Half Crazy

The forecast for Saturday, September 22 didn't look promising.  When I went to bed on Friday night, they were calling for a 60% chance of showers.  I got up in plenty of time on Saturday morning to eat breakfast and get ready and the sun was shining.  My friend from church, Erica, met me at our house and we pinned our number bibs to our shirts and put our chips on our shoes. 

We headed out in plenty of time for the race...so we thought!  Traffic was backed up for a couple of miles getting on the road where the race started.  We passed the first parking lot and it was packed.  We knew that we had 30 minutes left before the race would start.  By time we made it down to the second lot, we had less than 25 minutes.  There wasn't enough time to walk/jog to the starting line at the church(over a mile away), so we opted to wait for the shuttle bus.  We made it to the starting line with 10 minutes to spare, but we needed to check our bags and jackets and use the bathroom.  The lines for the port-a-potties were really long so we decided to wear our jackets and carry our bag until we found Mike and his parents somewhere around the 6 mile mark...it was either that or have to stop along the route to use the bathroom.  We actually were in the bathroom when the race started, but since the race was chipped that didn't matter. 

The race started out good, Erica and I settled into a good pace (around a 10 minute mile) and enjoyed the cool dry weather.  Around mile 5 we were running along the lakeshore by Lake Macatawa when we heard thunder.  Clouds were rolling in, but it wasn't raining.  We passed Mike and his parents just past mile 6 and they cheered us on.  Since we were coming up on the halfway point, Erica and I both took a Gu and then a drink from the water/Gatorade stand. 

And then it went downhill for me.  I got a bad side cramp (I think from the water) and had to slow down.  Erica kept up her pace and before I knew it she was out of sight! (Go Erica!)  I kept on running and I got to the Holland State Park. 

I was just entering the park when I started hearing people say that the race was called because the lightning was getting too close.  It wasn't raining and I had only seen a few bolts of lightning so I kept on running.  I got confirmation from a race volunteer that we would be able to continue running if we desired but the race was cancelled and we would not receive an official time. Since I was past the 8 mile mark by this time I decided that I would keep on going.  Then the rain decided to come down and the wind picked up.  I found another lady to keep pace with so we chatted for a bit and we both decided we were going to finish the race (there were volunteers and police officers offering rides back to the finish line if we wanted).  I kept on going and the rain kept on coming, harder and harder.  My phone stopped playing music, so I was left in silence except for the thunder and rain and wind.  I had put a plastic bag in my pocket in case of rain so I stuck my phone in there, thinking I had probably already ruined it with the water.  I kept running and running...it felt like forever. 

After the 10 mile mark (the furthest I'd run thus far), the mile markers were packed up so I had no idea where I was.  I was freezing and completely soaked.  My shoes felt like they weighed 50 pounds a piece because I was running through puddles 2 inches deep.  As I would catch up to other runners (or as they would catch up to me), we'd offer words of encouragement.  I guessed that I had about 2 miles to go at this point, but by time I finished it felt like I had run 5.  I turned the corner to the street I knew the church was on and I picked up a bit.  I left the lady I had been talking to and saw Erica coming back for me.  (Thanks again!)  She asked if I had it in me and we sprinted toward the finished line.

I DID IT!  I RAN A HALF-MARATHON!  13.1 MILES! My mind was spinning as I hugged Mike and his parents.  They went back to the car to stay dry (you guys rock for putting up with the weather!).  Erica and I went to get our finishers medals and some food.  The race was really tough, but I can honestly say that I never once thought about quitting or getting a ride back.  I also never stopped running, unless you could 3 steps that I walked while drinking water around mile 8 :)  I'm proud of myself for accomplishing a huge goal, and I'm hoping to run another one in the future...and hopefully get an official time!

Pushing

I can't believe it is Saturday already!  This week seems to have just flown by.  I had something going every night after work, so it feels like I have hardly been home this week.  We had the final night of SEM this week, so next week will be a little less busy. 

Speaking of things flying by...I can't believe week 7 of Bootcamp is nearly over.  It feels like it was just week 1.  I loved this week's workouts.  I found that I was really able to push myself this week.  I built off of what I knew my body was capable of, and pushed it harder.  Yesterday, I managed to run at a 7:30 pace on the treadmill during some sprints I was doing.  That's over a minute faster than my best 5k time (per mile), and I'm quite proud of that.  I'm excited to see how it effects my 5k next Thursday.

This week one of the workouts was in ladder format.  It was something totally new to me, and I really liked it.  For each exercise you do, you start at a low number of reps and work up.  For example, if you were doing bicep curls, you would do 5 reps, and then rest for 10 seconds.  Then 6 reps and rest, 7 and so on until you've completed 10 reps.  By my last set, by about the 4th rep, my muscles were so fatigued.  I could really feel my muscles working and they were sore the next day.  A sure sign of a tough workout!

I have been eating mostly clean for over a week now.  I've eaten some items with white sugar or flour in them, but I'm not going into this will an all-or-nothing attitude.  I'm feeling good, and I can tell I have less "belly-bloat".  My goal is to continue to eat this way until the cruise.  I've found that since I'm not eating as much sugar, my body is not craving it as much, so that's awesome for my sweet tooth (and waistline!)

I'm really looking forward to this last week of Bootcamp.  I know I can push myself even harder than I did this week.  I'm loving the results I'm seeing so far!

Cutting Back

Source: thehealthychange.tumblr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

I've been reading a bit lately about eating healthier. A few articles I've read make a good point--if you don't eat healthy, no amount of exercise is going to give you the body you desire.  I can bust butt at the gym for an hour a day 6 days a week, but if I go home and refuel with donuts and cake, I'm not going to see results.  That might seem obvious, but what about refueling with white bread and jam, or oatmeal with a heap of brown sugar?  Those also might seem healthy, but the more I read about processed foods, like white flour and sugar, the more I wonder about removing them from my diet.

Source: tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I don't plan on going all or nothing.  I think moderation and balance (see this awesome post!) is truly the key here, but over the past few weeks, I've become more conscious about what I'm eating.  Yesterday was my first "sugar-free" day, and it went surprisingly well.  Instead of adding my usual brown sugar to my oatmeal, I sweetened it with stevia.  I avoided a piece of tempting fudge at youth group, and I was overall cautious about sugar.  I will not cut down on the amount of fruit that I eat, because I believe it is still healthy, even though it contains sugar (in its natural form though).  I did however (and plan to continue) avoid/limit any added sugars.  My goal is also to avoid white flour as much as possible also.  I know that I won't be able to avoid all processed foods 100% because there are times that I have no control over what is served to me (like a party tonight, and Sunday dinners).  Like I said, I believe in moderation.  If I deprive myself, I'll be more likely to binge on the unhealthy foods. 

Mike and I have a vacation coming up with his family in May, and so I have just over 3 weeks before we leave.  I'm curious to see how avoiding processed foods will impact my body in the next few weeks.  While I don't plan on overeating and making a pig of myself, I do not intend to deprive myself of anything on our cruise.  It's my first experience, and I'm not going to miss out!

Are there foods that you avoid?

Reaping the Rewards

I haven't always enjoyed working out.  I was never good at team sports that we played in gym.  I'm scared of the ball, so I'd typically strike out while playing baseball.  I usually can't catch a football.  It hurts my wrists to hit a volleyball.  I didn't mind kickball, it's not too difficult to run the bases.  I even did track for a couple years--but avoided running as much as possible.  Instead, I threw discus and shotput.  I ended up running the 4x100 meter relay, but that was the extent of it.

In college, I decided to actually start working out.  Mike bought me a Wii Fit, and later the Biggest Loser.  I enjoyed using those to work out, but I still felt like I wasn't doing enough.  I used both of those programs to get in shape for our wedding. In the fall of 2010, I kept seeing some friends posting on Facebook about a running program, the Running Mate 5k.  They were doing it, and for some crazy reason, I decided to join in.  I don't know what prompted me, but I gave it a shot, and I ended up loving it! 

Crossing the finish line of my first 5k!

Since then, I've completed five 5k races.  I have a sixth coming up later this month, and my first half-marathon in September.  I've challenged my body in ways I never thought possible!  Last May, I bought a Groupon deal, and got both Mike and I a summer gym membership.  I dedicated myself to getting up each morning when Mike was getting up for work, and we'd leave the house at the same time, he'd go to work and I'd head to the gym.  I fell in love with daily workouts.  I love to push myself.  I set goals, and do what I need to do in order to achieve them.  I'm not where I want to be yet (I still can't do a full pull-up), but when I look in the mirror, I see muscles that I've never seen before!

Sometimes though, it's hard to find the motivation I need to keep going.  Some mornings, the bed is so warm and comfortable and an extra 1.5 hours of sleep sounds so much better than sweating my butt off.  But I get up and do it anyway (though every once in a while I do choose sleep!). 

I was determined not to let the lady behind me pass me--and she didn't!

When it's tough to stay motivated, I turn to external sources.  I've done a couple rounds of the Accountability Adventure with a group of ladies from church.  It was great for the accountability to eat right, drink water, and exercise, but that wasn't what I needed.  That's where the blogging community comes in.  Last month, I participated in Carissa's Fit2Flex50 Challenge.  Every week, she posted two exercises for us to do each day, 50 of each exercise.  Sounds fairly simple, right?  What if I told you that the exercises included burpees, v-sits, and plank push-ups?  I'm telling you, it was tough!  But I did it, and my body thanked me!  Although I did the challenge for myself, it was a nice reward to be drawn as the Grand Prize winner and have these items delivered to my front door:

I love Chobani Greek yogurt! 

This is my first experience with Designer Whey.  I had a protein bar for snack today, and it was delicious!

I'm currently participating the Best Body Bootcamp, hosted by Tina. Again, this is exactly what I've been needing to challenge me.  For example, I have a schedule for my running, but I don't mix it up a whole lot.  This morning's workout from Tina consisted of running a faster pace than normal, and then bumping up the treadmill incline every 20 seconds, then doing a sprint at my peak incline!  Wowza...definitely not a run I would have scheduled for myself, but I felt awesome when I completed it!  I went on to lift some weights, and I was challenged to do a couple new moves.  I left the gym this morning feeling like I could accomplish anything!

I think my whole point in this (rather long and wordy) post is that I've found things to keep me healthy and motivated.  Even when BBC ends, I'll have a variety of workouts to fall back on that will keep me from being bored.  I've seen changes in my endurance and athletic ability, as well as my body.  And that is why I do what I do!

Cleaning up

Over the past few weeks I've really been thinking about how I'm fueling my body.  I do a great job with exercising daily, and I do okay with eating, but I feel like I should be doing more.  If I spend so  much time working out (which I love!), I think I should also be more conscious of what I'm eating.  I know that because I'm a runner and currently doing the Bootcamp program (which is fairly intense!), I need to fuel my body with healthy food to encourage optimal performance and muscle growth and repair.

I feel like I lie to myself about what I really eat.  I tell myself I eat healthy, yet I hear of people who limit themself to one sweet snack/treat a week, while mine is more like one a day.  I don't feel like I have to measure up to those people, but I think I can do better!  Most of the time, I really do eat a healthy and balanced diet, but like most people I have weak spots.  I can go an entire day eating healthy foods, but if you were to put a piece of cake in front of me, I would eat it.  I'm not saying eating cake is bad, but I do think that some of the ingredients could have a negative effect on my body.  I know I eat way too much processed food (thought I eat very few of the ones listed below)! 

Source

I've looked into doing cleanses, or diets, but I don't want to be on a diet.  This needs to be a way of life, not a temporary thing.  I've looked into Paleo or Vegan diets, but I feel like those are so restricting.  I'm definitely not ready to cut out entire food groups, especially ones that do still have health benefits.

I'm going to begin focusing on eating whole foods. Mostly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I'd like to completely cut out processed foods, especially those that contain refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrups. I know there are arguments for and against all kinds of sugars, but I'm trying to find something that works for me. I think this is going to be a bit of a challenge because I do use sugar and white flour in a lot of my blog recipes, so I'm going to have to either control how much of that I eat, find substitutes, or not eat what I bake!

Source

I'm curious if you follow a Paleo, Vegan, or Whole foods diet... What kind of advice do you have for me?  What kind of challenges do you face?  And, most importantly, do you have any good recipes to share with me?

If you don't follow one of those diets, do you watch what you eat?  Does it matter to you?

Mind Games

I ran approximately 4.7 miles yesterday.  I realized it was a run of mind-over-matter.  The first 3/4 of a mile went great, I was keeping a good pace and felt good.  Then I got hit with bad stomach pains, it wasn't like cramps, just pain.  I'm assuming my breakfast just didn't sit well with me.  I pushed on, but I know my pace drastically slowed.  After another 1/2 mile, I knew I needed to stop.  I stopped on a bridge and waited for the pain to go away, it slowly did and so I walked for a little while.  I felt good enough to run again, but my mind just wasn't in the game.  My goal when I left my house was 5 miles, so I really wanted to hit that, but I just wasn't feeling it anymore.  I ended up running most of the way home, but it was one of those runs where I'd tell myself that I'd run to the next tree and then walk.  Then I'd walk to a mailbox and run to the next tree, or something like that.  I had to find some way to keep on going!  I did make it home and was feeling pretty good by time I ran up our driveway.  After I got home I realized how much of a mind game this run was, my legs felt great, I probably could have kept going, but my mind just wasn't in the game.  I know everyone has bad run days, so I'm hoping that my next run on Monday is much better.

I still haven't picked a half marathon, but I'm thinking I might do one in September.  It's local, so I wouldn't have to travel a couple of hours and stay in a hotel for it.  I'm positive I'll be ready after 6 more months of training, but I am actually thinking that's too far away.  Hmmmm.....

This week's Bootcamp workouts were awesome!  I can tell that I'm improving and doing better on the workouts than I did last week, so I love that aspect.  I've adjusted the workouts to fit my training schedule: Mondays I run, Tuesdays I do Workout A, Wednesdays I do spin class and speed work, Thursdays is Workout B, Fridays is my long run, and Saturdays I do Workout C.  It feels good to have a great plan in place.  Monday begins week 3 of Bootcamp, and that means new workouts begin.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Tina has planned for us!

Bootcamp

I did something big the other day...I signed up for bootcamp! 

Ok, wait, before you start freaking out, not the bootcamp you're probably thinking of.  I'm not joining the military (though it was considered in high school!)  I'm doing bootcamp with a group of awesome bloggers!

One of my favorite fitness bloggers, Tina, has put together an incredible program to help people acheive their workout goals.  It's very similar to the Accountability Adventure I've done a few times with the ladies at church.  Tina has spent a ton of time creating workouts for us, and now it's up to us to follow through.

Bootcamp runs for 8 weeks, and it started yesterday.  It's perfect timing for me, because it will end right before Mike and I leave for vacation.  Hopefully I'll be in awesome shape by then.  (Don't get me wrong--I do like how I look, but I'd love to be more toned!)

Each week will consist of 3 workouts that Tina put together.  We'll also have cardio days as well as a rest day.  This is awesome for me, because I can continue to train for a half-marathon while participating.  (My training has been slacking lately as I've been sick and still car-less so I can't get to the gym!)  We also have 2 individual goals that we will work toward over the course of the bootcamp.  My goals are to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day and to take a daily multivitamin.

I did my first workout routine yesterday morning, and I can definitely feel it in my legs.  I'm already in good shape (probably the best shape/fitness level of my life), but I know there's so much room for improvement.  If I'm feeling a workout, I know it's working muscles I may have ignored for a while, and so for me the pain is awesome. 

Over 300 other bloggers are participating and the amount of support is just incredible! I'll definitely keep you updated on my progress and how the workouts are going over the next 8 weeks.

What have you done for your health today?

Friend Makin' Monday: The Driving Force

We had an awesome and exciting weekend...I'll share it with you soon.  But now it's Monday and that means it's time for...

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!


FMM: The Driving Force

What is the driving force behind your weight-loss?

When I first saw this question, I didn't think I had an answer.  A driving force?  What's that supposed to mean?  But the more I thought about it, the more I realize, I do have a driving force.  What is it you ask?  To be healthy.   Not just to get to a certain weight.  In fact, I don't know if I'll ever reach my "goal" weight since my body seems to like where it's at now--and that's okay.  Because I feel good!

I've started with my second round of the Accountability Adventure.  I love to have people to make me accountable for getting healthier.  I love how I feel after I run a 5k, after I finish a greuling weight-lifting session, or when I choose to eat an apple instead of a donut. 

I want to be around for a long time, for my family, my husband, our future kids.  I want to be an example to others; my body is a temple and it is my responsibility to keep it healthy so that I can live life to the fullest.  And that is my driving force.

Accountability Adventure Update

Last month I shared with you the Accountability Adventure that I took part in.  Someone made a Facebook group for the participants and it was really neat to see everyone encouraging each other, sharing tips, beneficial articles, and lifting each other up.

The adventure came to an end last week (I know I'm late in sharing this), and I'm really proud of my accomplishment!  Over the course of the 4 week adventure we were challenged to do a variety of activities (see details here) to earn a maximum of 26 points a week (78 per team) for a grand total of 104 points per person (312 per team).  I got a perfect score of 104 points for the entire 4 weeks!

Not only did I feel healthier because I was making better food choices, I was also able to see those results in my body.  I lost a total of 8 pounds!  So I am now halfway to my "ideal" weight.  I also lost 1 inch from each thigh, 2 inches from my hips, and 1-1/2 inches from my waist.  I can see definition in my legs, thighs, arms and stomach that wasn't there before.

I just want to take a minute to encourage you if you are on a weight loss or get healthier journey.  You can do it!  If you have a group of friends who are working toward a similar goal, support each other.  Maybe exercise together or spend some time making healthy meals with each other.  They say 2 are better than 1 and that is so true!

Listening to Your Body

I didn't work out today.  I was supposed to, but my body needed a break.  And sometimes, you just have to listen to your body!

I have to admit, I really struggled with not going to the gym today.  It's become so much of my daily routine that I feel kind of "off" when I don't go.  Of course my mind went to the thought line of  If I don't work out, I'm not going to burn those calories.  And if I don't work out anything I eat today will make me gain weight and all my hard work will be down the drain.  Now obviously I know that not working out for a day will not cause me to gain a bunch of weight, but I have to admit, my mind did go there.

And that's when I had to step in and tell those thoughts to get away.  Thoughts like that aren't going to help.  I've realized that I need to start listening to my body more.  It knows me better than I think it does, and sometimes it needs a day of rest.

My typical workout is cardio on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then strength training and short cardio on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  I always take a rest day on Sunday.  This week I did a double workout on Tuesday, my usual morning workout and then I did the Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  It was intense, and I think that's what did me in.  Last night I felt something pop in my back and I knew it was time for a break.  I've also been pushing myself harder on the treadmill, elliptical, and with weights so I think my body was telling me what my mind didn't want to hear. 

But you know what?  I don't feel "fat" because I didn't work out today.  I know that I'm not going to gain 10 pounds because of it.  I'm listening to my body, it feels right, and it feels good!

Accountability Adventure

I've recently embarked upon an adventure--an accountability adventure.  It's basically a group of women who are trying to make healthier lifestyle choices, support each other, and engage in some friendly competition at the same time. 

There are 6 teams, of 3 women each, that are participating in this adventure. Each week we have the goal of getting 26 points.  You can earn points by
*Working out 5 times a week (1 point each time, max of 5 points)
*Doing strength training exercises 2 times a week (1 point)
*Journaling what you eat each day along with the calorie count (1 point each day, max of 5)
*Eating 2 servings each of fruits and veggies a day (1 point each day, max of 7)
*Drinking 6 glasses of liquid a day, at least 4 of water (1 point each day, max of 7)
*Weight loss (1 point)

We weigh in each Friday, and then over the weekend the team leaders report their team's score for the previous week.  Out of a total of 78 points possible, my team got 75 last week.  We all lost weight, a combined total of 11.2 pounds!  I lost 5.2 pounds the first week!  Tomorrow is our next weigh-in day, I think I'll be down again, but I don't know that I'll be able to pull the number I did last week!

I still have about 10 pounds to go before I reach my goal. I'm not sure why this program is working for me when doing it on my own hasn't.  I had been tracking my calories, as well as exercising 6 days a week, and eating all my fruits and veggies before I started this adventure.  I wonder if maybe the water is doing the trick, I used to struggle to drink 1 bottle of water a day and now I can easily drink 3!  I think having some competition is also beneficial as well as making sure I get all my points so I don't bring my teammates down.  This accountability thing really works! :)

Success or failure

Source

Do you ever wonder if we, as a society, have such great expectations that we set ourselves up for failure?  I follow quite a few fitness/weight-loss blogs, and I have many friends (myself included) who are on a journey to get healthier and/or lose weight. 
While I quite often see posts rejoicing in a faster mile time, or lost weight, I also see posts where my friends are putting themselves down and kicking themselves for not losing "enough" weight or not setting a personal record.  I've been in that boat...I have some stubborn weight that I've gained since my wedding, and I just can't get rid of it!  It seems we're just not happy unless we can run a sub-30 5k, or lose 15 pounds.  But where do we get that from?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm with everyone else, striving for the best run time and to drop this stubborn weight, but don't you think we're a little hard on ourselves?  I know when I see shows like "Biggest Loser" and I see the dramatic transformations in the lives of the contestants, I want to acheive results like them!  But is that really possible?

We expect "Biggest Loser" results, but they are living a completely different lifestyle than most of us.  They are isolated on the ranch, with (presumably) only healthy foods to eat, no jobs to go to, and the opportunity to exercise 10+ hours per day!  No wonder they're dropping the weight they are! Now look at us: we go to work every day, eat the food that we have in our house and try to resist the temptation of that cookie (running a food blog doesn't help here!), and with all the other responsiblities of running a household, we're lucky to squeeze in an hour of exercise.

I do have to give shows like "Biggest Loser" credit, because I think what they do is awesome, they really are changing people's lives.  However, I think it also sets us up for unrealisitic expectations.  Now when I get on the scale each week only to find out that I gained a pound instead of losing one (or more), I'm disappointed.  I think, why can't I lose weight like those other people?  What am I doing wrong?  I might as well give up!  Instead, I should be focusing on the fact that I worked out every day that week, I have gained muscle mass (probably hopefully the cause for the weight gain), I feel stronger, and I feel healthier! 

I wonder how our perspectives would change if we looked at the positives intead of the negatives.  Rather than I'm fat, ugly, lazy, worthless, why don't we focus on I'm getting fit, I'm eating healthy, I have more energy.  I really think in time our perspectives would change and we'd feel good in our own skin!  Not only that, but I really believe that if we have a positive outlook, we'll start making positive choices which will (theoretically) lead to us acheiving our personal goals!

Let's focus on setting ourselves up for success!

(Thanks for listening to my ramblings, I've been thinking about this for a while, it just took some time to put it into the right words.)

New Equipment

Did you know the right equipment really makes all the difference?

After my first 5k, my hips and knees hurt horribly!  I had been running for almost 4 months before the race and hadn't had a whole lot of trouble.  But for the majority of those 4 months, I had been running on a treadmill which has more "give" than pavement.  When I started running outside the week before the race (and the day of the race), my knees and hips were screaming!

I talked with a seasoned runner and he encouraged me to buy a good quality pair of shoes.  The pair I had been running in were my track shoes that I used in high school when I threw discus and shot put and (sometimes) ran the 400 yard relay.  It was high time for them to be replaced.

My friend told me about a great store for runners.  I went there and they fitted me for a pair of good shoes.  It was neat because they watched me walk/jog and paid attention to how my feet moved so they could recommend the best pair of shoes for me.  I tried on quite a few pairs before finding "the one"--the pair that didn't feel like I was wearing shoes, was comfortable, and fit just right!  (By the way, did you know that your running shoes should be about 1/2 a size larger than your street shoes so that when you run your toes don't hit the end and cause pain? I didn't!)

I have been wearing my new shoes for about a month now and running outside with them quite frequently.  The best part?  No pain!

On another note, I've been wanting an exercise ball for a long time.  It really helps my back when I lay on it and stretch out.  I've also heard that sitting on the ball while watching tv (or reading blogs on my laptop!) is a good way to build up core strength.  So when I saw this ball at Aldi for just $5.99, I snatched it up!  I've used it quite a bit and I'm loving it!