and how quickly it went the less I dread doing it again. So what if I have to back stroke and doggie paddle for 15 minutes, that doesn't mean I am not a triathlete. I am a triathlete now and no one can ever take that away from me.

I am a TRIATHLETE!--Goose's personal account

2010-06-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

The alarm rang at 5:15am and the day dawned foggy, warm, and humid. My sister Maverick, my dear friend and accidental trainer H, and myself were in a hotel up near Lake Lanier Islands.

The night before we had checked in and driven the bike course and run course to get a feel for what we could expect. The bike course had several suprisingly wicked hills, but with the hilly route H and I trained on, and Maverick's mad spin classes she had taken at the Y all winter, along with the killer road bike I borrowed for her to use down here, we all felt pretty confident that although it wasn't an easy course, our training was sufficient to see us through it.

The run course, at the time, seemed pretty straight forward. A few hills, but nothing that H and I couldn't conquer, as we had trained on hills in our runs, and Mav was planning on walking most of the 5k portion due to her knee injury. So, bike-check, run-check.

We went down to check out the lake and the swim course, and it seemed doable, but what seemed crazy was the very lengthy incline, then straight up hill run to the transition area. I just kept thinking, gee, I am sure glad I am in good shape, I feel sorry for everyone who didn't train much for hills, because this will be a very hilly triathlon!

We had a carb heavy dinner at an italian restaurant and headed back to the hotel to practice our transition strategy and get in bed by 10pm.

Backing up a bit, I had been sick all week. I never get sick. It was such a major bummer to me. The weekend before I had flu-like symptoms of body aches, fever, swollen and painful glands, sore throat and beginnings of a cough. I laid low for about 3 days and thought I was feeling better by Tuesday. Then the cough really started kicking in once the other symptoms were gone, and my sinuses started to pack up. By Friday, with all the incessant coughing, I lost my voice. At that point I just had to let it go and pray that God would just give me what I needed to get through it because I worked so hard to prepare. I just decided it was mind over matter, and the sickness didn't matter!

So back to the dawning of the day. Alarm off at 5:15am. None of us slept well. Thankfully, God mercifully quieted my cough for that one night so I didn't drive H and Mav crazy. But I remember at one point saying out loud in case someone else was still awake, "maybe you could just hit me over the head with a frying pan so I could be out cold for at least a little bit of the night". Maverick answered.

I used my sleepless night to pray over my potential issues during the race, including my illness, stamina and energy, and, um, personal biological functions that can get in the way of runners. Especially runners who have had four large children. Ahem, I'll let your mind wander with what that means. I took the "no request is too great or too small for our God to care about" very seriously and prayed very specifically for certain things. Wouldn't you know, in the end, He gave me everything I asked for and needed on race day. He is cool like that. Yay, God.

We needed to rack our bikes in the transition area between 6-6:30am, so we got our stuff together quickly, downed a cup of coffee and a banana and headed over. It was very foggy, but warm and already humid.

We found a spot between the bike start and the run start out of the transition and set up shop. Then we spent the remainder of the time worrying about our biological functions and going back and forth to the bathroom. :)

My husband arrived with my two older girls at 7:30am. They were our camera crew and they did a phenomenal job capturing the race. It meant so very much to me to have them there. My husband, especially, has been so supportive of all the time I've taken to work out and obsessively prepare the last 6 months.

30 minutes before start time I swallow a Goody's powder, which is Acetominiphen and Aspirin, 2 sudafed, and suck on a zinc lozenge.

It was time to head down for the swim. Maverick and I were in the 35-39 year old pink wrist band group, and H was in the 40-44 year old yellow band group. They were starting age groups in 3 minute intervals. About 100 people were in our female age group and when it was our groups turn to start we stepped out into the water and I went right up to the front. I knew this was going to be a good leg for me, as I am a strong swimmer, and I didn't want to get jostled around by the ones who didn't know what they were doing. My strategy was to get out ahead right away so I could have a smooth, unencumbered swim.

H was all nervous as this was her personal weakest event, although not weak by most peoples standards, just hers. We were trying to keep her calm before our group was called as she went after us. I felt calm, not nervous at all, more anticipatory and excited.

The countdown. 10, 9, 8, 7,...,3,2,1. I was off. I told myself, this is just a swim workout. Took me a couple moments to get used to the fact that I could not see in the water and there were no lane ropes guiding me in a straight line like in my practice pool, but very quickly I was out in front, unencumbered and got a great rhythm going. I actually caught up to the group that started right before us, and at that point I got kicked a couple times as I tried to find my own area to swim through some of them. I freestyled the entire 1/4 mile, never stopping once, felt very proud of that. My goal was to do it in under 10 min. I had started my stop watch right when we took off, and when I got out of the lake I glanced at it and it was just a little over 9 minutes! I was pretty sure I was the first pink band out of the water.

Now I had the crazy, long incline up to the transition area where my ankle timer would note my time, so the long run to that point was also included in my swim portion. As I ran through the sand up to the path, suddenly I saw my husband and girls, it was such a boost and I gave them a big smile and wave.

I started hoofing it up to the transition area in bare feet, which must have taken me 2 minutes, because my official swim time was...

swim portion. 11 min. 13 sec.
AND, turns out that was 2nd in my age group!! Very proud.

I run into the transition area and am disoriented for a second, but I remembered that my rack was under the 2nd light post, so I ran for it. Dipped my feet in the bucket of water I had set out to get the sand and gravel off, slipped on my socks, tied up my shoes, clicked my helmet into place, unracked my bike, and started running to the bike start point (you are not allowed to ride in the transition area). That transition took me...

swim to bike transition: 2 min. 6 sec. I think I could improve on that.

Out of the transition I hopped on my bike and away I went. I was feeling good at this point. A little out of breath from the swim and run to the transition area, but nothing terrible, more adrenaline than anything. I felt confident I could conquer this bike ride, though I knew it would not be easy after seeing the course the night before.

The bike was 12 miles and the first 6 felt harder than the last 6 miles to me. The hills were really killer and people were starting to get off and walk up them. I was surprised! I was so thankful that Holly and I had spent so much time biking hills the last couple months. When we got to the 6 mile point and turned around to come back I was pushing it and there were a couple pink band ladies that kept changing positions with me. I knew my swim was strong, so I was thinking, hey, I am actually in the top of the pink group right now! On my way back on the second 6, H calls out to me from across the road on her first 6. She is a rockstar biker and I told myself to see how much further I could get before she passed me. Not too long after passing H, I pass Maverick. I was so proud of her! She was nervous about how she would do on the swim, but she obviously had not done too shabby to be that close behind H.

My self talk on the way back to transition was mostly telling myself that I knew I could do this, it was no different than a typical bike workout with H, and I was totally prepared for it, so do it! Get up that hill! On the way down one long steep hill, I was surprised to see that nearly everyone at that point on their way up it was walking it! I wanted to yell, get on your bikes and ride, people! But they were really hard hills.

By the time there is about 1.5 miles left, I am really breathing heavy. I had drank water from my bottle about four times trying to stay hydrated. But I was sweating profusely and the sun was hot and the humidity was bigtime.

I ride up to the transition and dismount, anticipating that my legs would feel heavy and jello-y for a minute or two, as H and I had done bricks where we biked and then ran, so I knew what to expect. But it turns out I really didn't know what to expect.

12 mile bike time: 47 minutes, 31 seconds

I leaned heavily on my bike as I sort of limped/ran back to the rack. I was really breathing heavy, and although I had planned to drink some water at that point, I forgot. I quickly took off my helmet, clipped on my number belt, put on my visor and away I went. Husband and the girls were there snapping pics, but I was in such a zone that I didn't really wave and smile or anything. I ran to the run start. That was a very fast transition...

bike to run transition: 56 seconds.

I run through the run start and immediately I am thinking, are you kidding me? This is a little 3.1 miles, normally an easy run for me, and I felt like death! I ran really slow trying to shake off the heavy leg feeling from being on the bike and trying desperately to get my breathing under control.

I kept telling myself, the first mile is always the hardest, once you get past it you will be in your groove. Not too far into the run I see boxes of bottled water set out. I quick grab one and twist it open while running and take a couple quick gulps and pour it on my head, chest and back, and then throw it in the grass, knowing that I am not even capable of handling the extra weight of a water bottle at the moment. I wasn't the only one, as many half drank bottle were on the ground. Turns out, to my and many others surprise and dismay, this was the only water offered on the entire run route, and I heard that the bottled water did not last very long either and many later runners got no water. Not good. At this point it was blazing hot, and so humid, and we had already swam 1/4 mile and biked 12 miles of hills.

After the first mile, I did briefly think I was getting my breathing under control. I was having a hard time figuring out where my breakdown was happening. Was it physically with my legs, or was it cardiovascularly with my breathing? Probably both! I was majorly self-talking myself through it. At the 1.5 mile mark where we turned around and headed back I seriously thought about walking a bit. I was getting chills and goose bumps and feeling a little out of it in my head, so I knew I was getting a little dehydrated. I was dripping wet from sweat. I kept telling myself to keep running, this is no different than a typical run workout, just keep running. I gasped and grunted a bit, told one guy alongside me that I felt like walking, just to give him an opportunity to pump me up. He did not disappoint, he said, no, you've got this! Don't stop running!

I didn't stop running. At some point I started channelling the Biggest Loser contestants. I saw Daris running that marathon in 4 hours, and Michael losing 250 lbs and enduring the killer "last chance" workouts. I kept saying to myself, if they can do that, you can do this! Do it!

Again, I thought of walking, but was afraid if I did, I wouldn't be able to start running again. I felt delirious in the mind. I could not believe how hard this run was. It was the worst run of my life. I told myself that this clinched it, I would never do a triathlon again in my life. I also wondered what in the he!! I had been thinking when I signed up for the 10 mile run in Stillwater, MN at the end of July. Clearly I am not a runner! I cannot do this!

I kept running.

I thought around the bend it was the end and I kept visualizing the finish line. I got around the bend, and NO, it was still further! I felt like crying. At that point I started praying, because I really thought I might pass out, and I wanted to get my ankle chip across that finish line to record my time before it happened, because I felt I had done well in the swim and bike, and I didn't want to crash and burn in this stupid run, which I never anticipated would be a problem. I prayed, Lord, please, please, let me cross that finish line before I pass out. Please get me there!

There was a pink band lady that seemed to have been stalking me a bit towards the end. She'd fall back and fast walk a bit, then power up and pass me, then fall back, then power up and pass. She was really keeping close to me right at the end and I thought, she is going to try and blow by me at the last second! I just kept running. In the end I did cross before her. Hah!

Anyway. There was the finish line!!! My body was on total auto-pilot at this point as I sprinted to the finish. I couldn't believe I made it! As soon as I crossed someone said, hand me your ankle timer. I looked down at my ankle and looked at them like they had spoken a foreign language. Luckily a more seasoned worker swooped in and said, here let me get it off for you, I know its hard to bend over right when you finish.

I was finished! I was a triathlete!
3.1 mile run time: 32 minutes, 5 seconds

I stumble forward and someone hangs a medal around my neck. All I can think about is sitting down and guzzling water. Suddenly H is there hugging and congratulating me and I see husband and I motion with my hand to my mouth that I need water.

I see a table with cups of water and I start grabbing them and guzzling and pouring them over me. I am hanging over the table as people are reaching over me. I keep guzzling and pouring over myself. I am out of my mind at this point and can't remember how I got over to a curb. I kept saying I needed shade and to sit down. I say I don't feel right and can't get a grip on my breathing. I sit down and lay back and immediately my husband and another guy are pulling me back up. They won't let me sit! I have to stand until I can prove that I am not about to die, then I can sit down.

Turns out, the guy helping me did the race last year and when he finished he blew his heart and ended up with a pace maker!! So he is hovering over me, making me eat this nasty gel, and drink gatorade which I hate, and guzzle water. I cannot tell whether I am going to pass out or throw up. I just wanted to sit down! Somewhere along the line, Maverick finishes and finds us. I am so bummed I was too out of it to see her finish. I was so proud of how well she did!

We go under the covered pavilion and I sit on the concrete. Then I lay back, but then I get afraid that I will get dizzy and pass out, so I sit back up. Sweat is pouring out of every orrifice of my body. I just cannot get it together. I am wanting to find out my standing in my age group, because I think I did pretty good. I keep telling myself that the reason I feel so horrible is, number one I am sick, and number two I left nothing on the table. I maxed out every event and did the very, very best I could have hoped to do. So feeling like death is worth it.

After about 30-40 minutes we get up to start walking over to gather our stuff from transition, but I am still leaning on my husband and feeling dizzy and out of it. We see two ambulances and 5 emt's standing outside of them in the parking lot. I say to my husband, you know, since they are there, maybe I could just get a little oxygen, because I should be feeling more normal by now after this long.

So we walk up to them and I tell them I am just not feeling right. My voice, of course, is gone, and I am producing horrid sounding coughing fits. I tell them I've been sick all week, I'm shaky and my skin is all goose-bumpy and chilled, but I am sweating profusely still after 30 minutes. They get me in the back of the ambulance and start putting sticky things all over my chest, a bp cuff, and a finger thingy. I get a nose canula of oxygen, then I get a finger stick and they decide to give me a bag of fluid. He misses on the first iv needle attempt, but gets it on the 2nd try. So I get oxygen and a bag of fluid and it perks me up and my personality starts coming back, at which time Maverick thinks it would be funny to photograph my dramatic ending. She told me I'd be glad to have it documented later.

OFFICIAL TIME TO COMPLETE MY FIRST TRIATHLON 1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 5k run:
1 hour, 33 minutes, 49 seconds.

During my time in the ambulance, H finds out she came in 3rd place in her age group and gets to stand on the medal podium to receive her 3rd place medal. I am so bummed I missed that moment for her. I am crazy proud of her...she completely deserved it!

I am sufficiently recovered and tell them to get me all unhooked because I am outta there! I sign my refusal to transport to hospital waver, hop out and we get our stuff and head back to the hotel for a quick shower, a drive through grilled chicken sandwich and water, and home.

I was so glad to be home! Maverick and I flung ourselves on my bed and stayed there for over an hour, while wearing our medals around our necks. The standings were already online, and I learn with delight that out of 96 women in our 35-39 yr old age group, I came in 19th!!! I also learned that out of the 856 participants that day, I came in 309th!! I was very proud.

A day later, my voice is still gone, I am still coughing incessantly and now have a sore throat again, and I have knots around my shoulders from my power swim in the lake.

But...

I am competitive. I am tenacious. I am persevering. I am not a quitter. I have high expectations of myself.

I am a triathlete.

swim. bike. run.

Official Standings for Goose's First Triathlon: 1/4 mi swim, 12 mi bike, 3.1 mi run
overall: 1:33:49
swim: 11:13
s/b trans: 2:06
bike: 47:31
b/r trans: 0:56
run: 32:05

Do you see that ticker??

2010-06-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

Goose here. I know. It's been awhile. Hi.

That triathlon ticker currently says 2 DAYS!! Wow, I remember when it said 100 days.

So. I am ready! Let's get on with it already.

Training with my partner in crime, H, has been steady for months now. I learned to ride my bike outside and switch the gears to maximize my abilities on hills and straitaways. I still get lapped by H on our rides.

I discovered I was a natural swimmer and have, in all honesty, only swam laps a handful of times because I am not really even worried about that portion...although more on that in a little bit.

I feel confident in the run. My speed has noticably increased to me in the last few weeks.

H and I have done several bike to run bricks. We have a favorite n'hood that is rolling hills and we ride back and forth for 10 miles in that n'hood, which has a couple really killer hills, and then we run 3 miles. I figure 10 miles on these killer hills has to be harder than 12 miles in the race on flatter ground.

So all was going well until last weekend. I fell sick! I mean, sick, sick. Like flu, with horribly painful swollen glands, sore throat, terrible body aches, fever. I started feeling it Sat, but stuck with our very fun family dinner plans with friends, Sun. I stayed in bed all morning until I rallied to head to inlaws for the rest of the day, where I felt mostly awful and even took a nap, but tried to rally here and there. Monday, I never got out of bed the entire day.

I was freaking out thinking I needed to work out and was going to derail all my efforts. i plied myself with Zicam, vitamin C, and Goody's body ache powder. By Tues. I thought I would live and pushed myself to do a 3 mile run which went fine. I was starting to feel a little encouraged that I had beat this thing, when the cough started. Now I have an insessant, horrible cough. So bummed. But what can you do. I have not worked out the rest of the week. I am a little nervous about that, but I guess you are supposed to take it easy in the last week, so I am trying to bank on that.

So last night I started looking up newbie triathlon articles to find out what to wear and what to pack, eat, etc and what the experience might be like. I was most interested in the swim portion articles and stories about what the lake swim experience would be like. It is going to be much different than the clear, lane lined lap swims I am used to. All the articles say that you WILL panic in the first minute or two, but then you will get over it and be fine. So I am just visualizing that I will start strong and get out ahead of my group so I don't have to be sloshed around with everyone flailing and panicking...it is a first tri for all of us, afterall.

Aside from being sick, my biggest fear is that as I get underway it will feel harder than I am expecting it to...my biggest hope is that it will feel easier than I am expecting it to.

My goals are to land in the top half of my age group, and to finish in 1:30-1:45. We shall see.

I am just ready to get on with it.

Maverick arrives today.

Please let me be old

2010-05-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Last fall as I turned 39 I felt this need to somehow mark 40 with an athletic accomplishment that said I was going into this next decade with enthusiasm, power and strength. I am still young and vital and can accomplish anything I put my mind to. This coming triathlon was the result of my need to do something big for 40. But I am over it.

I am ready to embrace 40. I am ready to be old. Bring on the wrinkles. Bring on the pre-menapausal symptoms, colonoscopy and mamograms. Buy me a pair of cheaters and lets call it a day. I don't need to enter 40 young and vital. I want to enter 40 slow and sluggish. I don't want to be a young mom of a 5 year old, I want to be mistaken for her grandmother. I am over it. Please let me move on. Why am I doing this triathlon? WHY???

Today as I ran 3.1 miles immediately following a 45 minute cycle class those were the thoughts going through my head. Please let me out of this triathlon. My knee hurt most of the 40 minutes and I walked at least half or better of the time. Yet I finished, ran through the digital finish line, and I am still functioning now back at home. So I must be ready. All this training is apparently doing something. In one week I will be flying down to Atlanta and 2 days later it will be over. My training seems to be doing its job so I just need to keep doing what I have been doing for months. I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and get the job done.

For the Bible tells me so

2010-05-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

In my bible I have been reading through the book of Hebrews lately and recently came across this verse in 12:12, "Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees." There it is, the bible wants me to go to body pump.

After 5 months of twice a week weight lifting class I don't feel nearly as feeble or weak, although I am resisting increasing my weights, and I really can see a change in my body. My arms and shoulders have definition and although there is still a lovely layer of fat over my thighs they don't seem to spread nearly as wide when I am sitting down. And I seem to have re-discovered my hip bones which went missing after the birth of Jake and I didn't think I would ever see them again.

Of course the bible is also full of commands to run. Shortly before the verse on strengthening our arms and knees it tells us to, "run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Paul also talks about running in other places. So it is apparently a God ordained exercise to run. And I really do find it relaxing to just plod along. Intervals and speed work make me think. I really love to just get stuck in a slow, simple pace and be in that moment listening to the world around me, contemplating my life and hearing God in while present in that space.

Unfortunately my body is stubbornly refusing to enjoy these biblical exercises with me. My knee continues to give me trouble when I run. I think I will be able to get through the upcoming triathlon but I see walking and biking on my summer plans rather than running. And while my arms look great my shoulder is bugging me lately. Luckily it doesn't feel like an injury, just an over worked muscle, so I should be fine in a few days.

I haven't come across a biking reference but Peter does swim into shore from the boat when Jesus appears to them after his death. Can we read into that? Either way I am committed to doing both along with the running in just over 4 weeks.

I feel good about the training I have done in each individual area but think it might be time to do 2 things. Number 1 combine a couple and number 2, get outside. Both are tricky because they require either child care or doing my workouts early in the morning or after dinner. A change in routine. I have gotten used to my schedule of running, swimming and biking on various mornings and Isabelle has made friends and enjoyed the classes they offer for her while I am taking my classes. Change can be fun or hard. I suppose it is all in the attitude. Having completed other responsibilities in my life last weekend I am telling myself this can be my focus for the month. I am ready to take it to the next level.

As I am getting tired of the training and want to quit it is so nice to have this looming to keep me getting out of bed. I have been telling myself for the last few weeks that I just have to get through this and I can stop. As if I don't have to ever exercise after June 5th. I can just go to jello. Well in a weak moment yesterday realizing I had to keep going, I signed up for the "Lazy Man Triathlon" at the Y. Starting June 1st I will be completing a full length tri over the course of 5 weeks. I will swim 2.5 miles, bike 112 miles and run/walk 26.2 miles. As I have broken it out into weekly mileage I can see that it really isn't significantly more than I am doing right now for training. So now I just have to maintain through to July 15. THEN I can quit and let my body turn to jello. Right?

If you want to join me on the Lazy Man Tri feel free. I will get a t-shirt through the Y but you can do it on your own with me. This event is just my style, there is no competition except with yourself and the follow through needed to stay on track and complete the milage on time. I will try to post my weekly milage so you can all keep me accountable to staying on track.

Keep flying everyone.

Maverick Out.

Gear Up

2010-04-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

When I started running almost 6 years ago one of the bonus features was that I didn't need to put out any financial commitment. I simply put on a pair of running shoes I had bought several years before, which the dog we briefly had chewed the heels out of, a pair of knit shorts, an old t-shirt and hit the road. After a week or so I made the commitment of a running tank and short and some new socks and a few months later made my first purchase of shoes from the Nike outlet store. I went along with that small sampling of gear for a good couple years. While I must confess to still wearing some of those 6 year old clothes I have recently purchased my 5th pair of running shoes.

This is the second pair I bought through a running store where someone knowledgeable in running shoe science actually helped me choose the appropriate pair. I have enjoyed a few runs in them but with my knee still acting up I am keeping my runs pretty short. The new shoes are for a neutral foot. I discovered that my old shoes were stability shoes which I really didn't need and potentially contributed to my IT band injury. I guess the professionals don't always get it right.

While I haven't been able to run much this winter I have enjoyed a weekly spin class which has really improved my biking skills. (At leased I think it has, my bike is still hanging from the garage ceiling at the moment.) The spin bikes have the option of either wearing your regular shoes and sticking your toes in a little basket on the pedal or wearing clip bike shoes and locking your foot to the pedal. Having now used the basket for almost 5 months and getting used to the push and pull you experience from that I knew I wanted to be able to ride like that on the road. I went to REI to check out the bike shoe options and told the sales people several times I was there only to check them out and try a few on but I would not be buying. Seriously I must have said it at least 4 times to the different sales people in the area. As you can imagine, in the end I bought a pair. They were on a great sale and happened to be the only ones that were really comfortable on my weird feet.

Thursday I brought them in and the spin instructor taught me how they work. I managed to get on and off the spin bike without a problem. Of course I didn't have to try and balance the bike while doing so. We will see how it goes in the real world hopefully soon. But in the spin world it was fun to have the clip shoes for the class. One thing I noticed with my new running shoes is that they are much softer so when I would wear them for spin they didn't give me the stability I needed. The new bike shoes are nice and firm for the ride.

As I prepare for this upcoming triathlon I am becoming obsessed with the gear situation. I really hate having the wrong gear. I am not one that needs to have everything, the latest and greatest, but I do want to have the right thing that makes me feel comfortable. I read a great little side article in a magazine a few months ago. Someone wrote in and said they were new to exercising and what did they need to know so they wouldn't look stupid at the club. The answer gave some very basic ideas but ended by telling her to go buy a new workout outfit because if you looked like you knew what you were doing everyone would assume you did. The best advice EVER. That is how I determine who knows what they are doing and who doesn't when I see people exercising. Thus I want to at least LOOK like I know what I am doing. There are so many other things to stress about with this triathlon, I don't want to be distracted because I am wearing the wrong clothes and afraid everyone is looking at me and laughing. (Yes I have issues, move on.) So I am currently wondering what I should wear to swim in. It will need to be something I can then bike and run in. Now I don't really require a heavy duty running bra or anything but I would probably be a little more comfortable in something with more support than my current swim suit which is really designed for laying next to the pool not swimming in it. So the answer to that question will likely be my next purchase.

We are getting down to the wire. 6 weeks from today Goose and I will be standing at the starting line (actually it is 2pm as I write so 6 weeks from right now hopefully we will be celebrating our success.) I guess it is time to get serious about our training. I have been working on all the parts but haven't put any together yet. I have sort of come to the conclusion that I may be walking part of the tri. My knee doesn't seem to want me to run more than 2 miles. I am hoping by the race I can do the whole 3 miles. I am rolling and stretching my leg everyday. I know Goose has started combining a few parts and it seems to be going well. I have been toying with trying an even easier triathlon than this one next weekend but I lack that other person who will brave a new adventure with me. Anyone want to do the lifetime indoor triathlon with me next weekend?

Getting lapped by Grandma

2010-03-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well it is official. If the triathlon was tomorrow I would definately drown in the lake.

On Sunday I met my friend Naomi, who is a swim coach and also does triathlons, for a little swim lesson and training. She put me through a bunch of drills and taught me the new technique for swimming freestyle. Apparently they have changed since we were kids. She encouraged me and told me I was much better than I had led her to believe and she thought I did a good job learning the technique she taught me. It was a crash course and I was trying to remember everything she said and make my body memorize the new moves as quickly as possible. I left feeling much more confident that I could swim laps without looking like I had no idea what I was doing. I also left exhausted.

Naomi confirmed what others had already told me, I need to practice at least 2 times a week, 3 would be better. So today I decided would be the day. I woke up immediately dreading it. Since Jake had late start and John was still home I decided to just get right out of bed and head over early without Isabelle to get it over with. I felt that I would wimp out if I had to wait until Isabelle was up and organized to go. I got there and did one lap down and back and almost died. Tried to do another length of the pool and found myself breaking form and gasping for breath half way down the pool. Thus began the routine of one length, catch breath for several minutes, length, catch breath, length, catch breath. To add insult to injury I was sharing a lane with a 70 year old woman who, while much slower than me, never stopped swimming the entire 30 minutes I was there, had been swimming when I arrived and was still swimming when I left. I told her as I left that she was going to be my inspiration to keep coming back.

I did find that the lengths where I was focused on one of the aspects of form that Naomi had talked about seemed easier than when I was just swimming and trying to think of it all. And really, I need to relax so my breathing isn't so labored. Naomi did say I looked like I was gasping for breath the whole time and that is exactly how I feel. So I know what to work on.

All in all I felt like I have conquered a fear and am looking forward to seeing progress in this new activity. I suppose it is like when I started running. The first time I ran I could hardly go 1/2 mile but it was amazing how quickly I was able to improve when starting from zero. A few years ago Iceman and I were meeting to take turns swimming laps and watching each others children. I remember that each week I did seem to improve. I look forward to experiencing that again.

Now could someone tell me how to get this chlorine smell off my skin?

Iceman and others who won't do the tri because of the swim. Get a coach, take a swim lesson. When the move is broken down for you by someone knowledgeable and you get to practice each piece suddenly it seems so much more doable. I'm just saying...

Iceman's 2010 Summer Racing Schedule

2010-03-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post the races that I have been thinking about participating in this summer. So here goes:

1. April 24th is the Get In Gear Races over at the Minehaha Pavilion. I'm going to do the 5k and start my racing season slowly. (In more ways than one... )

2. May 2nd is the Bud Break Race at the local Arboretum. It's hilly, but beautiful. This is another 5k. I'm excited to have my kids participate in the Daffodil Dash! A little too cute, huh?

3. July 3rd is the Excelsior Firecracker Run. This will be the 1st 10k for me of the season. But I'm hoping not to even notice the extra mileage because running around Lake Minnetonka is going to be beautiful! (Check the link above for when the open registration. You'll see it under July)

4. July 24th is the Lumber Jack Day Race in Stillwater. I think the family and I are going to make a trip of it. We'll be camping and enjoying Lumber Jack Days. This will be a test for me because it is a 10 MILE course... There is a race for the kids also!

5. August 21st is Maple Lake Days Race. This will probably feel easy after the 10 miles in July! More kids races again. I wonder if my kids like to run?... :)

6. October 3 Medtronic Twin City Marathon. NO I won't be running the marathon. I thought I would go for the do-able 10 miler. Now the participants are chosen by lottery. So we'll see if I get into this race or not...

Now to keep it all real. I haven't actually signed up for any of these races. So if anyone has any better ideas let me know.

Also does anyone want to join me?!?!?! It'll be great fun!!

The Go-To Food

2010-03-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

One thing I have noted in reading health/diet books is that the writers really love their health food but seem to have some go-to food as well. One of the first books I read the woman talked about the first healthy food she fell in love with was this rice and rye combo she would make and mix with veggies or just eat plain. In another book the writer is in love with oatmeal. He talks about how he would love to eat it 3 meals a day but realizes he needs more balance in his diet.

I realized last week when I decided it was time to pump up my healthy eating lifestyle that I too have a go-to meal. Rice and Beans. When I don't feel well or don't know what to eat but want to eat healthy I pull that out. I love it. Almost as much as salads, another of my go-to foods. My body just feels happy when I eat rice and beans. And I have discovered that it is good no matter what kind of bean you use. The usual is a dark red kidney bean but I have experimented with black beans and white beans, still good.

So how to make...

saute some onion in olive oil in a pan or wok until soft, add a bunch of rice and 1-2 cans of rinsed beans. Add some random spices. I tend to go with curry and cumin and maybe some garlic powder. I then add some balsamic vinegar because I love it but you could add any vinegar or no vinegar at all as well as many other little additions that you have cluttering up the fridge like tomatoes or mushrooms or whatever. And then you are done and you eat. Yummy!

John loves it too. And our bodies smile when we eat it. Keeps us healthy and happy.

So what is your go-to food when you feel unhealthy?

Goose in Gear

2010-02-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, after my pity party earlier today, God gave me 50 degrees and sunshine by the time the girls got out of school, so I headed out for a run as soon as they got home to watch the little ones.

I have been feeling so sluggish this week with my period. Hadn't exercised in two days. I started running and thought, no way I can't do this! Why does the first mile hate me so much? I puffed through and felt my stride by the 2nd mile.

I haven't pushed past the 45 min run yet, but have had a secret goal to run for an hour..about 6 miles for me. I decided I would see how I felt towards the end of my 4 mile run. Well, I felt good, like I always do lately, so I kept going. I ran for a whole hour just to prove to myself I could!! My cardio system still felt great at the hour mark, but my knees were feeling a little stiff and crampy.

I realized that I have to emotionally accept the fact that I have been working out non-stop for four months now and I AM IN DARN GOOD SHAPE! I have to get over myself. I felt so discouraged this past week with my poor eating habits and then not exercising for two days. I have this mental mindset that I am lazy and unfit. But its not true! I am actually really, really fit and strong and healthy...why is it so hard to reprogram our minds when we have reprogramed our bodies?

I re-read some of my first posts on here to try to recapture some of that enthusiastic machine that I was in December. Its like I have this horrible fear that if I sit around and eat terribly for a few days that all my work these last four months will just disappear. I'm trying to find the right balance of fitting exercise into my life, rather than having it consume it...eating healthy but enjoying food and not freakishly fixating on it or thinking I have ruined everything if I eat chips, too much cheese, or peanut m&m's.

I am not a moderate kind of gal, have you ever noticed this about me? I know, you learn something new every day. haha

Going out of town this weekend with the family. The hotel should have a treadmill that I plan to use. As long as I am getting my exercise in I will feel okay about all the eating out we will have to do.

Goose out.

A Full Belly, A Happy Child

2010-02-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

I had a realization a couple months ago. Whenever Isabelle was really cranky or having a particularly bad melt down I could immediately track that she hadn't eaten anything in a very long time. It was quite an exciting realization. All I needed to do was feed my daughter regular meals and have a few snacks handy and she becomes a much more manageable pre-schooler. Who knew? With such a simple solution there would just be no reason to ever encounter this type of melt down again. Right?

Of course there are a couple problems...she barely eats anything and I forget to feed her. So often with our daytime meals on the run, me making us different foods, and dinner almost always being something she won't eat, I don't necessarily notice that very little food was offered to her that day and she didn't eat any of it anyway. Until the melt down begins...

Having identified the problem I am getting better but, just as I have to be dilegent about maintaining the changes in my own diet I also have to be dilegent about helping Isabelle maintain the changes in hers as well. I had been stocking food that I knew she would eat for lunch, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese or peanut butter and honey sandwich. Along with a few snack foods she likes, mandarin oranges, yogurt, other fruits and she will eat some nuts. I know she loves crackers and chips but so do I and neither one of us really needs to plow through a bag of chips in one sitting.

Then last week epic mom failure. It was close to lunch time and we were out and about doing something when she begins this horrible melt down. I am looking at her wondering where this is all coming from when I decide to figure out when she had last eaten...breakfast? Oops we ran out the door that morning in such a rush I forgot to make her something...dinner the night before...oops she wouldn't eat it and then never had anything afterward...Lunch the day before...yes OK good she had eaten lunch the day before. So there we were almost 24 hour after the last meal she had. No wonder she was melting down, I would be too! I quickly got her some food and life went back to normal.

(I do feel compelled to interject here the fact that the kids we ministered to in Kenya would only eat 1 meal a day often. While we were there we would feed them lunch before our programing and they were always attentive and enthusiastic. They tried to continue our program after we left but had a much harder time engaging the kids once they ran out of money to feed them. So while this makes for a melt down one day in my life this is reality for many parents and children around the world. End sermon.)

So I am renewed in my resolve to keep a snack in my purse at all times (for both of us), keep the house stocked with breakfast and lunch foods that Isabelle will eat and continue to encourage her to try the new foods she encounters at dinner time.

It is all about planning. I need to plan to buy the right foods for her, I need to plan ahead to have snacks in my purse or make a sandwich to bring along. Just like in my own diet, I have to plan there too. So my fellow fighter pilots...what are your planning suggestions for making sure your children are properly nurished?

Also, I would like to propose our next challenge. Let's each hit the library or book store for a new diet or exercise book we haven't read before and review it here. Sometimes hearing the same information from a new angle can be just the inspiration we need to keep going. Thoughts?

Grumbling Goose

2010-02-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

I've hit a wall.

Have not exercised in 2 days and my eating has been poor for the last week.

I am so tired of this terrible, cold winter! I am tired of running in the cold.

I just discovered I have been having 25 day cycles. Perhaps this is my hormonal issues...why are they so short?

Scared of the scale. Don't want to derail all my hard efforts the last 4 months! Somebody perk me up!!!

Sugar Fast

2010-02-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

Maverick is not having a good week. But I think into everyones life some bad weeks must fall. I skipped my weekend workout and have been a little slack this week so far skipping again today due to a few glitches in my schedule. Last Friday I ate so much I felt like I would explode. It was just one of those days where too much food, specifically sugar, came my way and I didn't say no to any of it.

I really am finding that sugar is a major issue in my life. I really do feel bloated when I eat it. And I would never have said that sugar was my thing. I am a salty girl not a sweet tooth girl. Give me chips and salsa any day of the week and leave your chocolate bar at home. But our culture and our diets are such that you are being constantly bombarded by sugar and can consume alot of it before you even realize what you are doing. Not to mention the way holidays seem to revolve around it, particularly the recently passed Valentine's day which is just an excuse to buy chocolate, go to a gluttonous restaurant and spend money at hallmark. We passed on all of that this year and yet still managed to find way too much pink candy at church on Sunday morning and found ourselves driving home with a cup full of m&m's, chocolate kisses and dove chocolates. So unnecessary. (full disclosure--the candy was left over from centerpieces I created for an event at the church Friday night. So it was my fault.)

Tomorrow is the first day of Lent. Our family has enjoyed learning about and being part of this season of sacrifice for the past few years. Many people fast from desserts or sugar during this time but we have taken some more non traditional approaches to our lenten fasts in the past. This year though I think it is time for us to be a little more traditional and give up sugar for lent. 40 days fasting from sugar. Sunday's are "feast days" where you don't fast because you are celebrating the Lord. Sometimes we continue our fasts even on Sundays but this year I think we will indulge in our feast days. My goal isn't to cut sugar out of my life forever but live in moderation.

Tonight, Shrove Tuesday, the night before lent begins, we will be celebrating with the traditional pancake dinner. The history is that early Christians would make pancakes to use up all the sugar and fat in the house which they would be giving up for lent. Can you imagine if making pancakes finished off all the, sugar in our houses today. Just think what we would have to eat for dinner to rid the house of sugar. Cookies, chocolates, muffins, fruit snacks, sugary drinks, cereals, yogurt, ice cream, and on and on. We would certainly be ready for a fast after a meal like that! Ugh.

I guess that is just another reason my theme of the year is "simplify". I really want to even eat simpler. Remembering food is fuel not entertainment and creating delicous but healthy meals that meets my family's needs without filling our bodies with things we don't need.

Omega 3's

2010-02-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

Goose is still planning on weighing in with my deep thoughts from our food photographing experiment, if I can still remember what I learned that week...but tonight I wanted to show you what I fed my family!

I used to love cooking and pouring over recipe books for sport. I served my family delectable meals every night. Then for a year my life derailed and I just barely got by. It was the year of Styrofoam where we contributed our carbon footprint to the landfills.

As I am re-emerging and feel like I have successfully tackled a sembelence of routine in my own exercise/eating habits, suddenly my desire to feed my family wonderful dinners has been brought back to life in me.

So tonight I had a very large salmon steak in the fridge. I googled for some ideas of what to do with it and I presented this to my family at the dinner table...

I cut the steak into 5 pieces, sprinkled them with garlic powder, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt and then mixed a marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, olive oil and water. They hung out in the marinade for the afternoon.

To cook them I set the oven at 425 and put each fillet in a foil packet and baked for 30 min. I put the marinade in a saucepan and boiled it for awhile and then poured it over the finished salmon fillets. I added brown rice and sauteed asparagus and onion.

Mady called it "Extraordinary!", gave it a thumbs up, and ate her whole plate.

Sarah, who LOVES salmon, deemed it "tricky" and "too sweet, dad makes it better".

I cleaned my plate.

Goo, who currently lives on orange juice, honey and butter toast, and candy, just stared at her plate and then when she got up from the table and I asked her if she had eaten any of it, said "Yes! and I HATED it!" alrighty, then.

Evie arrived home famished from a long swim practice and devoured two big helpings. Daddy, also, cleaned his plate.

So, all in all, a good meal when I only have one small portion leftover, good enough for someone's lunch or snack tomorrow.

Goooooose, Out.

Everyone's Journey

2010-02-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

Well our Food Challenge was fun! A week is a long time to photograph the food that you eat and get it into a blog post. But I think it's a challenge that more people should try. Why? Well, reading and thinking about something never work as well as when you actually DO something.

The reason that I started this challenge was mainly some ideas. I sometimes feel like I am stuck in a rut when it comes to the food that I eat and so I thought it would be fun and inspiring to see what my cohorts go-to foods really are.

Well that wasn't the biggest thing I took away from this challenge. Yes, I did get some ideas (loved the parfaits, and I think I should really start enjoying the process and relaxation of sitting down to a cup of tea during my day.)

But the more surprising lessons came from putting my own food up for people to see.

One of the biggest thing's I knew before, but hit me in a new and inspiring way is that eating healthy is something we all must do. It's not a fat vs. thin thing. It's not some trial that I must trudge through because I have a weight problem. I don't get to look at the person beside me and ruefully wish that I had her metabolism so I didn't have to eat healthy. Because it's not about eating less so that I weigh less. But the work of eating healthy is universal across the fat to thin spectrum. Looking at my cohort's posts, they were purposing to put healthy foods into their mouths just as much as I was. Which bring me to lesson number two.

Eating healthy is work! That challenge was sure fun the 1st few days. It was exciting to take pretty pictures, the preparation was part of the fun, eating the dutifully prepared and pretty food was yummy. But somewhere around mid-week (probably right around that post of my sandwich in the car) it became a chore.

It's the same in life. It's fun at first! But when the newness wears off it becomes a chore. This challenge was a great micro-experiment, though, of the push to keep going even when you don't feel like it. Because, obviously, if my battle buddies and I are anything like the rest of the population. It get's old quick. Which leads me to my next point...

Why did we keep going? Because we had accountability. Accountability is SO key! It picks you up when you feel like faltering. It dusts you off and sets you back on that path when you have. It intimidates you from even flirting with that path of failure. And it propels you farther and faster, when your willing to just idle. I've said before that I'm a die hard Weight Watcher and that's the reason why.

So anyway, this challenge has reminded me, a new, of what it really takes to succeed. I'm not doomed to failure. I don't have a tougher road because of my propensity to eat too much. Everyone, thick or thin, should eat healthy. Everyone who does, has to work at it. And everyone needs some accountability to keep going strong. I'm not part of an unfortunate club the rest of the world doesn't need to join. This is not just my trial or even a trial at all. It's a journey, for me and everyone else.

Goose Grub Sunday-final day

2010-02-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

Finally. This is the end of Goose's food in pictures.

My challenge for all three of us is to now put up posts on what we learned from this experiment, so that there was a point to it. hahaha

Coffee.

Total cereal with banana and skim milk.

45 min run outside.

water.

handful of almonds.

a prune.

Black Bean burger patty with salsa and squirt of fresh lime.

water.

Superbowl Spread.

During the first half of the game I ate two slices of cheese pizza. Veggies with a little ranch dip. A few tostidos with salsa. A few cheese cubes. A couple jalapeno stuffed olives. water. Kind of a lot, but could have been worse. I don't feel super good tonight, so I really didn't over-indulge.

Okay, there you go. I am considering some crunches and pushups during the last few minutes of the game while the Colts try to regain the lead.

It's been real. It's been fun. It's been real fun.

Gooooooose--Out.

Stream of Conciousness-Food Challenge Style

2010-02-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

This is where I attempt to steal a blog post style from a famous blogger who shall remain nameless. Or maybe I'm trying to take an easy route because I feel too sick and miserable to even write this post. But again, I'm the one who came up with this challenge so I, at least, should be the one to keep going.

Saturday morning. Literally feels like forever ago.

That nights sleep had helped my sickness symptoms and so I decided to make up that workout that I had missed the day before. It was actually a pretty good workout and I ran for 45 minutes. When I got home, my parents, who were staying with us for the weekend to attend my son's birthday party, were standing around the stove making my famous Applesauce Oatmeal Pancakes. So when I walked in the door I was able to sit down and eat this. I can't tell you the treat it was to sit down, in my own home, to food that I didn't have to prepare myself. Amazing.

Unfortunately I got steadily sicker from that point on. I took a nap, drugged myself and was able to make it through the whole day. But I didn't care about the food I was eating. And I didn't want to photograph it. I did eat the left over pizza for lunch and had a taco bar for the supper portion for my son's birthday. But the other foods I ate are a haze of Chocolate Twizzlers (that are even that good) ice cream, Cheesy Salsa Dip, and even more scraps from the carving of the birthday cake.
And now it's Sunday morning, I didn't go to church. I sat downstairs while the rest of my family was off at church and ate cheesy dip and, yup, you guessed it, the last of the scraps of birthday cake.

This week has been interesting food experiment. I think I will write another post on what nuggets of insight and revelations this week had for me.

But that will be when I'm feeling better, and my ears are not plugged, and my lungs aren't burning, and my throat isn't sore, and my eyes aren't watering... Yup, I'll have to wait till then.

Iceman Out.

Two-fer

2010-02-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday afternoon and I am still in my pajamas. I'm sick, worn out, and in general feeling yucky.

But in the interest of the contest that I started. I feel I must finish strong.

So not a lot of fancy wordsmithing, but here are the bare bones of what I ate Thursday and Friday. Thursday was a pretty good day. I had real food and didn't just snack my day away, which, *ahem*, may or may not have been what happened Friday....

Thursday was my day not to work out. And believe me, I took full advantage of that. But all in all it was a good day!

(Maverick do you recognize your Bean Enchilada's? Yes, I still make the recipe all these years later. What can I say, a classic never goes out of style)
(This was the treat tray that I brought for my bible study. I did really well until the drive home. Some cookies and quite a few strawberries went missing in that altercation)
________________________

Now Friday. I had been gone LATE (like 11-11:30pm) the night before and didn't get to bed till 12:00am. Not good if you want to wake up in five hours to go workout. Plus my 14 mo. old baby, who should know better, woke me up around 3am to nurse. He's sick right now too, and when his sickness wakes him up he is positive the only was to go back to sleep is to nurse.*sigh* so when that alarm clock went off... well you know.

Anyway, I had a full day of schooling, cleaning, and preparing food for my son's upcoming party. Plus I woke up with that dreaded feeling of, " I-Can't-Move" so... It was cereal for everyone for the third day in a row. Yeah, I'm a great Mom like that...

Then, with my completely sluggish body I started giving into temptation. This was eaten for lunch...
Some of the scraps were eaten throughout the day.
And then, for supper, I felt like I had "no time" so I asked my husband to bring home pizza. I ate 3 pieces, he ate 3 pieces. And these three were left over.
And then around 8pm I started to realize why I had been feeling that stuck-in-the-mud feeling all day. My nose started to run and my eyes started to water. I was getting sick...dun, dun, dun...

Goose's Grazing Saturday

2010-02-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

This week in food pictures shows my crazy mood swings from day to day. After a gluttonous, foodie day yesterday, I hardly thought about food all day today, was not hungry at all, and had to remind myself to eat. But in other news, I got our taxes done! Yay, me...that finance degree comes in handy for something once a year.

Started off with coffee, not pictured.

Was dismayed at the cold rainy temps again which prevented me from getting out for a needed run. Instead I just did level 3 Shred and some additional ab crunches and push-ups.

Had a bowl of Total cereal with a cut up banana on top and skim milk, not pictured.

coffee.

Had some left over noodles with butter and parmesan and cottage cheese for lunch...

Had a few leftover sips of a delicious blueberry smoothie that Evie made after swimming, not pictured.

Went out and got an XL black hazelnut decaf at Dunkin Donuts, not pictured.

Licked some marshmallow fluff off a knife as I was cleaning up the kitchen.

Took a bite of a piece of buttered french bread left over on one of the girls plates.

For dinner I tried this Kashi frozen meal that I bought to see if it would be tasty for a quick lunch or dinner option on those busy days. It failed. It had heat but no flavor so I added a squirt of lime and some salsa. Still blah, won't buy again.

water. water. water., not pictured.

And that's all folks. Still think that nasty velveeta/salsa "queso" from last night is glued to my insides. Looking forward to a good run tomorrow after church.

Gooooose--Out.

Maverick's Meals, the final edition

2010-02-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

OK this is it. My final day of food presentation.

Friday morning I woke up with my period and no tampons in the entire house. I also had no butter and no money. Coupled with the fact that I wanted to get to my 9:45 body pump class I was feeling stressed. I almost decided not to do body pump but instead decided it was the most important thing. I found a pad that had come free with some box of tampons once-upon-a-time and headed to the Y with the necessary deposit that would allow me to go to the grocery store after my workout. I did skip the 40 minutes on the eliptical I usually do afterward but I felt great to have gotten in my weight lifting. In the mean time I was so rushed from my stressful morning that I only had one slice of toast with honey, no butter, for breakfast.

Once I got home from the grocery store with a few essentials I whipped up a yummy salad with the chicken I had cooked on Thursday night plus my favorite nut mix from trader joes, goat cheese and red onion. Add my personal dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinager and dijon mustard and you have my version of bliss.

I was feeling snacky a few hours later so I decided to have a yogert:

I experimented with the white balance again on my camera to take the picture. Which do you like better? As the class instructor said, "photography is an art". There is no right or wrong answer.

Isabelle was getting under foot a little too much so I decided to take advantage of the warmer weather and bundled her up and kicked her out of the house. I actually expected her back inside within moments but she spent about 20 minutes out there just enjoying the fresh air.

Even when she looked over her shoulder and saw this:

She continued swinging and telling him that "mommy let me come outside". Oh I so miss summer. Parenting is much easier when they can go outside.

For dinner we made up more chicken, added some broccoli slaw and cooked up a little peanut sauce (peanut butter, sugar, oil, water, soy sauce). Put it in a tortilla and you have thai chicken wraps. A big hit at our house. We only had enough tortillas for one each but I did scrape the left overs onto a plate and finish them off.

That evening my wonderful hubby made a bowl of pocorn and a pot of tea

I enjoyed them both but must confess that before that my son had been trolling for food and when he went for the frozen cookie dough I had him bring me a ball as well.

I did also manage to drink another pitcher of water.

It is making my body happy.

So that is a 3 day sample of my diet. I think that is enough to get a feel. I think that Iceman, who proposed this challenge, should now write a post on accountability and what happens when no one is looking.

Goose Gluttony Friday

2010-02-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

They said there'd be days like this...

Ugh. Today was HORRID. This is what I was talking about, Iceman, when I told you some of my food days can be so random. I can't believe I have to confess it in pictures to you!

The day started out pleasantly. Coffee of course.

My accidental trainer and partner in crime, H, was still recovering from her sickness and it was cold and rainy today, so I decided to have today be my exercise day off. Actually put on makeup and clothing other than workout gear for the first time all week.

I ate a quick banana...

Then The Goo and I headed to a morning playdate over at a friend and her daughter's that we hadn't seen in awhile. We had a great time visiting, and while there I was treated to my favorite XL black hazelnut decaf coffee from Dunkin Donuts, and some almonds. (a big shout-out "HI!!" to our potential new readers, my friend "K", and her sis in IL)

Later for lunch I had half a turkey and muenster cheese sandwich with stone ground mustard on whole wheat and cantalope with water.

So far, so good right?

Well, from this point on it all. goes. wrong. I just had a funky afternoon and it just all derails when I feel in a funk!

So. deep breath, here goes. I went for the chips. You know those Cape Cod Kettle potato chips left out on the counter the other day that I resisted? Yea, those. I ate them. And thats not all. I added the dark chocolate coconut granola bar and a Dove dark chocolate heart for some unknown reason that I can't explain.

Then later, for dinner, okay, seriously, I had this:

Shut Up. I know, right? I mean really. It wasn't even real queso! It was FAKE cheese. Velveeta. (shudder) and salsa. Tostido chips. One glass of wine. Oh, and for good measure, after I had thoroughly disgusted myself with the fake cheese dip and chips, I finished off the remnants of the popcorn bowl that the girls had eaten.

*SMACK* *SMACK*

Now I have a headache, my stomach feels yuck, I'm tired and my house is a mess. I am so lame that I fed my 3rd grader and her sleeping over friend each a microwaved lean pocket for dinner, and my 5th grader and her sleepover friend made themselves hotdogs. I'm not even sure what the younger two had...lollipops? I don't even know what to say for myself other than it was just a day, right? One day. Tomorrow is a new day and I will pull myself back together. I will hopefully run if its not raining and get my act together and eat normal, healthy foods.

For now I will finish off the day with a big glass of water and go to bed hoping the things that caused me a lot of stress and put me in a funk today will start getting fixed tomorrow, and just forget about today.

They said there'd be days like this....whoever "they" are.

Goooooose-Out

More meals of Maverick's

2010-02-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

Well Goose is one step ahead of me because I have only photographed my food for two days and I am done already. I may do a little photographing today but I make no promises for a detailed account of my friday food.

Today however I present to you my Thursday in food pictures...

I was in a rush to get to spin class after my blog post yesterday and so I made toast with butter and honey, grabbed a bottle of water and headed out the door.

When I got home from my hour long base ride in zone 2 I was very sweaty and hungry. Decided the hunger out weighed my stench and made myself a salad.

Isabelle ate an entire package of mac and cheese. I think it was because she doesn't like it when I save half and reheat it the next day so she was trying to eat it all in an effort to have a fresh bowl today. It did work but I already threw half of todays box in the fridge before she could take it.

I also did kept my promise and filled my pitcher with water which I drank all of before dinner.

It was freshly filled here and looks a little cloudy. I think we need to change our filters...

Then as I was busy working on a photo project for our basement Jake arrives home with 5 friends. Very exciting as I often tell him to bring his friends over but unfortunately I was feeling like our cupboards were bare. I told him to make popcorn and had a little myself.

Then Goose, upon reading of my predicament sent me an email telling me I should stock up on pizza rolls. Suddenly I remember that I had done just that and had a huge bag of pizza rolls in a drawer in the freezer. I asked them if they were still hungry enough for pizza rolls and one of his friends said, "we're teenagers. we're always hungry." So I made a bowl of pizza rolls for the as well.

I ate those two that fell out of the bowl. And I always like a cup or so of tea in the afternoon.

herbal black cherry.

It was tasty, I just wish I had been able to sit down and enjoy it but I ended up running one of his friends back to the school right after I made this pot. (I had said I would when they arrived, she could only stay a short amount of time. I am nice like that.)

While I was vacuuming upstairs somehow they got ahold of my camera and I found several pictures like this:

Theater kids...

So then Thursday is date night and I had signed John and I up for a camera class that I thought started at 6pm. I started dinner a little after 5. Chicken which I had planned to serve with a little sauce and green beans.

(note it is not swimming in oil that is the water it let out because they were frozen when I put them in the pan.)

However I suddenly realized it was 5:45 and I did not have time to finish this meal. John was still not home from a fire call he had gone to around 2pm (the guy stuck in the grain silo in Farmington.) and so I made this for my dinner:

And rushed off to the class in the snowy weather. I sat alone in the classroom chatting with the teacher for quite a while wondering if anyone else would show up before I he made some comment that led me to realize the class actually started at 6:30. Oh well, it happens.

After the class I went home to pick up my hubby for the rest of date night. We headed over to our favorite hang out, Perkins, and had our usual: Coffee for him, decalf tea for me and we split a double order of fries. (Sometimes we split something with ice cream but fries have been our go to lately.)

I tried out some tricks for better lighting on my poor hubby. Here is the auto setting. Ok but a little orange.

And with the adjusted white balance. (I knew you wanted to see what I learned.)

But really you are reading to see this. Our tea and coffee and waters.

And this, the empty plates of extra crispy fries. Yum.

That was Maverick's Menu for Thursday.

Goose Grub Thursday

2010-02-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

okay, i don't feel like posting this tonight...the novelty has worn off and now it just feels like a chore. but i diligently photographed all my food again today. my bible study girls laughed at me this morning, and my whole family is starting to mock me as i photo each thing before i eat it. oh well, at least i am entertaining them. see how i am even too lazy to use capitalization tonight?

first up. coffee. do you need to see a pic of it again? i thought not.

okay, fine.

next. thursday mornings are my bible study mornings. we always meet here and we try to have some food. today i treated the girls to my greek yogurt parfaits. they mmmmm'd and ahhhhh'd it down. to jog your memory: plain, nonfat greek yogurt, agave nectar, granola, and bananas and blueberries. i served it in margarita glasses to be fancy. i occasionally still like to channel my inner martha:

from there i went swimming. alone. it was lonely. H has come down with the stomach flu that her daughter had a couple days ago. i was at her house that day. am i next? i missed my sidekick H at the pool today. but i got 45 min of swimming and about 85 laps swum alternating 16 laps freestyle, 16 laps kicking with a kickboard. i didn't feel like shredding when i got home, so i didn't. here's a pic of E swimming. she's better than me. she's 11.

upon arriving home i understood why E is always so famished when she gets home from swim practice. and i only swam 45 min. she swims 2 hours almost every night. i was starving. i made a big turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with stone ground mustard, sliced cucumber, and lettuce. pretzels. cantalope. and that wedge that looks like a pickle is actually a cucumber wedge sprinkled with salt. after i finished my plate i had some more pretzels. finished the bag actually. there wasn't that much left in it, but still, get a grip on the salty/crunchy addiction, right? just keeping it real, people.

later i wanted a snack. i had this. yum.

not much later i watched Fame with my girls and we popped popcorn, because that is what you do when you watch a movie. i am pretty sure i ate the equivilant of one whole bag myself, as we popped two bags and I was snarfing pretty fast. Again with the salty/crunchy. Get a grip for real.

i really did not need dinner after the popcorn, but daddy had made a nice dinner so i ate a small plate of it out of respect for the chef.

i chased dinner with a Dove dark chocolate heart.

and per usual, i refilled this several times with water today. you should too.

i am so done eating today. that was a lot today wasn't it? since i didn't do the shred today and told H i was going to do some stomach crunches and pushups instead and still haven't done it, i guess i better do it tonight. i never told her how many i was gonna do..hahaha.

how many more days of this iceman? thru sunday? i think i am just cranky today. does it show?

goooooose-out

Maverick's Meals

2010-02-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

OK People. I am here. I photographed all my foods. While Goose is on her "high" week of the month I am on my "low" week of the month and just getting by. I have not worked out in 2 days but think my body really needed it. I a looking forward to my spin class today where the instructor has pre-warned us it will not be an interval class but we will be staying in zone 2 for an entire hour simply cruisng along using our power. I must be on the verge of breaking free from this low week because this morning I can imagine being fairly productive. If only someone would take little-miss-high-maintenance-drama-queen off my hands I actually might be able to relax and get something done.

So for breakfast yesterday:

Oatmeal with a little maple syrup and decalf English Breakfast tea.

Lunch:

Left over Jambalya from dinner the other night. And a glass of water not pictured.

Isabelle made her own sandwich:

Then in an effort to get out of pretending I was the "mommy dog" while spending promised mommy and Isabelle time together we decided to do something I knew I shouldn't...we made cookies.

Check me out...I can mix a batch of cookies while also photographing my daughter cracking an egg in the batter.

My little chef

I froze 2 dozen balls of dough ready to pop in the oven for a couple fresh warm cookies whenever we want to have a tea party. Of course my son and husband think they are there for the to have a quick cookie dough fix so if I am not careful they eat them all before I get to make any.

The finished product being shown off by custard the cat.

I will say I was very controled about eating the cookie dough even though I really love it and I would by lying if I didn't confess to eating a few cookies but I brought the rest to church to share with friends so they would be out of the house. So none left today.

Dinner was my typical lazy, rushed meal of spaghetti. I put a couple frozen meatballs in there as well.

I did drink more than the one glass of water but definately have identified over the past couple weeks that I am seriously deficient in this area of my life. I used to put a pitcher of water on the counter every morning which I would drink all day long but somehow even knowing I need to do it again haven't been able to get back in the habit. Today when I return from spin class I will do so!

And now I am off before I am too late and don't get a bike!

iFood day #3

2010-02-03T18:36:00.001-08:00

Today was my crazy day. We have to leave the house by 8:30 am, with lunch and toy bag in hand, to spend the morning homeschool co-op.

Plus, Caleb woke up at 5am with horrible coughing.

So once I got him medicated and calmed back down I went to the gym. I ran for 45 min and then raced back home.

On these crazy morning I don't have time for any fancy breakfasts. In the past I've even boiled eggs the night before to have in the morning, but even that takes too much time to peel. So a bowl of cereal it is. At 8am sharp.Once we are done with Co-op I pack everyone back in the car and finally, around 12:30 have time to eat my lunch that I packed. (Today was the Valentine's Day celebration at Co-op so I just happen to have my camera with. :) ) My lunch was a Ham Sandwich, Baked Lay's Chips, and my nap-in-a-can.

Then my day fell apart. We get home and there is GOBS of Valentine candy in their box. I eat some, and then I eat a little more... I hate not being able to have any self control with that junk!So then, feeling slightly sick, supper was Manwich (made with venison) and baked cauliflower at 5 pm sharp. (Becuase then the kids have to leave for AWANA's. I said Wednesday's are a crazy day!) Can I tell you how much I LOVE baked cauliflower. It is SO good that even my baby girl asks for seconds. It's that good.I have tracked my points for the day. I did go over, but not as bad as I thought. I'm sending ALL that candy with my husband to work tomorrow. Lot's of times he just leaves whatever treat I've sent with him in the car and then doles out a little to the kids each day. That makes my life so much easier.

All right, my friends, onwards and upwards!

Goose's Grub on Wednesday

2010-02-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

I am digging the blogging right after dinner plan as a way of keeping me from eating anything else the rest of the evening. It worked last night. So I am doing it again tonight. I find that brushing the teeth early in the evening helps, too.

I kicked off the day with, of course, my coffee...hello, coffee. i heart you. For those interested, my favorite is Millstone Hazelnut Decaf. Black. Straight Up. No fluff. I save the fluff for the afternoon if I want to trick myself into thinking I am having a coffee drink.

The girls had late start at school today so after I got them off to school, I had my breakfast about 9:30am...repeat of yesterday-total cereal w/ skim milk and a little granola thrown in for flavor. I am a creature of habit. I could eat the same exact thing for breakfast, lunch and snack every. single. day. and be happy as a clam with my only variety being dinner. goose trivia.

After remembering to bring the 4th child to her art class at 10am, I laced up my new running shoes and headed out and accomplished a 45 minute straight power run in my neighborhood to take advantage of the upper 40's and sunny temps before it rains for the next two straight days...

After the run, as is my usual, I started the shred and quickly realized that, while the shred seems like a good idea after a 30 minute run, it is not such a good idea after a 45 min run. Although I survived it, I did so just barely. Note to self: no shred after 45 min runs.

I had lunch around 12:30 and combined these ingredients...

Into this...

Yum.

Free Tip: put Greek yogurt and Agave Nectar on your next shopping list.

Somewhere around 3:30 I was feeling workout fatigue setting into my body and needing a snack, but fortunately not feeling all foodie like I was yesterday at this time. Thank goodness for small miracles. So I had my favorite go-to snack - an apple, a handful of almonds, and a glass of water-very filling, very satisfying...and what the heck, I threw in some string cheese, too...

Later in the day, I was feeling like I might want to open a bottle of wine. I am trying to avoid alcohol right now except for social situations, since it is an empty calorie distraction and even just one glass loosens the mental control and makes eating a bag of chips or a block of cheese seem like a good idea. So to avoid making this mistake I brewed another couple cups of coffee in the late afternoon and added a little fluff to make it "special"...fat free french vanilla liquid coffee creamer:

While making dinner I had one of these little secret magic bullets. Individually wrapped prunes. I know, gross, right? But seriously, try it! I did and they are quite tasty and a good choice if you are craving something candy sweet, but feel you can resist the temptation to grab another one of those Bliss or Dove chocolate hearts (coughIcemancough). And lets not forget the added benefits of prunes ifyouknowwhatimean. wink-wink

Dinner was a group effort. Sarah and Daddy cooked the Tilapia while I cooked the brown rice and asparagus--a family favorite meal that we have once a week. Frugal tip: Tilapia is CHEAP! I "blinged" mine up with a squirt of lime and chopped tomato to go with the delicious, salty caper topping. We ate about 7:15pm.

And chef Sarah did not want to be left out of photographing of her food, which she is finding quite humerous and intriguing, so I indulged her...

Now. I cannot tell a lie. Husband usually saute's or bakes the Tilapia in a very healthy way, but for some reason, unbeknownst to me, he decided to fry the Tilapia in vegetable oil tonight. I have used nothing but olive oil for a couple years now, so my system is not reacting very nicely to this vegetable oil fried fish and my stomach is being a little funky right now. I was going to finish off the night with my dark chocolate Dove heart, but actually don't think I can manage it with this gross saturated fat in my system messing with me. The body knows, people! The body knows!

In other news, I drank a lot of water again today. You should, too.

So that is Goose's Grub for Wednesday, Feb. 3rd.

Gooooooose-Out.

Iceman Imbibing Day #2

2010-02-02T17:41:00.001-08:00

Yeah! I'm so excited that you're on board with me girls!

After seeing Goose's food choices for the day I'm feeling a little glutonous, but I'm not going to fret. I'm even under my points allotment for the day. And I feel VERY good about that.

Well, no work out for me today. I work out MWFSu. Four times a week is about all I can handle. I have found out in previous years that when I go more than that, I start to burn out. MWFSu I can maintain forever. :)

I liked how Goose put in at what times she ate too. I think I will add that myself, so here goes!

Breakfast. It was at 8:30 this morning. I make these applesauce/ oatmeal pancakes from scratch. High fiber, low calorie, and the kids just eat 'em up.

Lunch was at 11:45. I love these portabello mushroom burgers. And only 1 pt! Amazing! In the bowl is Cottage Cheese and Pineapple, a throw back from my youth. And yep, the diet Dr. Pepper for the day...
After the kids and I were done with school I had my afternoon treats. This is Sugar Free, Fat Free pudding with whip topping and sunflower seeds, about 3 pts total, YUM!

And then I couldn't resist the chocolates. :)
Supper was at 5:15. I made Meatloaf Muffins (made with venison and Turkey sausage ) then a baked potato and green beans. Another meal that my family loves.

Lastly, I was starving around 7pm and so I had a bowl of cereal. I love cereal, it's my weakness. I was very proud of myself that I stopped at one bowl. Maybe it was because I knew I would have to put it on here...So there ya go! My food for the 2nd day. Geesh, this is kinda fun!

Iceman Out!

What did Goose Gobble on Tuesday?

2010-02-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Iceman's challenge, I photographed every morsel I ate today, and also photographed my workout...I tend to be an overachiever, I know you didn't know this about me.

As I suspected, the accountability this provided me was very beneficial, especially when you see what my family left out on the counter to taunt me with. Had I not had to show you what I ate today I probably would have given in to temptation. So, already, Iceman, this challenge to photograph our food and share it is working for me! :)

We just finished dinner here, and now, in an effort to not eat anything else for the remainder of the evening, I am going to get this blog post up, brush my teeth and stay out of the kitchen. I have a late night ahead of me with Biggest Loser on! :)

So lets get to it...
Goose's Gobbles for Tuesday, Feb. 2 (shout out to dad--hey dad! happy birthday!)

My day kicks off immediately with a cup of coffee, or two, or three. After being fully decaf for a number of years, I have let caffeine slip in more the last couple months. I have gone cold turkey again back on to full decaf the last couple days, and I currently have the headache to prove it. I should be fine in another couple days. I like to drink ridiculous amounts of coffee, and I just can't do that if its caffeinated--I get SO wired--so copious amounts of decaf it is! I could drink it all day, I heart coffee so much...

Next Stop: Workout at my friend H's. Today was a bike day...road for 45 min/12 miles. The pic is fuzzy because a 4 year old took it, but I am thinking that is a good thing, because then you can't clearly see my just rolled out of bed appearance:

After the biking we always do the Shred...actually I always do the shred after running or swimming too, it is my magic bullet. I figured you'd prefer to see Jillian over me shredding, so here she is:

Grabbed a cup of coffee from H to drink on my way home (yes I did drink 3 bottles of water during the workouts)...this time I added some coconut milk creamer she had, as a little treat:

Time for some breakfast. Ignore the fact that it is 12:30 by now. I know I should eat first thing in the morning. I often do. It just didn't happen this morning. It did screw me a bit, because I was much hungrier later in the afternoon than I thought I would be. I will do better tomorrow. Today I had a bowl of total with skim milk and added a little pumpkin and sunflower seed granola for a little more flavor since I was out of bananas, which I usually cut on top of the cereal:

Lunch was around 3pm and it was quite tasty. A bed of brown rice with a chipotle black bean burger patty on top, a diced plum tomato, salsa, and a squirt of fresh lime. Yum.

I have to admit, by 4-4:30 I was having that "foodie" breakdown. I stroll through the kitchen and this is what I see my precious family has left out on the counter to torture me:

BUT I DID NOT EAT IT!! NOT ONE BITE!! I knew if I had even one bite it would all be over for me. And, this is where this blog challenge really came in handy. I knew I'd have to photograph and tell you about it. If not for having to photograph what I ate today I am pretty sure I would have succumbed to the temptation. So I decided to photograph it to tell you about how I survived the temptation of a huge weakness of mine...an open bag of potato chips!!

But I needed something....so I made this:

And, YES, I ate the whole bowl. All by myself.

And after I was done, I wanted to eat something else. But I didn't. I didn't want to have to photograph it and have to tell you about it.

But I figured I'd start making dinner at 6pm. Here's what we had. Note the luncheon plate I used to trick myself into having a big, full plate:

not pictured: one knife-ful of organic peanut butter that I just had to lick off while I made dinner.

Also note that I had water with every meal. It is another magic bullet. It is really the only thing I drink besides coffee and an occasional glass of milk. I have drank a lot of water today.

My final morsel today...a little dark chocolate Dove heart...because, you know, its good for the heart. Yum. And, yes, I only had one.

So I am done for the day, except my ever present glass of water. Looking forward to seeing what Iceman Imbibed in and Maverick Munched on today!

Goose-Out

Day 1

2010-02-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

Here is my food for Monday Feb. 1st. Breakfast was Steel Cut Oats. I love these things. They are yummy and they fill me up for HOURS.

Lunch, The chips and Pop aren't necessarily good. BUT I have found, in this stage of my life. I have to have some caffeine. Not much, but for the years I have been caffeine free, I am SO tired in the afternoons, one can of pop and I don't hit that wall. It's just the way it is folks.

And Supper, it was broccoli with a little Sesame Salad Dressing on them, marinated chicken and stuffing. It wasn't nearly as good as I thought it would be. I am a bargain grocery shopper and had bought a couple bags of stuffing a while back. I still haven't found a good way to use it in a casserole (which I feel I must :) )

All right ladies. You both have nicer cameras than I do. It doesn't take ANY time to snap a photo right before you eat. YOU CAN DO IT!

A Challenge, Girls!

2010-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

All right Goose and Maverick. It's Monday morning, the week is sparkling brand new and we can revel in the newness that His mercies are new every morning. So with that I have a challenge:

For one week all three of us take a picture of the meals that we are eating. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. If you have time you can add the recipe's, but don't worry about that as much as getting the pictures up.

My reason for this is two-fold. 1. Ideas, it's always so interesting to see what people eat and can inspire our own palette! 2. Accountability, the major theme in all of our posts seem to be the struggle that we have with food. So with this challenge, maybe we'll second guess another piece of pizza.

All right! Start snappin'. Breakfast today is probably over for all of you today, ( I had steel cut oats that are pictured above) but lunch is do-able. I thought each of us could do one post at the end of each day with our food choices for the day.

One week, can we do it?

Goose's Training Update...

2010-01-31T13:16:00.001-08:00

I am feeling like a lean, mean, sprint triathlete machine! I feel like if the race was tomorrow I could get through it, although I still have a lot of work to do to learn what it feels like to put all three together simultaneously and swim/bike/run. I am training so well for this tri right now, that I hope I can keep it up for when it really counts, because technically I could have gone from couch to training starting in say March and still be fine. Will I lose my mojo at some point? probably. Consistency has to be the theme of my life this year. Keep getting back on the horse.

I have fallen into a rhythm of 3 runs, 2 bikes, 1 swim a week. And I'm still doing the shred. I no longer hate Jillian. I love her.

When I cold-turkey started biking the 12 miles, it took me 50 min. I have been whittling that down little by little, and yesterday I rode the 12 miles in 45 min!

Swimming will be my ace in the hole, hopefully. I discovered my first session swimming laps that I am a natural in the pool. I love being in the water swimming laps and I can see that Evie's mad skills in the pool are not just a gene-pool anomoly, but actually can be traced back to me. I did try swim team for awhile as a teen, but had such severe sinus issues I had to quit. But I remember loving it then too. I just do not get bored swimming laps in the pool, and I don't really even get all that tired doing it either. I wonder how it will differ in a lake. Well for sure I will not be able to do flip turns, and there will be people pounding around me, I wonder how that will affect my time.

Anyway, my fist 16 laps (equiv of 1/4 mi) I did in the pool after not swimming laps for years and years, I did in 10 min...I did it again and did it in 9 min. Last week when H and I went to swim laps I did it in 7 min, over and over again. We swim laps for 40 min when we go. I also did some kicking laps with the kick board, and that really felt like a workout for my legs more than just the lap swimming did.

So, I am excited for the swimming portion of the race. And hoping that I can whittle another couple mins off my biking. The run, who knows, I think I run 3 in maybe a little less than 30 min, but haven't been on a treadmill to know for sure. I have a new course that I run now...more hills and longer distance, I've been running for about 35 min without stopping and want to get that up to 40 min. In the spring I will start putting the training together and do a bike run, or a swim bike, to see what those transitions feel like.

I am within like a pound of my goal weight and feel really good, and want to just continue to work on strengthening my muscles in my arms and legs and abs and core, along with keeping up the cardio to maintain my massive efforts to pull my body back together!

My pre-cycle week last week was a total disaster with food. Good grief, seriously a wreck! Now suddenly I am not even thinking about food. It truly is the cycle. So annoying. I think I will track this month to see how I feel each week about life and eating and exercising. It will help me not to give up when I have a bad week and eat 4 slices of pizza, or snarf the rest of the bag of potato chips. I will know its because I am a female who does not respond well to horomonal fluctuations and it will pass in a few days. hahaha.

Keep up the good work girls!! I want to FOR SURE have us signed up for something for when we are up in MN this summer. And I really would like to try the TC duathlon this fall if possible.

Goose Ouuuuuuuut.

Normal-weight-obesity

2010-01-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

I have always been thin. Yes my weight has fluxuated over the years but to the average person I have always been thin. However, I haven't always been fit. Not always healthy. Before I started running I referred to myself as a "skinny fat person". I was thin, at one time dieting down to my jr high weight, but without exercise. I was winded from walking up a single flight of stairs or strolling around the block. I looked good but I wasn't healthy.

This week in the Wall Street Journal there was an article validating my "skinny fat person" idea referring to it as "normal-weight-obesity". The mayo clinc did a study examinging the idea that you could weight less but have a higher body fat than someone who weighed more but had a higher muscle mass therefore producing a much higher risk for heart attack and other weight related diseases than someone heavier but with a lower body fat. Interesting.

They told a story of a woman who might be me:

"Monika Sumpter, a 34-year-old training manager at Equinox Fitness in New York City, says she once weighed 170 pounds and had a body fat percentage of "a little over 30%," a high reading. She says she lost 45 pounds with diet and some aerobic exercises, but reduced her body fat percentage only to about 25%. So, over the past 18 months, Ms. Sumpter says she added strength training and other exercise to her cardio workout. Although she has put 20 pounds back on, her body fat percentage is down to 14%, she says."

She started 10 pounds heavier than my heaviest but ended at the same weight I ended at. I wonder what my body fat would have been when I was 125 yet never had a consistant exercise routine ever in my life. I too have put on about 15 of those pounds and am now exercising regularly. But I just started doing regular weight training with the body pump class. I have been doing it consistantly twice a week for about 2 months and I really feel so much stronger. In fact one of the instructors called my name out as being one of the "experienced" students that should do the harder moves at a recent class. I feel so much stronger and healthier than I ever felt when I was just running.

Now I sort of wonder what my body fat is. I have always tried to tell myself not to focus only on the number on the scale but this article really brings that home. Some days while working out I think to myself, "do I really have to do this the rest of my life?" I realize the answer is Yes and when I remind myself of all the reasons it is important it keeps me getting up and heading to the gym each day to find those endorphins and give me the strength and energy to get through another day.

Plus as I stare down the barrel of 40 I realize I am entering a stage of my life where I really am at risk for things like stroke, heart disease and various cancers. If getting up and lifting weights a few times a week keeps me healthy and alive for many years to come then it is double worth the effort. After all, I had my first baby young and fully expect to live to see my great grandchildren. And if they get to work maybe even a great-great grandchild???

(I know you are all thinking how intellectual I am to be reading Wall Street Journal but in fact I heard about it from one of my actually intellectual friends.)

Swimmingly

2010-01-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day. I did a little house cleaning this morning (all three bathrooms are now so clean you can eat off their floors. well until the #1 son goes #1 then all bets are off...) Then we all put on our swimsuits and headed to the local health club. While I got my workout in for the day (yes, I did an afternoon workout, um, hate them!) my husband and the kids swam and swam and swam. We ran into a some friends there and so we swam more. I even put my suit on after my run and lost all track of time until I heard my name being called over the speaker system to return to the childcare center. I guess I was over my time limit and now I have in my permanent membership record a strike against me. Um, O.k.

So things are going swimmingly. I'm exercising, staying on task with food (oh, except for the Pizza I just ate...) I'm feeling like I'm finally getting used to treading the weight-loss waters that I have been staying out of so much lately.

I have continued to track my points, I don't even really feel bad about the pizza. My goal this week wasn't to necessarily stay within the points (though I have) just to be tracking the points that I ate.

I also, this week, have put together a summer racing schedule for myself. It's pretty loose right now. But these are the races that I'm thinking about.

1. May - There's a 5K out our local arboretum. It's a race that I've been wanting to do for a couple of years. This is my year! They also have a little race for the kids. I know my littles will love that.

2. July - a July 4th 10k around the lake I live by. Another race I've been wanting to do.

3. August - This one is a track & trail 10k around another local lakes (what can I say, we've got a lotta lakes) doing a trail run has always interested me. I love camping and the woods. We'll see how I feel about running through them.

4. October - The Twin Cities Marathon 10 miler. They also have a kids race that day also.

So I need two more races. One for June and one for September. Then my season will be planned out! Any ideas?

A slightly water logged Iceman - Out

Dare I?

2010-01-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

So Goose and Maverick, is that the Widget kinda thingy that you were thinking about?

Hello World.

Yup, I'm still here.

Nope, I have not ballooned into the Stay-Puff marshmallow man...yet.

What have I been doing? Well, I thought I would use the Q&A format to answer that. I'm assuming (though you know what assuming does) that everyone has approximately the same questions, if you don't see your burning question answered (hardy-har-har) please feel free to ask.

So Iceman, where have you been?

I have been trying to do it all, and not doing any of it particularly well. Let's face it, I'm very busy, I don't get a break when my children leave for school. I don't get some downtime when my children are in quite time. If I'm not teaching, I'm cleaning, or cooking or folding, or.....

How has the exercise and diet been going for you?

Well, do I dare pop my head up, just a little, and say, I've been doing really well for 2 days? Hardly a show stopper but I guess a person has to start somewhere. I'm a Weight Watchers life-er and so, to use my WW jargon, I've been tracking for 2 days and staying within my points. I have decided that is what I'm going to focus on for the next 2 weeks, just tracking, no matter what, no matter what.

Exercise is better. I will repeat my whole life that I am so thankful for my friend Shana and her encouragement and accountability about 5 years ago when we were working-out in the mornings together. It's a habit that I have now and I owe it to her. I've gone a step further in these last couple of weeks and added in a training schedule. For my 36th summer of my life, I want to compete in 6 races. It's a goal I am excited about!

Are you going to do this tri-athalon that your SIL's are doing?

No way man! I can't swim. What? Everyone can swim? Nope, I really can't. I have to be able to touch the bottom at all times or I start to panic and sink. It's all in my head? Well, yes, of course, but, arguably, that's harder to change than the actual skill of learning. Now if they would just allow a boogie board for me to hold on to... Really, it wouldn't give me ANY unfair advantage...

Are you pregnant?

NO! I'm not. Going down that road a 5th time is well, not a down hill road. More like a steep, slippery, rocky, treacherous, mountain pass. Right now I am enjoying my 2 girls and 2 boys. Oh, and the ability to run and exercise and bend at the waist...

So there you have it, that's all I have time for now. The baby is crying, the kids are begging for a snack, the dryer is demandingly beeping...

Iceman Out

Food. month to month.

2010-01-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

Goose in.

Food. Can't live with it. Can't live without it.

I am with Maverick these last about 4 days. Exercise is fine. Food is...eh.

I know its my impending cycle. What happens to us women in the impending "time of month"?? I am serious, I am going to start tracking on my calendar this month what goes on with me. When we are done having babies why can't this issue be eliminated? I am scared that in a few years, not only will I have to live with myself from month to month, but with four others who are less mature and more incapable of handling wild mood fluctuations from month to month haha. help.

Maverick always likes to wrap up her downer posts with some kind of full circle inspiration. But I think I will just wallow for a while longer. I can't wait for next week when this insanity is over, only to return in another month. hahaha. its tough being a woman!

oh, and while i am complaining...it is too cold to run this morning. i am so over this cold southern winter. 28 degrees this morning, ridiculous. will try and get out later today if it warms up to 50 as promised. and someone ate all the banana's so i can't have my cereal.

man someone just smack me. hahaha.

goose out.

Ice cream for dinner?

2010-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

Apparently I can only accomplish one thing at a time. I am becoming a work out rock star. I was at the gym 4 times last week, 5 times the week before and likely will get in 5 times this week as well since I am now free on Wednesday mornings. And I am excited because I really feel like I am getting stronger. My legs feel firmer and my arms look more defined. However, I am eating like a pig.

Last night I made a smoothie with ice cream in it for dinner. Actually I had already had chips and salsa. We were a divided dinner family so it was easy to just be lazy with my meal. Isabelle was asleep for dinner and woke up late so I just let her eat a bowl of ice cream for dinner. No wonder she is a terrible eater.

Although last night was a low point I actually think the main problem is in snacking. I am eating too many late night snacks and between meal snacks. I know alot of diet plans call for snacking between meals but I really don't think they work for me. I need to simply eat my 3 healthy meals a day. Maybe one snack if I am out running around and going to be eating a late, but nothing after dinner. That is when I go wrong. Even healthy snacks can go wrong after dinner.

So I am abandoning the idea of eating some special way, I really feel like I have good meal habits already, and simply focus on not snacking. With that I feel I can loose the weight I gained over the holidays and be ready to show off my pre-triathlon body when we hit the Florida beach at the end of March.

Maverick flying a little low but still flying.

Training a Goose

2010-01-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

Feeling very excited about being registered for my first sprint tri, which is aptly named "My First Triathlon". It is at Lake Lanier Islands in Georgia, on June 5th. I am thrilled that Maverick is coming down to join me!

It will involve a 1/4 mile swim along the shoreline of Lake Lanier, which is the equivalent of about 16 laps in a 25 yd pool, a 12 mile bike ride, and a 3 mile run.

Maverick was wondering about goal times. I looked up on the site the 2008 times by age group. I am in the 35-39 and Mav will cross over into the 40-44 even though she won't hit the big 4-0 until Nov, you compete based on your age as of Dec. 31 of THIS year, 2010.

So...
In both age groups in 2008 the fastest time was about 1 hr, 23 min. The slowest time was about 2 hours, 23 min.

Maverick, I agree that your primary goal should be under 2 hours, as is mine. I like to kick it a bit and think I will make my goal 1 hr, 45 min, which would be the middle of the pack.

Breaking it down...

Swimming - I am not worried about the swimming even though I have not swam a lap since last summer. I think I am a natural swimmer and have a strong freestyle stroke. Basically my plan is, starting in March or April, to buy some lap swims at my daughters swim club and go swim laps to build up my endurance to 16 laps. Now my 10 year old swimmer can swim a 500 yd freestyle, which is 100 yds more than we will be swimming, in 6 min. 59 sec. I have no lofty goals such as this. I would like to do the swim in 10 min or less.

Swim Goal: 10 min or less

Biking - This is my weak area, I am not a biker at all, don't even own one. But I have already started training and find that I like to bike for exercise, even though I have only done a stationary bike so far. I am so lucky in that my dear friend H, who is also doing the tri with us-and will be in your age group, Mav-has a husband who is basically Lance Armstrong with a day job. He is a mega serious biker and they have all kinds of fancy biking workout equipment in their home gym. I have been going over there at least 2 times a week to bike on the actual bike I will be doing the tri on. H has been teaching me about cadence and pushing myself. As the weather is already getting nice here, we will start heading outside where H will try to kill me in a nearby n'hood with lots of hills. I know I will be ready for the bike portion by June. I currently ride 12 miles in 50 minutes. By the time of the tri I would like to shave that down to 45 min.

Bike Goal: 45 min.

Running - I am not worried about the running portion other than to hope that my body does not poop out after the swim and bike. When you first get off the bike your legs feel like bricks, so I will have to train by biking and then running to get a feel for how long it takes my legs to recover from the biking as I run. I can already run 3 miles easily, so my training goal will be to bike and transition to running. In my training I would like to start running 4 mi more consistently, so the 3 mi feels like a piece of cake. Like Mav I know I can run 3 mi in 30 min, but after swimming and biking, I am not so sure. I will have a goal of 35-40 min. That seems long for 3 miles but who knows how I'll be feeling by this leg. I will know better as I start training biking and running simultaneously.

Running Goal: 35-40 min

So that adds up to 10+45+40= 1 hr. 35 min, add in a couple minutes each for the transitions. I think a reasonable goal for me to set for myself is 1 hr. 45 min. or less.

Goose Sprint Triathlon Goal: 1 hour and 45 minutes or less for 1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run.

Goose Out.

Training

2010-01-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

OK I am signed up for a triathlon. This is serious. I think we need a countdown on the side bar of this blog. Anyone know how to make that happen? Iceman? We have approximately 4-1/2 months to completely heal my knee so I am confident of the run, master faster biking and learn to swim. At least learn to swim more than one lap without having to stop to catch my breath. I am certainly motivated to get in my workout each day. Right now I am doing body pump 2 days a week followed by 30 minutes of elipticle, cycle class once a week and running 2 days a week.

Here is a break down of my thoughts on each area of the tri:

Number one: Running. I am really only running 1-2 times a week at the moment because I am trying to let my knee continue to heal. It is definately improved over last fall when I was in quite a bit of pain after 1 mile but still gets sore. I asked the personal trainer who reminded me that no blood goes to tendons like it does to muscles so while it is healing it will take significantly longer than a muscle. In the mean time I have been rolling out my muscles and tendons every time I go to the Y and before and after my runs. Definately seems to be helping. My friends are laughing at me that I seem obsessed with rolling my muscles. Whenever I have a new pain I tell them I will roll it out. I am trying to figure out how to roll my tricept muscle at the moment. The right one seems to stiffen up more than the left when I work them.

I also am running quite slow right now. I have decided for the rest of the winter to simple focus on maintaining running fitness rather than speed.

Biking: I am taking a spin class which I am loving. As I speed down the flat roads or push up the hills I think about kicking my sisters butt on this triathlon. Ha ha ha. Actually I fully expect her to kick mine because she is far more intense than I am but it does motivate me during class so I will take it. It will be hard for me to get outside on a bike much before the race since the roads will be slushy until about a month before. However, I do have a master biker in my husband who will hopefully push me as we do some biking around town. I will say that I did ride my bike to work a couple times last year with Isabelle in a trailer behind me which included a killer hill near our home and I did great. Riding without that extra weight should seem like a breeze in comparisson.

Swimming: I am currently doing nothing about this. There is a triathlon training group that starts in April at the Y that I plan to join but I am wondering if I should sign up for a swim lesson before then just to get started. I did some lap swimming with Iceman several years ago and we both discovered that fitness in one area of your life does not translate to fitness in swimming. While I do feel like I improved during our weekly meetings I am wondering if I will need more than a few weeks to work up to the 1/4 mile I will have to swim. I do anticipate this being the event that takes me the longest. I can make it up on the bike or run.

The big question...How long will it take me? What should my time goal be? Part of me wants to say 30 minutes per event but reality tells me that isn't likely. Can I say under 2 hours? I think that is where I will start. Once I am outside on the bike I will have a better feel for how long 12 miles will take me. And once I start swimming I will have a better feel for if I will survive 1/4 mile of swimming. I already know how to run and while I know I could do 3 miles in 30 minutes I am thinking of saying I will do that in 40 minutes because it is last and I will be tired.

How about Goose? What are your goals? She has already informed me that she will not be by my side through the race encouraging me and letting me encourage her. She is competitive and will be self motivating to the end. I do have a friend who did a tri with her sister and the two of them stuck together the entire time motivating one another and accomplishing a goal together and even though they weren't in the same age group the younger started back with the older so they could go together. But Goose doesn't have to do that with me because I will just be happy to be there (having driven all the way across country to do this "with" her) and to accomplish this goal I have desired to tackle for a couple years now. (Just a little passive agressive guilt to keep it real. I am in full acceptance of doing it on my own and feel fine about it.)

Hitting a Wall

2010-01-15T15:10:00.000-08:00

OK I wasn't going to weight myself today because I knew I had eaten a little too much sugar on two consecutive days of social outtings. I felt I had really been doing well all of last week so assumed the bad days had balanced it out to nothing. However, I was feeling so good after my hour long body pump class followed by 30 minutes on the eliptical that I decided to see where I was at...UP 2 POUNDS! Now all of this was never really about a specific weight loss goal for me as much as just feeling better but on the other hand the plan certainly wasn't to gain weight and since the start of this project I have now gained 4 pounds! NOW it is about weight loss, I would at least like to be where I started. This is ridiculous. Embarassing even. Normally I like to blame weight gain, especially when I am in a good workout routine, on added muscle. And I do think I have added muscle since starting body pump probably at a faster rate than I am burning off fat so that can be part of the excuse. But now I need to burn off that fat to balance all my new muscle weight gain. My pants have been tighter this past week which I was trying to tell myself was because they were fresh out of the dryer even though they have never been that tight fresh out of the dryer before...So it really isn't fat loss with muscle gain. It is fat with muscle. I am also wondering, and was wondering last week, if my portions are too great. I feel I am eating good stuff but maybe I make too big of salads. Or put too much goodness into them. Or maybe I don't need a cup of yogurt with my sandwich. I think I was feeling like because I was making healthy food I could eat as much as I wanted of it. Maybe not.

And, I should probably acknowledge that I am getting to that age where metabolism slows down. I know it slowed down at 29 and I gained quite a bit of weight over a couple years before I pulled it together. At that time I was totally sedintary and so my body had nothing to do but gain weight. 10 years later I am much more active and the slow down in my metabolism has been much less obvious. None-the-less it does seem to have arrived and I should probably start thinking differently about portions.

Today I am feeling a bit fat and down. To make matters worse I am going to Lion's Tap for dinner. Delicous but likely will not make me feel any thinner. Tomorrow morning though I am going to hit the treadmill early to cap off 5 days of working out this week. Back at it Monday with a new dedication to shaping my body into a lean a healthy machine.

Maverick in the beginner class at the flight school but not giving up.

12 pounds!

2010-01-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, I stepped on the scale before my shower the other day and had dropped 2 more lbs, I am dangerously close to my original goal now, like 4 more lbs!

In reflecting on getting back to the body of my 20's, I have really decided to celebrate all this hard work, and own the efforts it took to get me back here.

See, in my 20's I was really thin, even during the baby years, my body just liked pumping out babies, I guess, and was really, really kind to me in the aftermath of the deliveries. I definitely took the body/weight for granted, because in honesty, I don't feel like I did much to get it. Yes I was naturally pretty active, walking everyday with the babies in the stroller, and always naturally ate pretty healthy and really never thought about or obsessed about food...it wasn't a daily choice or struggle, it just happened and so I never had a good answer for when people asked me how I stayed so thin. Good Genes and being young, I suppose! :)

Then...dun, dun, dun duuuuuun....the 30's arrive...I have another baby at 30 which went the same as the first two, but then with the arrival of the 4th at age 32, I think I grew tired...ya think? I guess it was time for my machine-like mentality to cry "Uncle!" Tired, and in my 30's. Overwhelmed. Depressed. Totally inactive. Totally loving chips and cheese and whatever else looked good. Going back for 2nds. Snacking. Wine. Took me 18 months after Grace was born to get back down to my low weight of my 20's. Then, slowly let it creep up again. Then brought it down a bit, then slowly let it creep back up again. Thats where I found myself last fall when I was standing in the dressing room trying on jeans and had my "come to Jesus" moment of clarity and so far have not looked back 12 lbs later! :)

But I will tell you...since that day...I have WORKED MY BUTT OFF! Totally hard. Totally diligently every single day having to choose eating well and exercising consciously. It has not been easy! It is frustrating that it is not easy like it was in my 20's when it was a no brainer. But, somehow it is feeling so much more rewarding right now, because I know I deserve it because i have worked SO HARD for results! And trying to be less critical of the imperfections even when I am thin...yes, my belly button is messed up from my kids, no amount of working out or weight loss is ever gonna put me back in a bikini...yes, I have wolfe thighs that hold on to a layer of blubber for dear life, threatening to mask the build up of muscle underneath...yes, the eyes are wrinkling...the butt is falling...the underarms want to wave at you when my hand does. BUT, I am 37! and I have 4 kids! and I wear a size 4! and I am going to do a sprint triathlon in June! I am doing the best I can. :) I am going to be content with that. :)

The mindset to stay in this game is a daily struggle. Some days are better than others. I totally wish this came without effort, but that is not real life. Not reality. Most all good things come with effort, struggle, sacrifice, especially when we are getting older. :)

I am thinking on touching on depression in a post...anyone interested in my thoughts on that and how these last two months of a much healthier lifestyle have played into my ongoing battles? In a nutshell, it has greatly improved a year long healing process in so many ways. I am so thankful for that, too.

So my "life in flight" girls...one of you is particularly quiet.... :) I want to encourage you to make a decision every day. It is hard. Golly its hard. Some days are failures, for sure. I am slowly learning to not let those failures derail me as I have done in the past. Get back in the game...stay in the game. I think about 2 1/2 months ago and how I looked and felt. Now 2 1/2 months have gone by...some of the days themselves have been hard, but I got through them and kept pursuing the goal and look where I am now! We can do this! In spite of the hard work, it feels so much better than my old mentality of sitting around everyday doing the same thing and expecting a change.

Hang in there my buddies! I love you!
__Goose Out__

It's still happening for the Goose

2010-01-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

I am still kicking!

I got really sick a week and a half ago, on New Years Day, but my stubborn self would not allow me to be down because I felt like I had been a wee bit indulgent on New Years Eve and so I kept pushing myself.

Then suddenly this past Fri/Sat/Sun, even though I was better I totally slugged out. No exercise. By Sunday I was eating oreo's!

I phoned a friend who pulled me together and I got back out there Monday for a 3 mile run and was really suprised to find how easy it was. It was like my body enjoyed that 3 day break or something and it produced extra energy in me. Who knew?

So, with the Shred, I have conquered all levels. So now I am doing one level a day, alternating them...level 1, level 2, level 3, repeat. I still think level 2 is harder for me than level 3. I just don't like it. Did it today. Glad I get to do level 3 tomorrow.

Anywhoooo...eating. I find that I am wanting to cave lately but somehow I have been managing not to cave, but the whole desire to cave in my mind makes me feel like I am caving and failing. I am so hard on myself, I know, it is one of my many weaknesses.

I am at the point where I have very noticable results now and feel really good, but still not quite yet there where I can just maintain. I will get there.

Big news is that I am officially committed to my first sprint triathlon down here in the south on June 5th. I have a couple friends who have also signed up and am thrilled that today Maverick signed up and committed to it! Iceman, cometh!!! It is a 1/4 mile swim (equiv of 20 laps in a 25 yd pool), 12 mi bike, 3 mi run. I am pretty excited about it.

That's about it, just keeping on keeping on, trying to not let myself get discouraged by a bad day or a crappy week in my cycle. :) I am in my happy, energy week, so I have to make the most of it...sad that us women only really get one good week a month! hahaha

carry on!

goose out.

Black Beans

2010-01-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

Last week was the new year detox. I certainly did better than those initial 2 detox weeks that I inspired in Goose and then never quite pulled together myself. I did cheat a couple times but managed to eat quite well and exercise 4 days last week. I plan to weigh myself tomorrow to determine if it helped with those 2 pounds I discovered last Tuesday that I had gained over the indulgent holidays. One day when I trying to make a healthy lunch but was getting down to the end of the groceries I discovered black beans in my pantry. I had made a small ham sandwich and just wanted a little something more to satisfy myself. I ended up putting a few black beans in a small bowl, added some frozen corn I had left in the freezer, a little salsa (since I didn't have any fresh tomatoes), red onion (which I think goes with pretty much everything) and a squirt of lime juice. A delicious and healthy side to my sandwich. I might have made it a little more ahead since the corn was still a little frozen when I ate it but otherwise it has inspired me to be more bold with my use of beans. I have used the rest of that can of black beans several times this week: I sprinkled them on a salad, added them to an egg salad sandwich and to a cobb salad sandwich. Plus I already love red beans and rice but Goose tells me that black beans and rice with a little southwest flavoring is delicious too. Definately planning to try that soon.

Resolutions Revisited

2009-12-31T14:38:00.000-08:00

As usual I totally agree and totally disagree with Iceman. I love resolutions. This is my favorite week of the year where I plan out my goals for the next year, determine what I would like to accomplish in the coming year and what I will do to accomplish those goals. But I appreciate that many people do get briefly excited about resolutions only to fail. Maybe the pressure of this one important moment in time is just too much.

I think the difference might be in the word "resolution" vs "goal". To me a resolution is something you "resolve" to do but doesn't necessarily include alot of planning, instead it is accomplished by sheer will. A goal requires planning and is accomplished with a slow stead plodding forward. If I simply resolve to "eat healthier" in 2010 there is no plan with that, no way to know if I am accomplishing my goal and therefore no motivation and nothing to do but fail. If, on the other hand, I decide to drink 8 glasses of water a day by filling up a pitcher at the beginning of each day and putting it by my sink and not going to bed until it is empty then I know what I need to do to accomplish this task and will know if I am successful or unsuccessful in meeting this goal.

Creating a plan to be better in my life gets me excited. And statistically people who have goals tend to accomplish more than people who just simply let life happen to them. Of course I don't accomplish all my goals but if I never had a dream or a plan I would probably be living in a cramped 2 bedroom apartment with my family because we never would have risked some of the career tracks we have been on, I might not have been able to stay home with my children and we certainly would not have taken a mission trip across the world to Africa. As I told my husband a few years ago when he was resisting goal setting talk, "this life did not just happen to us. I planned it!" He has since come to appreciate the difference goal planning makes in our lives even when we don't quite reach a goal. I would rather try and fail, I always end up further ahead than I started no matter how it ends.

SO...Here are a few things I am tossing around as goals for the new year:

I had been toying with training for a fall marathon to commemorate my 40th birthday but am unsure I am willing to commit to the training. Goose suggested an Iron Girl at her place in June and I suggested the same up here in September. This might be a better way to ring in 40 at this point in my life. Maybe I will put the marathon on my 45th birthday when my 4 year old is in school all day.

I recently read about a runner whose goal is to run 1000 miles this year. Not sure I want to run that many but like the idea of deciding on a number of miles I will go this year. It seems like something I could track all year and broken up would give me a sense of how much I needed to do each week. If I got behind I would need to catch up so I could still meet the goal at the end of the year. I might do this one.

I am also considering some ideas for meal planning this year. Creating a system which I am motivated to follow week in and week out is a bit challenging for me. It is easy to come up with ideas but hard to stay consistent with following them. I love it when I come across books where people have challenged themselves in some arbitrary way for a year. I read one about a couple that decided not to buy any consumer items for a year, no new clothes, books, home decor, etc for a year. There is an article in Women's Day this month about a woman who strove to do something to make herself happy every day for a year and of course the movie Julie and Julia about a woman who wanted to cook all the recipe's in Julia Child's cookbook (haven't seen it so I don't know if that was within a year or not but seems like the same idea). So I have been imagining what it would be like if my family committed to not eat out for an entire year. Realistically I know it isn't going to happen but it has me thinking if maybe we could put some parameters around our eating out habits and see what happens to both our health and our budget.

These are just a few thoughts I am having. Of course I can make changes as I see fit, it is my life, my goals, I can do whatever I want. And although I am not going to put Goose's detox plan for next week in my 2010 goals that doesn't mean I am not going to do it. Actually I have already planned out all my meals for January and have excellent choices to go with a detox diet on the list.

I am looking forward to an exciting and healthy 2010 challenging and being challenged by Iceman and Goose.

Happy New Year!

My New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-30T17:13:00.000-08:00

I usually shy away (O.k. run away, shrieking) from New Year's resolutions. (For years I have dreaded my local fitness club in January, I have to endure the onslaught of all those New Year's Resolutioner's and then go on to enjoy my workout's for the rest of the year.) I've always thought that they are a waste of time. Why choose a date, that comes around only once a year, to start/ re-start a new habit or goal? So, if I fail, does that mean that I can't start over again until next year? What happens if I decide to tweak the goal/ habit. Am I, in-effect, still failing at my habit/ goal because I didn't accomplish what I had originally set out to do?

Plus, I avoid, like the plague, to do what other people are doing. Why do something that a BILLION other people have tried and failed at? (For instance, being a rock star groupy. There's nothing to set you apart and make you special if you're just another adoring face in the crowd.) Same with New Year's resolutions... I refuse to be a Resolution groupy.

ALSO I know it's the beginning of a new year. But, truly, what is that date the beginning of besides an arbitrary date on a paper calendar?! I can think of much more notable beginnings. The 1st day of school, the 1st day of the new week, the birth of a child, the start of a new day, graduation from highschool, the start of a new job,etc., etc., etc.

So, suffice to say, I won't be making any New Year's resolutions on a cold snowy day, smack dab in the middle of a cold and blustery winter.

Now, not to say that I don't make goals and resolutions. Au contraire! I think that they are quite important and needed in life. This is especially true in MY life.

I'm a stay-at-home Mom. The reality is that I NEED to do very little. I only NEED to make sure some calories are going in my children's mouths and that they have adequate shelter. The rest is a practice in self-discipline. I don't have a boss ready to fire me if I don't get my work done, I know, Mike, but that just proves my point. (He's way too sweet to every fire me) I need to be a self-starter, a self-disciplined, goal oriented person all-by-my-self. Which, unfortunately, I am not. I wish I was one of those self motivating people, but I am, simply, not.

This is where my goals and habits are so important to me. Homeschooling happens because I have a goal. I exercise early in the morning because I've worked on that habit. So I like to make my resolutions weekly, or even daily, sometimes hour-to-hour. For two reasons: One, so I can quickly jump back on that horse. And two, so that I can feel accomplished with just a little amount of work. :)

I, actually, AM looking at and revising my resolution's this time of year. But I am doing this all year long! So you won't catch me calling them my New Year's Resolutions. I just call them "my resolutions" and that gives me the freedom to visit, re-vise, and start over again, all-year-long.

--- Iceman Out---

a title for maverick

2009-12-29T06:10:00.000-08:00

Goose here.

Back from our Florida Christmas vacation. The weather was not HOT and SUNNY, but it was pleasant enough. Since I could not languish at the pool all day like I wanted to do, I ended up being a walking and running machine, getting out a couple times a day. I ran the sidewalks, I ran the beach, I power walked the beach, I did sit-ups and push-ups. AND I hit my goal of 10 lbs lost by Christmas! :) yay me.

I am moving into that crappy week in my cycle when I want to eat everything in sight, so our drive home on Sunday I did not do too well eating. We ended the drive picking up Zaxby's chicken tenders and fries, which I heartily devoured. I also did not do too well on Christmas Eve when my MIL put out a buffet of nibbles which included specialty cheeses...my weakness. And then my husband made pure lump crabcakes. I gave in to temptation and ate much more than my fair share of cheese and crabcakes.

So Monday morning, despite the 35 degrees and wind, I doned my fleeces, scarf and gloves and headed out for my 3 mile run, and then did the Shred. After not doing the Shred for a week while in Florida, I felt I had definitely lost my mojo, my groove. I need to get back into it.

I am thinking that after New Years Day I should do another detox week blitz...anyone in? Hard core like the first two weeks when I began this journey. Only just for a week. I have 6 more pounds i'd like to lose. I'd take 10, but will definitely settle for 6. I am realizing now that I have been at this for almost 2 months, that my cycle really drives how successful I am on any given day or week. I may have to start a simple journal so I can better track my mood and energy during the month.

I have started to incorporate much more "normal" living habits, which is good, because that will be crucial to being able to maintain, but I am still in active lose mode so don't want to become too complacent just yet, which is hard when I am feeling so good and 10 lbs is significant and everything is fitting and looking good. I have caffeine a bit more regularly, and I have been having a bit of a sweet tooth in this week of my cycle so having more sugar than normal, which isn't normally my issue. I just need to keep the mindset that I've had the last couple months. New Years is a good time to regroup and keep steady the course.

Today is freezing here...29. I hope it warms up so I can get out for a run, I really prefer 40, but discovered yesterday that I can survive a 35 degree run.

So...how is my team?

__goose out__