Thursday, June 30, 2011

Tempo runs are my friends ...

Thursday - 3 miles
  • 3.19 miles, 35' 03" minutes, 10' 58" min/mile average pace, 161 BPM average heart rate
Ok so the alarm clock trick did not work at all this morning. Nope not at all. I thought that even though I was not in bed at my usual time the alarm clock would still get me going in the morning. It didn't. Whem the alarm went off, I rolled out of bed, walked over to the alarm clock, shut it off and then crawled right back into bed. Oops! I guess I was a lot more tired than I thought last night. Based on Tuesday's run, I was a little nervous about pushing myself tonight. I know where I was last week when I did my tempo workout so I wanted to be close to that tonight. No matter what, the important thing is that I ran today. I was completely surprised with how well my run went tonight. I was able to run at an average pace less than 11 minute/mile, which is amazing for me. When I first started running, my average pace was between 13 and 14 minute/mile. I know that I am not the fastest runner in the world but the fact that I am improving and able to run at a faster average pace thrills me to no end. My run felt so good tonight that I actually considered increasing the belt pace above my previous maximum (4.5 mph), which I maintained for 25 minutes tonight. After I finished my run tonight, I thought about made tonight's run so much better than Tuesday's run. I think that because I didn't eat anything before going for my run on Tuesday morning my body didn't have store enough energy to compensate for what I was burning. Next time I wake up early enough for a run, I will have to eat something to help get my body going. I have my nutrition under control for my long runs so I now I need to get a handle on my nutrition for my maintenance runs.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

It is definitely getting easier ...

Wednesday - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 20 minutes (FlowMotion Basics Workout)
Even though I was totally drenched with sweat after my workout this morning, I can absolutely tell that it is getting easier with the 8 lb. KBell. When I first tried this workout with the heavier bell, my arms literally wanted to kill me during the single arm high pulls and the single arm swings.When I did the workout this morning, my arms didn't really protest. If I could have gone a little bit faster, I would have said the I did the workout perfectly (almost). At this point, I feel that the heavier weight is the main reason why I can't get the rhythm of the workout quite right. Hopefully, I will be able to get the rhythm down with a few more attempts at this workout.

Once I was down with my kettlebells, my thoughts turned to whether or not I should go to my Bikram class tonight. Last Wednesday, the teacher told us that she was going on vacation for a couple of weeks. I know that the point of the Bikram practice is that you get the same workout every time you attend class but I have found that the energy of the teacher can have an impact on the class. The tone in the voice, ther strength of the voice and the instruction provided all have an impact. I am not going to want to spend 90 minutes in a room with a teacher whose voice sounds like nails on a chalkborad. The decision about going to the Bikram class was made shortly after I got to work. I checked the class schedule online to see who would be teaching the class. It just so happens to be the one teacher whose voice really does sound like nails on a chalkboard to me. I decided that maybe it was a good thing that he was teaching the class because I have a BUNCH of things to do tonight after work. Maybe if I get everything done by Sunday afternoon, I will be able to go to a Bikram class (taught by my second favorite teacher of course).

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

You got me this morning, Hills!

Tuesday - 3 miles
  • 3.13 miles, 38' 03" minutes, 12' 09" min/mile average pace, 164 BPM average heart rate
What a sluggish workout this morning! That's right. I actually woke up and didn't hit the snooze button. One of my friends told me that her trick is to have the alarm clock on the other side of the room. That way she has to get out of bed to shut it off. My boyfriend actually does that too. I never really tried that trick before because I never thought that waking up early would be a problem for me. Let's just say that the trick worked and my alarm clock will be staying on my dresser.

After I got out of bed and changed into my running clothes, I headed over to the fitness center to run on the treadmill. I live in the coastal region of Florida so I don't have a wide variety of hilly routes to choose from. The largest hills we have are usually the bridges to take you out to the beaches. My warm up walk (5 minutes at 3.0 mph) felt normal and didn't feel labored or painful. When I started running though, my body was singing a different tune. First off, that randomized hill workout was not pretty at all. It varied from 0% to 5% and the majority of it was at 5%. My quads were not happy with me at all. Secondly, I am pretty sure that I didn't drink enough water yesterday because my arms and legs felt heavy and my entire body was dragging. After 5 minutes of running at 3.5 mph, I tried to increase my pace but quickly found out that my body was not having it this morning. I ran my entire workout at 3.5 mph and only did 30 minutes of the hill workout before my legs decided that they had had enough of that. Finally, my 3 miles were finished and I slowed the belt down and walked for 10 minutes to cool down.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Lazy Day and Target Toning Workout ...

Sunday - Rest

I actually took the day to rest. After my long run on Saturday, I thought I would have the energy to do one of my yoga workouts on Sunday. I figured it would help my muscles loosen up so that I would be able to start my workout routine all over again on Monday. After waking up on Sunday morning, my plans to do a yoga workout were chucked out of the window. My quads were incredibly sore and I had a total awkward limp going on. I could hardly walk, which was the first time my muscles have ever locked up like that. I wasn't really in pain but my muscles were tight so I decided to not take any chances. Instead I hoped that I would be able to to get my yoga workout in after work on Monday.

Monday - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 52 minutes (Target Toning Workout)
So even though yesterday was a very lazy day for me, I still didn't get to bed early enough to do my workout this morning before work. I actually woke up so late that I had less than an hour to get ready for work. Not exactly the most ideal situation. Let's just say that my hair and make-up were not high on my list of priorities this morning. After I got home from work, I decided to do my Target Toning workout mostly because I haven't done this one in over a week. I am trying to prevent stagnation in my muscles because I want them get the full benefit of my strength training. The last time I did this workout I only used the 4 lb. KBell. This time I chose to incorporate the8 lb. KBell for the movements that I thought were a little easy with the lighter weight. All of the upper body moves were done with the 4 lb. KBell. All of those shoulder circles are still difficult even with the 4 lb. KBell. I can still feel it in arms. Ouch. I did use the 8 lb. KBell for the entire lower body segment, which worked out very well. I could actually feel my lowerbody muscles working. I used both the KBells for the standing core segment and the floor core segment based on the movement and the other muscles groups used. All in all, I felt like this was an excellant workout tonight and I am surely going to feel it in the morning.

Only 1 more week to go!

One week from today I will be driving with my boyfriend to the mountains! This will be my first vacation in about two years (not counting some little weekend getaways) and I am completely stoked. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of those places that I feel truly connected with the beauty of nature and I can remember the loved ones I have lost over the years. My grandfather was a park ranger many years ago during the summer when he wasn't teaching. That was one of his favorite places in the whole world besides Walt Disney World. He really loved the It's A Small World ride. I can't remember the first times I visited the mountains but I do have many wonderful memories. It is the place that my father and his borther got lost for three days when they were much younger (teens and twenties). It is the place that my father took my mother backpacking with his brother and sister. It is the place where I spent several summers, falls and winters camping with my family. I can remember waking up in the middle of the night needing to use the bathroom only to nearly get stuck to the toilet seat because of now cold it was outside. I can remember horseback riding with my mom, my sisters and aunts. I can remember going on hay rides with my entire family, including several aunts, uncles and cousins. It is the place that I realized how much I really love my boyfriend. It is the place that I first saw the look in his eye. That look which told me he loved the mountains as much as I do. It is the place I look forward to visiting with every fiber of my being.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Long Run No. 4 ... Mosquitoes and 5 in the Morning

Saturday - 6 miles
  • 6.29 miles, 74' 43" minutes, 11' 52" min/mile average pace
  • Splits:
    • Mile 1: 11' 04" min/mile
    • Mile 2: 11' 31" min/mile
    • Mile 3: 11' 49" min/mile
    • Mile 4: 12' 09" min/mile
    • Mile 5: 12' 08" min/mile
    • Mile 6: 12' 30" min/mile
At work, I have become known as the "Incredible Shrinking Woman". One of the running jokes has become that by the end of the year I will waste away to nothing. One of the other women in the office asked me if I ever get bored or annoyed with people complimenting me. I said no. To some it may get boring or even annoying but to me the compliments serve as reinforcement that the changes I have made on my life really are working and helping me achieve my goal of living a healthy, happy life.

I believe that I now find myself among the serious runners, also known as the people who run for the pure enjoyment of running. My Saturday did not start in the most conventional way or the most conventional of times for that matter. Every six or seven weeks, I meet my parents for breakfast for no other reason than the fact that my hair needs to be maintained. Long story short, I had a really bad experience with Sun In about 7 years ago and I have not been able to return to my gorgeous natural hair color ever since. Unfortunately, this week my training schedule required me to run 6 miles today. Hoping that my parents didn't want to do breakfast (mostly because of my dad's new diet program), I called them last night and asked if we were still doing breakfast. To my dismay, my dad said yes and that we would meet at the usual place at 9:30 AM. WHAT ?!?!?!? After doing some quick math in my head, I figured out that I would have to wake up at 5 AM in order to get my 6 mile run in. That time didn't sound at all appealing and still doesn't.

I did it though. I woke at 5:10, which means that my not-so-awake subconscious self actually hit the snooze button once before my eyes snapped open. I fumbled around the kitchen to make my oh-so-yummy breakfast (yogurt and granola), which I ate as quickly as possible because I only gave myself one hour to digest my food. After eating my breakfast, I attempted to change into my running outfit but because the sun was still no where to be seen I forgot to put on my heart rate monitor chest strap. I didn't actually leave my place until 6:15, which was 15 minutes later than I wanted to. Oh well, I refused to let time be a problem and weigh me down today. As I was walking towards the running trail, I ate my first ever Clif Shot Bloks. These things are similar to Clif Shots and or GU chomps except unlike traditional gels they are chewy. In fact, I was reminded of Swedish Fish or Jelly Beans when I ate the first one. I decided to try these out today because I knew that my run would be at least 72 minutes this morning. In my research, I have found that anytime you are going on a run that is going to last more than 60 minutes you should ingest some form of fuel that is easily digestible. I have never tried any of these energy gels before so I figured that today would be as good as any. To my amazement, the Strawberry flavored Clif Shot Bloks are actually quite tasty and not very difficult to eat while running (a theory I tested around the 4.50 mile mark). As I approached the trail, I figured out that running at 6:30 on a Saturday is actually not that bad. Apparently, this is the time when all of the serious athletes (runners, walkers and bicyclists) are out. Not a single jogging stroller was to be seen, which meant no one was able to chuck a book (or any other foreign object) at me. My run itself was not difficult but I could definitely tell that my body was not used to the extended length of time that I forced it to exert energy. I ended up finishing my run and walking back to my place right on schedule. I was still late for breakfast though because I spent too much time reveling in my accomplishment. I ran 6.3 miles! I actually ran 6.3 miles! Of course, the actual race is 13.1 miles, which means I will need to run another 6.8 miles but who is really counting. Besides the fact that mosquitoes were dive bombing me and the air was so humid it felt like I was running through hair gel, me run went really well. My stomach didn't get upset with me and my legs continued to function properly throughout my run.

The completion of today's long run marked the first significant milestone in my training schedule. Four Weeks Done! Only 14 more weeks to go before my first ever half marathon! The anticipation is mounting an I can't wait. Over the past four weeks, I have run almost 47 miles (46.90 to be exact) and done 12 strength training workouts. Also, one week from Monday I will be on vacation in the mountains. I can't wait!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Almost there but not quite yet ...

Friday - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 20 minutes (FlowMotion Basics)
After this morning's workout, I think I will be doing this one at least two more time (probably three) with the 8 lb. KBell before trying any of my other videos. My body is still getting used to the heavier 8 lb. KBell. While the single arm high pulls and single arm swings are getting easier every time I do this workout, my rhythm is still considerably slower than the actual workout is supposed to be. That is okay though because form is the most important aspect of Kettlebell training. My focus has been to maintain the correct form throughout each movement. As I become more comfortable with the heavier 8 lb. KBell, my rhythm will become much faster and I will be able to move through this workout at the same pace as I can using the 4 lb. KBell.

I realized last night as I was trying to fall asleep that I will be completing 3 half marathon races over the course of 19 weeks. I am not going to have any time off between my training schedules. In fact, I only have 14 weeks between the Blue Moon Half Marathon and the Rock 'n Roll St. Petersburg Half Marathon. I am not going to have enough time to do my 18 week training program, which means I am going to have to figure out a whole new one. By the way, my boyfriend thinks that I am crazy and I am starting to think that he might be right. I just keep telling myself that as long as I follow my training schedule I should be fine. Because my first two half marathons are only 5 weeks apart, I went ahead a extended my 18 week training schedule to encompass both races. For my third race, I have decided to follow on of the Nike+ training programs. That program is only 12 weeks long, which means I will have two weeks rest in between race number 2 and training for race number 3. Unfortunately, I will be on a cruise with my boyfriend during Week 2 of the training program and I am supposed to run 22 miles that week. I think he might actually shoot me when I tell him that one .... probably not though because he supports me 110%!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

My inner thighs are shrinking!

Thursday - 3 miles
  • 4.14 miles, 45' 03" minutes, 10' 53" min/mile average pace, 168 BPM average heart rate
When I was training for my first race, I really didn't have a problem getting up early enough to go for a run. Thus far, I have been unable to do that while training for my very first half marathon. I don't think my nerves have quite kicked in yet. Normally, I would be so nervous that I wouldn't be able to get much sleep during my training. at least that is what happened when I was training for my very first race. Of course that training schedule only lasted for 10 weeks while this one is 18 weeks. Maybe my nerves will start to kick in the closer it gets to the actual race. Another major difference between my previous training schedule and my current one is that I have added strength training. When I first started running, all I did was run. I also did some yoga but the majority of my training was just running. After my first race when I discovered that I was completely hooked, I started doing research. I wanted to improve and I wanted to know the best way to do because frankly I thought that my first race went dismally. Several articles that I found on active.com and runnersworld.com indicated that strength training is just as important to runners as the actual running. This is mostly because strength training helps the body to strengthen the core and stabilizer muscles. These muscles are used in different ways throughout a run. During my first race, I got a cramp in my side around mile marker 1 that just would not go away. I tried to breathe through it. I tried walking it out. It just wouldn't go away. Since I have started adding strength training to my training schedule, I have not gotten another side cramp. I am not saying that I will never get another side cramp again but I know that my strength training has improved my overall fitness, which is benefiting my running.

I accidentally went a mile beyond my planned run. I did accomplish my ultimate goal for tonight's workout. Since my Thursday runs are my tempo runs, I wanted to maintain my maximum pace for at least 30 minutes. I surprised myself and actually completed my goal for tonight. The last 5 minutesat my maximum pace were the hardest and I had to keep reminding myself that I was almost done. I would say that means I was running at the appropriate pace. Unlike last Thursday, my body wasn't ridiculously sore all day so I was able to push myself a little more than last week. I actually felt really accomplished after my run. I maintained a 4.5 mph belt pace for 30 minutes and my overall average pace was less than 11 minutes/mile. I was shocked with my pace to be quite honest with. The other 15 minutes of my run consisted of a 10 minute running warm up (5 minutes at 3.5 mph and 5 minutes at 4.0 mph) and a 5 minute running cool down (4.0 mph). I also did my 5 walking warm up and 10 minute walking cool down.

On another note, I have proof that my inner thighs are actually getting smaller. In March, I bought a pair of running shorts that were just like the ones that you see everyone wearing. I wore them for one of my long training runs and it did not end well. When I returned from my run, I ended up lathering my inner thighs with neosporin and covering them with band aids. I ended up throwing those shorts to the back of one of my drawers and not taking them out again. Instead, I went and bought a pair of spandex compression shorts to wear on my long runs. When my new running skirt didn't cause any uncomfortable irritation between my thighs, I decided that maybe it was time to try the running shorts again. It was a gamble I know but it actually paid off. My inner thighs are completely intact and pain free! No irritation what so ever! I was shocked but my inner thighs have actually shrunk!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Bikram is officially back in my life!

Wednesday - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 34 minutes (Total Body Blast Video)
Another good morning workout. I was a little sluggish this morning getting out of bed. I actually think that I let my alarm run for almost 20 minutes before I finally rolled out of bed. I wanted to do the Target Toning Workout since I haven't done it in over a week but with a 9 AM meeting this morning I didn't really have enough time for the 52 minute workout. This was the second time I did the Total Body Blast Workout and it actually was easier this time. I used the 4 lb. KBell for my workout, which once again proved to be enough. It will take a few more rounds with this workout before I will be able to do it with the 8 lb. KBell. Not only does this workout incorporate the usual Kettlebell movements (swings, high pulls, clean and presses, and TGUs) but also adds plyometrics and calinsthetics. As I am writing this, my sides and inner thighs are incredibly sore. This workout definitely works the entire body and I really enjoy doing it. Hopefully, my soreness will stay away long enough for me to get the full intentions of Bikram Yoga practice tonight.
  • Yoga - 90 minutes (Bikram Yoga Class)
My intention for tonight's practice was to be able to maintain the progress that I achieved last week. One of the aspects of Bikram Yoga that I really enjoy is that no matter where or when I take the class or who teaches it the sequence of postures is the exact same. No matter what, I know that when I step into that 105 degree room I will be spending the next 90 minutes doing the same 26 posture and 2 breathing exercises that I did the last time. The heat in the room allows to body to soften and remold into the postures. Of course, the first time you step into a Bikram class your body is not prepared for the heat or the strange postures you attempt to contort your body into. The first time I attended a Bikram class I think I ended up lying in savasana (dead corpse pose) for several of the postures. Rather than leave the room, the teachers actual insist that you either stand in Mountain Pose or lay down in savasana. Three years later, I can now move through every single posture and begun to push myself towards achieving the the maximum of the postures. Over the last three years, I found a teacher that I loved (she moved away), I moved away from my yoga studio (it took me almost two years to find a new one) and I have tried three different teachers at my new yoga studio (I finally found one that I love). My Bikram practice has never been as consistent as recommended but it is a practice that I truly enjoy. It allows me to achieve 90 minutes of mental stillness and peace. I am able to calm my mind and recenter my body so that I can handle whatever the week me bring.

2 weeks and counting ...

So for whatever reason, I realized today that I will be on vacation in 2 weeks! I simply can not wait. I am nervous and excited all at once. I love going on vacation and I especially love where my boyfriend and I are going: the Mountains. That is not what had me nervous though. For the past several months, I have been trying to stick to a fairly regimented eating and exercise plan. Vacations have a tendency to cause people to fall off of the wagon. I know that for the most part we will be eating out, which means I can sort of control what I am eat but I will still have to be careful. We won't be eating out when we are staying with his mother. She has probably not been made aware of my new routing either. I have talked with my boyfriend about my concerns and he just tells me that I worry too much. I don't think he realizes how much of a daily struggle it is for me when I am surrounded by temptations. Will power is the name of the game. Oh well, I have a plan. Since beginning this lifestyle change, I have found that without a plan nothing really works out the way you want it to. I have no intention of allowing my training to lapse while out of town. I have already figured out my running routes. I actually get to do two of the three runs that week in the National Park! I am totally stoked! My other run will be on a looped road right near my boyfriend's mother's house. I am also bringing my yoga mat, yoga DVDs, and my Kettlenetics DVDs with at least the 4 lb. KBell. My boyfriend and I have also decided to go on at least one hike (probably two) to go see some waterfalls. The pictures should be breathtaking. I will probably be posting the best ones after we get home. For anyone who has never been to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you are in for some stunning views. That place is truly a place of serenity and natural beauty.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Hills ... why must you be so mean?

Tuesday - 3 miles
  • 3.79 miles, 45' 03 minutes, 11' 52" min/mile average pace, 166 BPM average heart rate
It is officially the first day of summer! Just to be clear though, I think that the high temperature yesterday was actually higher than it was today. It has felt like summer since the beginning of April. That is living in Florida for you. I actually did try to wake up early enough to go for my run but once again it didn't happen. Normally, I would blame it on having to go to IKEA last night with my family but it really isn't their fault. I can really only blame myself for not going to sleep early enough. Oh well, I still got my run in after work.

For whatever reason, my workout tonight was not as easy as it has been the last couple of weeks. I started my workout in the usual way, a 5 minute walk at a 3.0 mph pace and a 0% incline. I didn't feel too bad after the walking portion of my warm up. I bumped the pace up to 3.5 mph for the next 5 minutes. I also set the treadmill to the randomized hill workout. Today, the hill workout varied from 0% to 4%. When I started the running portion of my workout, my body began protesting and I started to feel sluggish. I am not quite sure what my body was upset with but running felt really labored tonight. I think I ended doing full body scans twice as much as a usually do just trying to figure out if my running stride was causing it. My diet and hydration have not been issues in a few weeks so I don't think that either one of those caused it. Regardless of how I felt, I still wanted to have to the best possible run so I decided to increase my pace to 4.0 mph. I was able to maintain the pace for 40 minutes. I followed the run with a 10 minute walking cool down. Even though I felt like it was literally an uphill battle to maintain the run, I think it ended up being a really good workout. There were several times when I actually thought about walking but didn't. I finished my workout strong and ended up with a fairly decent average pace.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Bring on the Weights ...

Sunday, 6/19 - Rest

I actually rested last week. I know, I know. I didn't think that I could take a day off either but I did it. My body really needed it too. I had originally planned on doing one of my yoga workouts but I decided not to after I woke up. My body went through a lot last week and I was very stiff and sore yesterday. I did end up cleaning my place a little bit, which helped work out some of my stiffness. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to another Bikram Yoga class last weekend but I am already making plans to go on Wednesday after work! Maybe (hopefully) one of these days, I will actually do the 60-day Bikram Challenge, where I attend a Bikram class everyday for 60 days. Who knows, maybe that will be next year's New Year's Resolution.

Monday, 6/20 - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 20 minutes (FlowMotion Basics)
When I woke up this morning, I decided to try the same build-up with the 8 lb. KBell as I did with the 4 lb. KBell. When I first started using, the Kettlenetics system, I only did the FlowMotion Basics workout until I could do the whole video without a problem using the 4 lb. KBell. Then I started adding the Cardio Balanced workout into my rotation. I really want to get comfortable with the 8 lb. KBell before I really start swinging it around. After making that decision, I popped in the FlowMotion Basics DVD. This workout is much slower than the other ones, which is probably because it is one of the first videos in the set. When I did this workout this morning, it definitely went much better than the last time I did it with the 8 lb. KBell. I was able to do the single arm swings all the wat to the overhead position this time. The single arm high pulls were still a bit difficult but I was able to manage them. My rhythm is still a little slow but I am sure that I will get that part down after 2 or 3 more rounds with this workout.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Long Run No. 3 ... 5 miles ... no problem

Saturday, 6/18 - 5 miles
  • 5.01 miles, 60' 25" minutes, 12' 02" min/mile average pace, 171 BPM average heart rate
  • Splits:
    • mile 1: 11' 34" min/mile
    • mile 2: 11' 57" min/mile
    • mile 3: 12' 02" min/mile
    • mile 4: 12' 21" min/mile
    • mile 5: 12' 20" min/mile
I did it! I actually ran the full 5 MILES scheduled for today! It felt like such an amazing accomplishment when I finished. First things first. This run was much better than last week's long run. My pace and heart rate were still a bit high but overall the run went SOOO much better. Based on my run last week, I knew the importance of my nutrition and hydration so this week I made sure that I had what I needed to have a successful training run. I got plenty of granola and yogurt at the store so that I won't run out again. I also got a FuelBelt handheld water bottle at my local running store so that I would have water whenever needed it. I chose the handheld bottle over the hydration belt because I have no desire to chaf due to the belt bouncing up and down on my hips. It is bad enough when my sports bra chafs or the chest strap for my heart rate monitor rubs the wrong way.

So my plan for today was to wake up around 6 AM (I know right ... its a Saturday!) and eat my breakfast. I wanted to start my workout as close to 8 AM as possible to try to avoid the heat. I actually woke up around 6:15 but didn't eat mty breakfast around 7. After I ate. I changed into my running clothes and headed out for my workout around 8, just as I had planned. As I was walking, the shorts of my new running skirt started to ride up a little and head started to race with thoughts of my inner thighs rubbing and how to avoid it. I eventually decided to deal with it when it came so that I could focus on my running. I started running after about 15 minutes of walking. Instead of trying to figure out my pacing today, I decided to focus on my breathing and talking abilities. As long as I could breath in and out through my nose, I figured out that my effort level was in check. I also tried to make sure that I could at least mouth the words to the songs playing on my iPod and sing them in my head. I read somewhere that trying to focus on the actual pace can actually hold you back when it comes to improving your running ability. I feel like my pace was adequate because when I hit the 5 mile mark I felt like I could keep going. I chose not to so that I didn't over exert myself too soon.

I can honestly say that the water bottle was a wonderful thing to have. I didn't drink all 22 ounces during my run but it was nice to have water while I walking back to my place. Oddly enough, after I stopped thinking about the possibility of chaffing from my new running skirt, it didn't cross my mind again until after I got home and realized that I didn't chaf at all! I was thrilled to say the least. Walking around with neosporin and band aids covering my body is not the most thrilling way to spend the rest of my weekend. I did enjoy going for my run earlier than last weekend. Not nearly as many jogging strollers and no books in the ones that were out this morning. Also, there were fewer runners and walkers out in general, which didn't allow my insecurities to get the better of me. I don't have a lot of confidence when it comes to my running ability yet. I hope that will change as time goes by and I continue to improve.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Total Body Blast Workout ... something new!

Friday, 6/17 - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 34 minutes (Total Body Blast)
This workout really got my heart pumping for sure. The warm up was a much faster pace than the Cardio Balanced workout. My original plan was to do the Targt Toning workout utilizing the 8 lb. KBell as much as possible. When I woke up, it was a little later than I wanted and my body was still very sore. I really wanted to gt my workout in this morning so I decided to try the Total Body Blast workout for the first time. This video came with the advanced kit for the Kettlenetics system, which also came with the 8 lb. KBell. Because I haven't done this video yet, I chose to do this workout with the 4 lb. KBell. I am really glad that I did that because this workout had me jumping and hoping all over the place. I really liked this workout, especially when I got to do full Turkish Get-ups. The last time I did a full Turkish Get-up (TGU) my abs were sore for the entire next day. By the way, I only did maybe two full TGUs the time and this time I did 8 of them! I am already starting to feel it in my core. Hopefully, I will be able to do this workout with the 8 lb. KBell soon. Some of the movements were not as challenging with the 4 lb. KBell as I would have liked. I probably could have done several of the movements using the 8 lb. KBell but without knowing all of the movements ised I didn't want to take a chance of injuring myself by using the heavier weight. I will be doing this workout again for sure. I am completely sore but I feel like it was a great workout and will help me make sure that I avoid stagnation in my strength training regiment.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Tempo Runs and Bikram do not mix ...

Thursday, 6/16 - 3 miles
  • 3.61 miles, 40' 06" minutes, 11' 05" min/mile average pace, 162 BPM average heart rate
Man oh man am I sore today! I really think that I pushed my body to a physical limit yesterday that it hasn't reached in a very long time. I know that I probably complained a bit ... alright I complained A LOT today. It wasn't meant to be a bad complaint but more of an acknowledgement of how much I actually pushed myself yesterday. I spent my entire work day hoping that the soreness would go away enough for me to go for my run tonight. I actually woke up early enough to go for my run this morning but when I got out of bed to turn the alarm off I could barely move my arms and legs. I decided that I should probably wait a few more hours to allow my body to recover. No matter how my body feels I am going to get my training runs in because that is the most important part of my training regiment. My goal for today's run is to push my body to the limit it reached during last Thursday's run. That is probably a lot to ask of my body especially based on how I felt this morning. I also want to keep my maximum heart rate below 178 BPM and my average heart rate above 170 BPM. If I achieve this level of effort, then my run will be a successful tempo run.

Tonight's run was right about where I wanted it to be. My average heart rate was not where I wanted but overall my effort level was correct for a tempo run. Once I started moving on the treadmill, the soreness I had been feeling all day seemed to relax and almost disappear, My workout began with the usual 5 minute walk at 3.0 mph with a 0% incline. While I was walking I also did some arm stretching trying to alleviate the tightness in my shoulders. After I did my 5 minute walk, I continued my warm up by starting my run at a 3.5 mph pace. I maintained that pace for 5 minutes before increasing the pace to 4.0 mph. After 5 minutes at that pace, I felt good enough to increase the pace to 4.5 mph. I maintained that pace for 30 minutes. I felt really good throughout most of the run. Towards the end of the run, I started to feel the soreness returning to my glutes. Not such a great feeling while trying to maintain my tempo pace. I ran through it and finished strong. My workout ended with a 10 minute walking cool down at 3.0 mph.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Bikram, I have missed you old friend ...

Wednesday, 6/15 - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 20 minutes (FlowMotion Basics Video)
  • Yoga - 90 minutes (Bikram Yoga Class)
I definitely didn't follow the plan I originally planned on Monday. I actually pushed the schedule back a day. Before I really started adding the 8 lb. KBell into the more intense workouts, I wanted to make sure that I could handle it by doing the introduction video with it. I think after my workout this morning I am ready to increase the weight. I will say that there were several moves that I modified because the KBell was twice the amount that I am used to and were really quite difficult to achieve with the heavier weight. I am hoping that by using the heavier weight my Kettlenetics videos will continue to challenge me.

I have started to do research into traditional Kettlebell training.  Yesterday, I purchased a book called "From Russia with Tough Love: Pavel's Kettlebell Workout for a Femme Fatale" by Pavel Tsatsouline. Pavel is apparently the man who brough Kettlebells from Russia to the United States. I figured that if this is the type of strength training that I am going to continue to use then I want to to know as much as possible about it. I also figured that I should get the most accurate information possible. There are several reasons why I chose this book. One of them is because this book goes in depth into each of the major movements done in traditional Kettlebell training. This book also has an 8-week training program that is designed to take the user from a novice Kettlebell user to a Kettlebell enthusiast. I am excited to read this book and to try the training program. After I finish reading the book and have gone through the full training program, I will write a special post about the book and my results.

After my yoga workout on Sunday morning, I decided that I wanted to get back into my Bikram Yoga practice. I found Bikram Yoga about 3 years ago. I was in love with this style of yoga after the very first class. At the time, I was only able to go once a week and didn't have time to devote to an at home practice. The recommended routine is to practice the 90 minute set of sequences at least once a day for 60 days (2 months) in order to see the full benefits of the practice. I have recently rediscovered my love of Bikram Yoga but still haven't been able to incorporate it into my daily routine. The last time I actually practiced this style of yoga about two months ago right before I caught a nasty head cold and before I started my current training regiment. Last night, I decided that I wanted to go to a Bikram class tonight. I didn't expect to be in top form during the class because it has been two months and I did my first full workout with the 8 lb. KBell this morning. After the opening breathing exercise though, I felt utterly amazing. That feeling lasted throughout the entire 90 minute practice. I was able to push myself past my previous limit and actually was able to do the Toe Stand pose, which I haven't been able to do in 3 years! If I don't make it to one of the classes this weekend, I will totally be going back next week!

Why do I care so much about my heart rate?

I have been talking A LOT about my heart rate in my posts about my training runs. I am probably borderline obsessive about where my heart rate is and how hard I am working during each of my runs. Your heart rate is the best way to determine if you are working at an optimal level, if you are working too hard or if you just aren't working hard enough. Depending on what type of running workout you are doing, your heart rate should correspond to the appropriate effort level. In other words, if you are doing an interval run, your heart rate should be at your maximum effort but if you are doing a long, easy run, you should be exerting minimal effort in order to complete the distance of the workout. Before I purchased my heart rate monitor, I was using the basic talk to determine my level of effort. When I ran on the treadmill, I was pushing myself to my limit, which means I wasn't working hard enough if I could mouth the words to the song blasting through my headphones. When I ran outside, I was trying to achieve a certain distance so I wanted to be able to carry on a conversation or sing the song playing on my iPod. I chose to purchase a heart rate monitor before I really started my half marathon training program because I wanted a better understanding of my effort level during each run. I found some great articles on runnersworld.com about Heart Rate Training Zones and How to use your Heart Rate Monitor, which has really helped me figure out where my effort level should be during each of my runs. This information has helped me to understand how effective my training actually is in improving my overall fitness.
  • Heart Rate Zones for my Training Runs:
    • Easy Run (recovery zone) - 65% to 70%
      • 126.1 BPM to 135.8 BPM
    • Training Run (aerobic zone) - 75% to 85%
      • 145.5 BPM to 164.9 BPM
    • Tempo Run (threshold run) - 88% to 92%
      • 170.7 BPM to 178.5 BPM
    • Intervals (VO2 max zone) - 95% to 100%
      • 184.3 BPM to 194.0 BPM
*Note: According to traditional maximum heart rate equation (MHR = 220 - age), my maximum heart rate should be 194 BPM.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Hills ... we meet again!

Tuesday, 6/14 - 3 miles
  • 3.39 miles, 40' 08" minutes, 11' 50" min/mile average pace, 163 BPM average heart rate
What an awesome run tonight! I had plenty of energy throughout and I felt really strong during the entire run. I decided last week that my Tuesday runs will be intervals and my Thursday runs will be tempo runs. After my 5 minute warm up at 3.0 mph, I selected the variety workout that randomizes the incline of the treadmill belt. Today, the belt incline varied from 0.0% to 5.0%, which really worked my calf muscles. Before I started the intervals, I increased my pace to 3.5 mph, which I maintained for the next 5 minutes. The hills during this part weren't very difficult and my heart rate was right where I wanted it to be so I increased the pace to 4.0 mph. After 5 minutes at that pace, I decided not to increase the belt anymore. My heart rate wasn't too high but I knew that the higher inclines coming up would cause my heart rate to increase. My goals for today's run were to keep my heart rate from going above 175 BPM and to keep my average pace below a 12 minute/mile. I met my pace goal but my heart rate went up to 177 BPM at its highest so I just missed that goal. After I finished my run. I cooled down with a 10 minute walk at 3.0 mph. I really needed a good training run after Saturday's not so good one.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Cardio Balanced Workout ... I think I should try something new

Sunday, 6/12 - Rest
  • Yoga - 56 minutes (Yoga Conditioning for Athletes Video)
Yes I did it again. I wanted to get my yoga workout in right after my long run but I really wasn't feeling it. This was the first time that I have tried the full length workout on the DVD. Let me tell you that I was really impressed with it. The poses that were done in this workout were really targeted to the areas I feel are the most tight or constricted during my normal training sessions. My work schedule and training regiment have not been very conducive for adding more yoga workouts but I feel like I really am going to have to make it a priority as my training gets harder.

Monday, 6/13 - Strength Training
  • 47 minutes of Kettlenetics (Cardio Balanced Video)
I decided to do my workout before work again this morning. It seems to be easier and it allows me more time to cook dinner after work. As part of my sister's new plan, we are going to be eating dinner at home a lot more so I want to have plenty of time for that. For some reason, my workout did not go as well as it usually does. I think that once again I was not well hydrated, My boyfriend and I decided to go for a motorcycle ride yesterday afternoon. It was really warm again yesterday and I guess I just didn't drink enough water to compensate. At one point during the workout, I had to stop to catch my breath, which is unusual for me. I also feel like I am not challenging myself enough with this video anymore but I don't feel like I am ready to try this workout with the 8 lb. kettlebell. My plan to correct this issue is quite simple and I hope that it works. I am going to try it for the rest of the week and see what happens. First, I am going to do the Target Toning Video on Wednesday but I will try to incorporate the 8 lb. KBell during the Lower Body Segment and some of the Standing Core Power Segment of the workout. Second, I will do the shorter 30 minute workout video (Total Body Blast) on Friday. When I do this video, I am going to use the 4 lb. KBell for the entire thing because it will be the first time trying this video. Based on how the rest of the week goes, I will either continue with the 4 lb. KBell or start incorporating the 8 lb. KBell into my workouts.

I really like using Kettlebells for the the strength training portion of my regiment. I think that the Kettlenetics system has been a great way for me to become introduced to Kettlebells. I know that at some point in the near future I am going to progress past this type of Kettlebell workout. I have already started looking for some new instructional videos that are more in the style of a true Russian Kettlebell Workout. I think my next video will be Lauren Brooks. She is supposed to one of the best Kettlebells trainers out there so I think that her videos will be the best for me to learn proper technique in my next phase of training.

Also, I really tried to convince my boyfriend to let me do the race while we are on vacation next month. I almost has him talked into it too but then I started really thinking about the logistics of it. So when he asked me "do you really want to do the race?" I actually responded with "I don't know." I told him that while it would be very possible to do, it would very time critical and wouldn't be fair to mother or him for me me to run in the race. We agreed that if we were leaving a day sooner, which just isn't possible, that it wouldn't a big deal. I will still be able to do a week's worth of training in the mountains and I am really excited about that.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Long Run No. 2 ... The Book Incident!

Saturday - 4 miles
  • 4.01 miles, 50' 16" minutes, 12' 32" min/mile average pace, 128 BPM average heart rate
  • Splits;
    • Mile 1:  11' 50"
    • Mile 2:  12' 11"
    • Mile 3:  12' 56"
    • Mile 4:  13' 08"
Today's run was not a terrible one but it certainly was not a great one. First off, I finished off my granola yesterday and didn't make it to the store last night. So all I had for breakfast was my yogurt. I didn't think that it would be too terrible but it was. Secondly, I am not comfortable with running while holding a bottle of water. Usually, this isn't a problem as long as I am well hydrated the day before a long run. Apparently, that did not happen yesterday.

I started my workout with a 15 minute walk. I felt good so I started to run at a pace that I thought was really slow but apparently it wasn't. At the end of the first mile, I didn't feel too bad but I wished that I could drink some water. The Florida sun was shining brightly this morning. It wasn't crazy, super hot but the humidity was definitely up there. I actually started longing for the days when I was a lifeguard just so I could jump in the pool at the end of my rotation. I learned a valuable lesson today for when I become a mother, which is not in the foreseeable future. Piece of advice for all mother and fathers who strap their kids into a jogging stroller and take them with you while you get your weekend long runs in: Please do NOT give them a hard back book (or any type of book) to read while you run. Inevitable, they will get bored with it and chuck it out of the stroller. Unknown to you, this book will likely hit another runner, such as myself, who happens to be going the opposite direction. It was a good thing the mother wasn't wearing headphones so that when I called out "one of them dropped their book", she actually heard me the second time. Shortly after the book incident, my iPod told that I was only halfway done with my workout. Now I really wanted some water and I was starting the hate everyone that was holding a bottle of water while running. About halfway into mile 3, I saw it ... a water fountain! My dilemma, of course, was if I should stop running to walk across the street just to quench my thirst. My thirst totally won out and I actually did the smart thing and headed for the water fountain. Of course, once I reached the water fountain, I ended up drinking too much water, which I quickly discovered when it started sloshing around in my almost empty stomach. At this point, the yogurt I had for breakfast was being jostled around and didn't stay settled in my stomach. I continued running just trying to maintain my stride and hoping that my stomach would stop. Soon, my iPod told that I only had 1 mile to go, I found a safe place to cross the street, which is where the sidewalk is shaded. I did cool off a lot after I had some water but the shade really helped out too. At long last my iPod told me that I had completed my 4 mile run. I was shocked to hear my stats. I thought I was going much slower than I actually was. I guess I still need to figure out my pacing after all. I also plan on getting a hydration belt and one of those handheld, strap-on water bottles before next weekend. I also disappointed with my heart rate during the first two miles because it was way too high for a long run. Hopefully, I can figure this out before my mileage really starts to increase.

On another note, my sister is officially starting her own "lifestyle change" tomorrow. I am so excited for her especially since I know how good it feels to get your life in order and to really start living a healthy, happy life. She has her plan in place and I have decided to participate as much as possible. I have been doing this by myself since February and it really sucks trying to do this alone and watch everyone around still gorging themselves or being very inactive. So first things first, we weighed and measured ourselves this morning. We haven't taken our "before" pictures yet but I am sure that will happen soon enough. I know that it is a little late to be taking my "initial" measurements but this is for moral support and I really want to see what my progress will be over the course of my training. I just hope that my sister has as much success as possible and she really sticks with her plan. We are planning to weigh ourselves once a week to check our progress. We haven't decided how often we will be measuring ourselves but it will either be every other week or once a month. I will post the results as they come in but I am saving the "initial" stuff for the very first post.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Cardio Balanced Workout ... not this one again

Friday, 6/10 - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 47 minutes (Cardio Balanced Video)
For the third day in a row, I woke up early and did my workout. I wanted to wake up early enough to also get in a yoga workout but that didn't happen. In fact, I really wanted to stay in bed as long as possible. After much internal debate, I rolled out of bed and changed into my workout clothes. I experienced another internal debate as to which workout to do and the 47 minute workout just barely beat out the 20 minute one. I can honestly say that I was not really 100% into doing my workout this morning but I promised my sister last night that I would do my workout in the morning so that we could go shopping tonight. Once I started the video and I got warmed up, I was glad that I did my workout. The people at work probably wish that I would wait until after I got home because of how much energy I had today. Oh well. I am a little nervous about my long run tomorrow because I am increasing the distance by 1 mile from last week's long run. My plan is to start out slow after my warm up and really try to focus on how my body feels. I would like for my average pace to be around a 13 minute/mile, which is almost two minutes slower than my pace during yesterday's tempo run. Hopefully, I won't go out too fast at the beginning and burn myself out.

It has taken about six weeks of the Kettlenetics workouts at least three times a week but I can honestly say that I am thrilled with the results that I am seeing. My arms and shoulders have definition lines. My stomach is showing signs that there is more than just belly fat in that area. I actually have biceps again, which I haven't seen since my freshman year in college. I am also getting a crazy amount of compliments at work. I guess I really was that unhealthy before. One of the most annoying compliments that I have received is that "I am so inspirational" as the person sits there eating fried chicken fingers and french fries covered in ranch dressing. Please don't misunderstand me. I love compliments and I want to inspire people to make a healthy change in their lifestyle. I don't love when someone says that I inspire them even though they continue to make really unhealthy choices. My journey has been about changing my lifestyle to a healthy one that will improve my overall fitness and ensure that I will live a long, happy and healthy life.

Oh and please wish me luck this weekend. I intend to ask my boyfriend if I can run in the race that I found the other day. Normally, I would NEVER ask him about this type of thing because he always tells me that if I want to do it then I should just do it. Unfortunately, this race is while we are on vacation and it takes place on the day that we are driving up from Florida to North Carolina, which is going to be a really long day especially for him since he will be the one driving. Hmmmm ... this is going to take some careful, yet well executed planning and a little begging. Hopefully, he won't be too stubborn about it.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Back Bending my way through a Tempo Run ...

Thursday, 6/9 - 3 miles
  • Yoga - 24 minutes (Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Your Week - Back Bends)
  • 3.75 miles, 42' 03" minutes, 11' 13" min/mile average pace, 164 BPM average heart rate
Two days in a row of waking up early enough to do a workout. Absolutely unheard of. Now I didn't get my run in this morning but I did start my morning off right with about 20 minutes of Back Bends. What a great way to start the morning. It really helped my energy level throughout the day. I also made sure that I drank plenty of water. My workout tonight was great! I decided to do a tempo run tonight where I pushed myself to a limit and maintained it for as long as possible. My workout started in the usual way with a 5 minute walk at 3.0 mph and a 0% incline. I decided to go with a 0% incline tonight because I wanted to be able to maintain a faster pace than usual and I didn't want to put excess strain on my knees or hips. Once my walking warm up was complete, I increased the pace to 3.5 mph, which I maintained for the next 5 minutes. According to my heart rate displayed on the treadmill, I could handle increasing the pace so I did a quick body scan to see how I was doing. I didn't have any soreness in my knees or hips. I was maintaining my stride consistently. I bumped to pace up to 4.0 mph, which I maintained for about another 5 minutes. At this point my iPod told me that I had already run one kilometer. I still felt really good and my heart rate was still on the low side for an effective tempo run so I bumped up the pace to 4.5 mph. I maintained that pace for 4 more kilometers (about 2.48 miles). After my tempo run was down, I slowed my pace down to 4.0 mph and started my cool down. I ran another kilometer before starting the walking portion of my cool down, which lasted about 12 minutes. I felt really good during and after my run. Having successful training runs is really empowering and I hope that I continue to have them!

When do you know you are a runner?

Every athlete (elite or weekend warrior) has that moment when his or her sport becomes an identifier of how he or she is. The moment where they truly become their sport. I am a runner. I am a swimmer. I am an athlete. Often times, this moment will happen many times throughout an athlete's life. Any number of things can trigger this moment. It could be when you cross they finish line of a race or when the gun goes off spurring you to dive off a starting block into frigid water. It could be when you choose to strap the kids into the jogging stroller because you can't find a babysitter for two hours while you go for a 10 mile run that is much needed after the day you had. These moments happen to every athlete no matter what sport they have chosen to call their own.

I can honestly say that I am a runner.

When I first started running regularly on Feb. 1st of this year, I would have never said that about myself. I felt like the chubby, awkward girl just trying to run a mile while all of the the other "runner" starred and laughed at me. I spent the first month of my 5K training program only running on the treadmill because I was afraid I would draw too much attention to myself if I ran outside. I also didn't have the right clothing and images of other women without the proper attire streamed through my head. My boyfriend finally convinced me that if I were serious about this I would have to face my insecurities and ignore everyone around me because I am doing this for no one else but me. Let me tell you that it took a lot of convincing but I finally got the message. I spent the second month of my training program running outside unless it was raining. Even after all of that, I still didn't consider myself a runner. I was only doing it to supplement my weight loss. Finally it was the day of my very first race. I was so nervous in the crowd at the starting line. Throughout the entire race, I kept thinking that I was crazy for doing this. But then the finish line came into view and I saw my boyfriend waiting there looking for me. That's when I had my very first moment of clarity. It was at that moment that I said to myself "I am a runner" and my foot hit the timing pad at the finish line. Ever since that moment I have not gone one week without running at least 3 times (except that one week when I had such a chest cold that I couldn't walk five feet without coughing). I have also signed up for many more races.

My second moment of clarity did not come when I crossed the finish line of my second race. It actually happened this week and in a rather strange way. My boyfriend suggested that we should go visit his mother for July 4th. His mother lives in North Carolina and is less than two hours from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I knew that he would want to go swimming in some waterfalls and stay on the Tennessee side of the park, which means that we are going to need a hotel. That area of the country is one of my absolute favorites so I got really excited about the potential of doing some of my training runs through the park. I didn't think about where we would stay, what we would do, or even what we would eat ... I thought about where I would do my training runs. That was clue number one. After we decide we were going to take this vacation, my boyfriend called his mom to confirm while I got on my computer to do research. Before I started running, I would check out all the possible hotels to find the best price but I didn't do that this time. Instead, I actually went to active.com and searched for a race that I could participate in while we were up there. I found one by the way. I was so excited that when he got off the phone he actually thought that I had found a hotel. He laughed and shook his head at me and almost called me crazy (I saw the thought cross his face but he didn't say it out loud). What can I say? I am a runner!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Target Toning Workout ... Round 2

Wednesday, 6/8 - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 52 minutes (Target Toning Video)
Today, I woke up early enough to do my workout before work. It felt good to get my strength training done early but arms sure felt it while I was in the shower trying to wash my hair. My previous post about the Target Toning Workout sort wasn't very enthusiastic mostly because I wasn't very happy with the cardio aspects of it or lack there of. At the time, I felt like my heart rate wasn't raised enough. Man was I wrong! This morning my heart rate was up and I was really sweating. It could have been because I actually knew what pose or movement was coming next so I didn't have to focus so much on the video or instruction. My arms are totally going to feel it for the next couple of days. Let me just say that it is hard to type this post because of the soreness in my arms.

While doing my workout in the morning did give me more energy at the beginning of the day, I was exhausted by the time my work day was finished. Several things could have contributed to that. Unlike yesterday, I did have a cup of coffee this morning and my daily workout was in the morning rather than the evening. I know that I am going on about my energy level and nutrition/diet but I have read that it is really important to determine what works the best for your body. I am really trying to focus on what will give me the most energy throughtout the day because the Wine & Dine race doesn't start until 10 pm. I am probably over thinking this but I want to be as prepared as I possibly can be. My problem finally came to me tonight on my way home from while on the phone with my boyrfiend. On the days that I have felt exhausted, I have also had a cup of coffee. Normally, I will drink anywhere from 8 to 16 cups of water in a day. On the days that I crink coffee, I only have 4 to 8 cups of water. I am allowing myself  to become dehydrated on the days I drink coffee. My solution is not to stop drinking coffee but to make sure that I continue to drink plenty of water!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Bring on the Hills ... treadmill style

Tuesday, 6/7 - 3 miles
  • 3.12 miles, 37' 20" minutes, 11' 57" min/mile average pace, 157 BPM average heart rate
I felt much better when I woke up this morning. You would think that if you give your body a day off from exercise, it would be grateful and be ready to go the next day. Maybe I pushed myself too much last week even though I tried not to. I am also going to try switching up what I eat for lunch and my afternoon snack to see if that gives me more energy. I know that my breakfast is not causing the change in my energy level because I pretty much eat the same thing every morning (yogurt with granola) and even had it before my long run on Saturday without a problem. I did have a cup of coffee yesterday morning but that doesn't usually have a strange affect on me. I certainly felt less fatigued today at work so I decided to try something new with my training runs this week. Today, I stumbled across a website (McMillan Running Calculator) that can help you figure out what your pacing should be for almost every workout imaginable based on a previous best time. I know that setting a goal for my first half marathon is utterly insane. Normally, any program for beginners would not advocate setting a time goal. Usually, the only goal is to finish the race. Deep down inside, I know that I can and will finish this race. So I did the unthinkable, I have set a time goal for my first half marathon. My official time goal is to finish in less than 3 hours. According to the McMillan Running Calculator, that time goal is very possible based on my most recent 5K race time. My time goal is a realistic one and that is why I chose it.

My workout tonight was a really good one. Since I am going to be running my Tuesday and Thursday workouts on the treadmill, I have decided to start doing intervals and tempo runs. Today, I tried hill intervals. I know that a treadmill is a treadmill and should not be confused with running on the road but I want to make the most of my training runs so I am going to try to accomplish this using the treadmill. I started my workout with a 5 minute walk at 3.0 mph and 1.0% incline. After my warm up, I predded the "variety" button and chose the random workout. I increased my pace to 3.5 mph, which I maintained for 5 minutes. After that, I increased my pace to 4.0 mph for the rest of the 3 miles. The random workout didn't change the speed of the belt but is did vary the incline from 0% to 3.0%. Once my 3 miles was completes, I slowed the pace back down to 3.0 mph and set the incline to 0% and walked for 10 minutes. Surprisingly, I felt really good after my run and I was totally shocked when I found out that my average pace was less than a 12 minute/mile. I know that I have been really close to that mark before but I don't think that I have ever been below it.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Cardio Balanced Workout ... again and again

Sunday, 6/5 - Rest Day
  • Yoga - 25 minutes (Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Your Week - Twists)
Yesterday was my first mandated rest day and I felt like I was being lazy because I didn't exercise. I understand the importance of taking a day off from training. Your body is being pushed to a physical limit and needs time to recover. Muscles need to regenerate the tissues that have been broken down during the physical activity. As much as I tried to limit my exercise to zero, I didn't succeed. Last night before I went to bed, I popped in one of my yoga DVDs and did a short workout. All day, my muscles felt really tight and I didn't want to cause any injuries when I continued my training this week so I chose a short yoga workout to to help stretch and lengthen my muscles. I must say that I really think it worked because I am not tight at all today.

Monday, 6/6 - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 47 minutes (Cardio Balanced Video)
I have not been feeling completely right today. Maybe yesterday's yoga workout didn't do what I hoped that it would do. My energy level has been low, much lower than usual for me. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what could have caused it. According to my nutrition journal, my calorie intake is about where it should be and for the most part I am not consuming all of the calories that I am burning. (These are the keys to proper weight loss, which I have been trying to stick to as part of my lifestyle change.) The only other source of my fatigued feeling is what I am choosing to intake. I will have to continue to experiment with the food that I am eating to prevent this happening again. Even though my energy level was low, I still went ahead with my Kettlenetics workout. I chose the Cardio Balanced Video because I thought it would be a good way to start my training this week. This workout gets my heart rate up and tones my muscles, without targeting specific muscle groups. Each movement in this workout really engages the entire body. By not targeting specif muscle groups, my whole body reaps the benefits and isn't ridiculously sore for the next three days. Don't get me wrong, I will be sore tomorrow but it won't linger. I must say that this workout is starting to get a little easier, which means I will probably be moving up from the 4 lb. KBell in a few weeks.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Long Run No. 1 ... only 3 miles (not really that long)

Saturday, 6/4 - 3 Miles
  • 3.12 miles, 37' 52" minutes, 12' 09" min/mile average pace, 178 BPM average heart rate
  • Splits:
    • Mile 1:  11' 45" min/mile
    • Mile 2:  12' 13" min/mile
    • Mile 3:  12' 27" min/mile
I did it! I actually did it and it is only the second time I have ever done it. My statistics above are just for my run. I started my workout with a 10 minute walk that wasn't fast but more of a short stride that allowed my legs to stretch and wake up. After the warm up, I started running at an easy pace. My goal for today was to run the entire distance called for on my training schedule. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it because I haven't been able to do it during a race and have only done it once before. But I really wanted to try and didn't let myself think about failing during my run. I set my Nike+ distance to 5K and loaded up my workout playlist. I started off at a pace that I felt was much slower than usual. After the first kilometer, I felt good so I continued at what I felt was the same pace I started at. I am still trying to figure out how to pace myself properly. I love my Nike+ system but it only gives me instantaneous pace, so I don't find out my splits or my overall average until the end of my workout. I felt really good throughout my entire run and didn't stop once to walk. Finally, the ending countdown began ... 400 meters ... 300 meters ... 200 meters ... 100 meters ... congratulations, you did it! I did it was all that I could think about as I slowed down to begin my 10 minute cool down walk. Then my final time came through my headphones and the voice said 37' 52", which is 1' 17" faster than my last 5K race time. I couldn't believe it. I was utterly amazed with myself. When I finished, I felt strong and probably could have kept running. I chose not to because I don't want to get injured and I really want to stick to my training schedule. While I thought I started out fairly slow, my pace for the first mile was actually the fastest of the three. My goal for my next long run is to try and achieve a true negative split, wher the first mile is my slowest one and my last mile is the fastest.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Cardio Balanced Workout ... again

Friday, 6/3 - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 47 minutes (Cardio Balanced Video)
I am still sore! My arms hurt so much that I actually debated all day whether or not I should actually do a workout today. In the end, I decided that it won't do me any good to skip a day because my arms are sore. I am finally starting to see the results that other people have been seeing for weeks, so the best way to continue my progress is to follow through with my plan. I really like the results that I am seeing and I want to continue to see more of them. On a side note, I think that my "lifestyle change" and the results that I am seeing have started to inspire people around me. My father, who has struggled with his weight for his entire life, is finally taking charge of it and has lost a ton of weight in the last month. I am so happy and proud of him. One of my sisters, who is similar to my father in body type, has also started watching her eating habits and is walking on the treadmill. Her weight loss is not as severe as my father's but she is making an honest effort and it is working. I am really happy for her too. And last but not least, my boyfriend is also working on trying to control his weight. I would not consider him to be crazy overweight but he definitely enjoys second helpings especially if it is a dish that he really likes. The last couple of weeks he has been trying to work on portion control (and it is working even though I am not supposed to actually tell him that). Portion control is one of the hardest things that I had to teach myself but it is a valuable lesson to learn. He already exercises on a fairly regular basis so he is trying to focus on his eating habits first. I am really excited to have the support of these wonderful people in my lives and now I get to help them and provide them with support. Now for my training report. I think that Cardio Balanced Workout is my favorite of the Kettlenetics workout videos. I still have one video that I haven't tried yet, which came with the 8 lb. KBell. I probably won't try this video until I feel that I am ready to start using the heavier weight. Even though my arms are crazy sore, I went for my longest workout video because this particular one really works my entire body. As I am writing this, I can really feel it in my core region. I can feel it in my shoulder girdle, which is increasing the pain in my arms. I must be a gluten for punishment. It is probably a good thing that I have two days rest from the strength training aspect of my schedule. Unlike the Target Toning video, this one incorporates a few movements that I really enjoy, such as the windmill and the clean and press. Those two movements really work the entire body especially the core area. I just need to make sure that I don't allow my muscles don't get used to this workout so that the effectiveness doesn't wear off.

Is my "lifestyle change" actually working?

YES IT IS!!!

So I know that I have probably not been very descriptive about my "lifestyle change" results but I am about o share them with you. I am very embarrassed by my starting numbers mostly because I was considered obese, even though I certainly didn't look like it. I haven't officially written my starting numbers down until now mostly because I had no desire to actually admit to myself that I started where I did. I think I am finally able to face it and this post is based on the fact that I have lost so much that I simply don't fit into a single pair of pants that I own. So I finally went shopping on Tuesday night and was utterly amazed at my new pant size. Seriously, I figured that my pants had just stretched out over the years (by the way I really don't like clothes shopping ... until now!). I had been putting off my inevitable shopping trip for several reasons (1) I was afraid that I was hallucinating my weight loss, (2) I really don't want to spend a lot of money on clothes that probably won't fit me in six months and (3) most clothes that they make in my (old) size are not flattering on me whatsoever. So no more stalling, I am actually going to write down (and post) my starting and current numbers:

      Starting Weight = 204.80 lbs (Jan 20, 2011)
      Current Weight = 169.60 lbs (June 3, 2011)
      Total Loss (so far) = 35.20 lbs! 

      Starting Pant Size = 16 (borderline 18)
      Current Pant Size = 12
      Total Loss (so far) = 2 sizes!

Now these numbers are not simply based on me adding running and strength training to my weekly routine. I have also changed my eating habits ... significantly. I am not following any specific plan. Instead, I am trying to change my habits all on my own. I figured that if I were to follow some one's plan there would be an "end date" and then I would still have to figure out how to eat properly. I already know what is good and bad for me (we all did learn about the food pyramid in school) so I decided to figure this out on my own. My biggest problem is sweets so I stopped going to the candy jar at work and I don't eat the monthly birthday cake either (until it is my birthday month). I have also started eating breakfast everyday (usually some non-fat yogurt or oatmeal) and I am eating 4 to 5 times a day (every 3 hours or so), which has really helped control the fluctuations in my blood sugar. These meals are not large and are usually between 200 and 400 calories each. I have increased my veggies and fruits while decreasing my meats (mostly eliminating beef and pork). Oh and I have completely switched from white, enriched, over processed starches (breads, pastas, and rices) to whole grains. And that is the nuts and bolts of it!

*What has been working for me may not work for everyone. I am not a doctor and don't want to give anyone the wrong idea. If you have serious health problems, please consult your physician before changing your eating habits. They know what they are talking about.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

A Training Run followed by some Yoga

Thursday, 6/2 - 30 minutes of Running
  • 3.46 miles, 45' 19" minutes, 13' 07" min/mile average pace, 152 BPM average heart rate
  • Yoga - 22 minutes (Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Your Week - Standing Poses)
Ok so I was totally right about last night's workout. My arms are killing me! I had no idea that I could have pain in areas that I have pain. I will definitely be doing that video at least once a week from now on! (I think I am a gluten for punishment ... oh well.) I ran on the treadmill again tonight. For all those that don't like running on the treadmill, they really do serve a purpose, especially for people who live in really hot, humid climates and can't go for a run until after work during the heat of the day (people like me). I don't love running on the treadmill but they work for me during the work week. I will be running my long runs outside though. On a treadmill, I am able to monitor my pace and can do speed intervals a lot easier. Essentially, tonight my workout was the same as the one on Tuesday night. I did switch it up a little bit but not too much. I started out walking with a 1.0% incline at a 3.0 mph pace. After 5 minutes, I increased the pace to 3.5 mph, which I maintained for the next 10 minutes. My plan for today was to really try and keep my heart rate fairly constant and to not go over the 170 BPM mark (my heart rate peaked at 170 BPM). I felt good after those first 10 minutes of running and my heart rate was hovering between 150 and 155 so I increased my pace to 4.0 mph, which I maintained for 20 minutes. After I completed my planned 30 minutes of running, I started my cool down by slowing my pace back down to 3.5 mph for 5 minutes and then finished with a 5 minute walk at 3.0 mph. I know that running on a treadmill is very different from running on the road but it is working for me so far. On Saturday, my goal is to start off slow so that I will be able to run the entire 3 miles outside. After my run tonight, I popped in one of my many yoga videos and did about 20 minutes of Standing Poses. It felt sooooo good to stretch and lengthen all of my leg muscles. I felt so good afterwards that I am going to try and continue to incorporate yoga into my post-workout routine.

My first official race email from Disney!!

So last night after my workout, I received my first race communication from Disney, indicating that there is only 4 months (120 days) until the race! Good lord that is daunting to think about. While the email itself was a newsletter filled with information that I already knew about, I was excited to course map been posted. Waiting for the course map has been completely nerve racking for me because I really wanted to know where I will be running. I like to plan for everything, which drives my boyfriend nuts most of the time because he likes to go with the flow. This newsletter is full of really useful information though if all you have done is registered for the race without glancing around at the website. Some of the information concerns how to purchase spectator tikets for the Finish Line Party and which of the Disney resorts are offering special deals for race participants. I, however, am a website stalker when it comes to things that I am really excited about. I actually bought my boyfriend a ticket for the Finish Line Party the day that they went on sale. I also made our hotel reservations for the weekend before I actually signed up for the race. I have patiently (impatiently if you ask my sister or my boyfriend) been waiting for the course map to be posted. Based on last year's course map, it hasn't really changed a whole lot. As promised though, the finish line has been moved from inside Epcot to outside the park in one of the parking lots. I am assuming that means that the extra distance was shaved off elsewhere along the course. There are other new features for this race in order to improve the runner's experience. Before signing up for this race, I did a lot of research and I think that many of the changes that Disney has made is based on the comments from last year's inaugural race. I am completely excited about getting to run through Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. If you haven't guessed it already, I love all things Disney. I grew going to Walt Disney World every other weekend (literally). I can't wait to experience the Mouse in this way!

2011 Half Marathon Course Map for Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Target Toning Kettlenetics Workout ... First Time Ever!

Wednesday, 6/1 - Strength Training
  • Kettlenetics - 52 minutes (Target Toning Video)
Tonight was the first time I have done this workout video. Let me tell you that this one really is a full body strength training workout! The other Kettlenetics workouts that I have done focus more on the cardio aspect of working out and use the KBell as added resistance. This workout was the complete opposite. While my heart rate did increase, it didn't really reach the level of the Cardio Balanced Video workout. I still burned tons of calories though because my muscles are crazy sore. If my arms are this sore tonight, I can only imagine how they will feel in the morning. My glutes and abs will certainly feel it as well. I really like the videos that came with the Kettlenetics system. Even though I am only using the 4 lb. KBell, I am seeing results. My arms are starting to firm and tone, my abs are flattening out and my glutes are rounding and firming. These areas are of course the areas that I hoping to improve most on my body. I think every woman wants to have perfectly toned arms, just a peek at a six pack, and glutes that aren't saggy but rather firm and rounded. I am really hoping that if I continue to follow this system I will achieve that results that I want. I am already on my way because my amazing boyfriend has confirmed that my body is starting to tone up. By the way, he is absolutely wonderful and has been sticking with me throughout my journey and transformation.
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