OK, so I need a place I can write out my thought process with my training and why I am struggling to much to come up with workable goals.
I've had a goal for several years now of reaching my "goal weight" and that has morphed into reaching my goal body fat percentage. I want to be healthy, fit, lean and strong. I know that the best way for me to achieve that goal is regular strength training, watching my macros, and doing some smart interval training. It seems simple enough, but the problem is, I love my cardio events too much!
Triathlon is what got me started. My family triathlon started lots of years ago, I went from watching, to participating as a relay, to completing the whole tri. I loved it. It gave me motivation, it helped me not get bored because I had so many disciplines to work on, and I enjoyed it. But it never gave me the body I wanted.
Also, I never felt like a good runner. It has always bugged me to not conquer the sport of running and feel like a runner. I've tried several times and every time i've ended up injured and frustrated. And I hate that it continually beats me. I'm in a good place with running right now. I'm still battling IT band syndrome, but I feel like I have tools to help me work through that, and cardio wise I'm running better than ever. I'm still only running 2-3 miles at a time, but that's a lot better than i've done in years, and I hate to let go of any of that progress. But at the same time i'm afraid to set the goal of a half marathon and be disappointed yet again if my body doesn't let me get there. But I don't want to let it go and get back to square 1, for the millionth time.
Then there is cycling. I began to have a love for cycling. Its funny how it happened, because I remember telling people that cycling would never be "my thing". But then suddenly it became my thing 2 years ago. I think mostly that happened because I found the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. It gave my workouts focus beyond races or weight loss. I loved having a purpose. But at the same time, part of me is always afraid on the bike. I hear about too many accidents, too many injuries. I have truly loved what cycling has done for me, mostly bringing me to my JDRF family, but it still makes me nervous. But, I've been able to see my improvement a lot, and I love that. I've gained a lot of cycling friends and I love being a part of that world and I hate the idea of not going to my favorite rides. And I really hate the idea of not riding with my JDRF team. So I'm not sure I could ever give it up. But centuries involve a lot of training and preparation.
Swimming. I was born to swim. I love being in the water. I was pretty darn good at it in high school, and although I'm not as good as I once was, its a place where I can thrive and get better when I put the time into it. The struggle there is that its the hardest thing for me to fit in. But whenever I go back to the pool I remember how much I love it. I haven't been in the pool in months and I hate it. I know i'd be starting from scratch but a big part of me misses it so much and wants to make is a regular part of my routine. But there just isn't time for all of it!! I can't run, thrive at cycling enough to complete centuries, swim, and lift. Its too much and it won't get me too my goals because i'll be spread too thin.
See my dilemma? The things I love won't get me to my goals. But I want to reach my goals so badly. Races keep me focused and give me deadlines. But races don't help me reach my overall goals. I want to do it all, but I know doing it all really sabotages everything. UGH. Its so hard! I've always struggled with finding focus and I'm really struggling this time. What to do???
Monday, December 29, 2014
What do I want from 2015?
Ok, so life got away from me. We have had a crazy crazy winter so far! Blogging dropped pretty low on the priority list. We bought a new house and moved in the day after Thanksgiving! Its been a whirl wind month of holiday festivities, driving around, moving, unpacking, decorating, the list of craziness goes on! But its been great. I'm sad to say that the fitness part of my life has taken a bit of a back seat too, but I'm working on getting my routine back. I never fell completely off the wagon (except with my diet, we've pretty much eaten out everyday for a month. Ugh!), but I definitely wasn't working out 6 days a week! I'm still trying to figure out my new schedule, and of course the kids are out of school right now so that doesn't help, and we are going to finish the basement starting right away, so I don't have a workout space at home right now, so its complicated! But i'll get there. Right now i'm taking a lot of time to think about what I want out of 2015, my goals are always morphing, but i'm trying to push myself and still have the goals be reachable and help me feel better about myself....I'll post them when i'm defined what I want. Tricky, tricky. But here's to another Fit and Fabulous year!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
A Little Stronger Every Day
Week 7 Day 2/3- 5:00 Warm-up, 25:00 Jog, 5:00 Cool-down
Monday we ran day 2, we did it separately on the treadmill because it was cold outside and Ryan had a cold (I have it now) and we didn't think running in the cold was a good idea for us. The treadmill was a bit miserable, but we both conquered it.
I planned an easier route for today, Day 3. Usually our route is a loop that has a little downhill, a little uphill, and a little flat. I planned a mostly downhill course today, nothing too crazy, just a slight downhill for most of the way. I felt like we had earned an easier run to celebrate finishing week 7! We felt pretty good and strong, even with the head colds. We ran 2.35 miles in the 25 minutes, we are still certainly not fast, but it was a faster average than usual for us. This Saturday is our 5k. A week early for the Couch to 5k schedule, but I think it will go pretty well. Its a flat course. We have been trying to decide how we want to attack it. I kinda want to try to run the whole thing, but we've also talked about walk/jogging the first half mile and then running the rest, since that should put us close to the 28 minute run that would be next on our Couch to 5k agenda. We'll see how the day goes. I'm excited that I feel mostly ready for it. My goal is to get to being able to run a slow 5k, and then work on my speed. I've signed up for a couple virtual races and will reward myself with the medals as I hit new PR's for pace on my 5k distance. Then, I will work on building mileage for a 10k in January if I'm still feeling healthy. My legs did great today, thanks to the Graston, ART, and acupuncture I've been doing with Dr. Tom. Yay for progress! Yay for a little more endurace! Yay for just a tad more speed. I will take it!
.JPG)
Monday we ran day 2, we did it separately on the treadmill because it was cold outside and Ryan had a cold (I have it now) and we didn't think running in the cold was a good idea for us. The treadmill was a bit miserable, but we both conquered it.
I planned an easier route for today, Day 3. Usually our route is a loop that has a little downhill, a little uphill, and a little flat. I planned a mostly downhill course today, nothing too crazy, just a slight downhill for most of the way. I felt like we had earned an easier run to celebrate finishing week 7! We felt pretty good and strong, even with the head colds. We ran 2.35 miles in the 25 minutes, we are still certainly not fast, but it was a faster average than usual for us. This Saturday is our 5k. A week early for the Couch to 5k schedule, but I think it will go pretty well. Its a flat course. We have been trying to decide how we want to attack it. I kinda want to try to run the whole thing, but we've also talked about walk/jogging the first half mile and then running the rest, since that should put us close to the 28 minute run that would be next on our Couch to 5k agenda. We'll see how the day goes. I'm excited that I feel mostly ready for it. My goal is to get to being able to run a slow 5k, and then work on my speed. I've signed up for a couple virtual races and will reward myself with the medals as I hit new PR's for pace on my 5k distance. Then, I will work on building mileage for a 10k in January if I'm still feeling healthy. My legs did great today, thanks to the Graston, ART, and acupuncture I've been doing with Dr. Tom. Yay for progress! Yay for a little more endurace! Yay for just a tad more speed. I will take it!
Friday, October 24, 2014
Still Running!
Week 6 Day 2- Run 10:00 Walk 3:00 Run 10:00
Week 6 Day 3- Run 22:00
Week 7 Day 1- Run 25:00
Week 6, Day 2 went well, 10 minute chunks feel much more doable now, which is awesome! This was the final day of couch to 5k that allows walk breaks! Crazy that we have gotten this far.
Week 6, Day 3 was a challenging. We tried a different route than usual, thinking it would be easier for a sustained jog, but I think it was a bad idea. I really struggled. I ended up taking a short walk break twice, which was frustrating to me. My achilles were really tight and sore and I was a little mad when the run was over. But, right after the run I had an appointment with Dr. Tom my sports medicine doctor. I told him where the pain was, and he did his usual magic and then suggested trying acupuncture on my achilles. I have had acupuncture before and handled it fine, so I thought it was worth a shot. It hurt a lot more than the previous acupuncture, it wasn't the placing of the needle that hurt, but once he started prodding around at the knots in my calves it was pretty painful. Once he finished it was sore and got progressively more sore over the next few hours, I was pretty sure he maimed me! Luckily he had warned me it would be like that, so I trusted him. Ryan and I decided to repeat Day 3 on our next run, and the difference was night and day! I felt amazing. My achilles didn't hurt at all. The were a little tight during the run still, but there was no screaming, especially when I stopped to walk at the end for the cool down, no screaming! It was a miracle. We ran 2 miles without stopping!
Today we did Week 7, Day1, we ran for 25 minutes, 2.25 miles! I was so excited. I still felt really good. We average about 11:00 minute miles, not fast, but we can sustain it which is amazing. My achilles felt pretty good still today, my IT band was a bit tight today, but I'm staying on top of it. I'm finally feeling like this might actually be a real possibility for me. I might be able to keep running!
I had my gait analyzed again and found some more tweaks to make, but overall i'm feeling great and happy!
Week 6 Day 3- Run 22:00
Week 7 Day 1- Run 25:00
Week 6, Day 2 went well, 10 minute chunks feel much more doable now, which is awesome! This was the final day of couch to 5k that allows walk breaks! Crazy that we have gotten this far.
Week 6, Day 3 was a challenging. We tried a different route than usual, thinking it would be easier for a sustained jog, but I think it was a bad idea. I really struggled. I ended up taking a short walk break twice, which was frustrating to me. My achilles were really tight and sore and I was a little mad when the run was over. But, right after the run I had an appointment with Dr. Tom my sports medicine doctor. I told him where the pain was, and he did his usual magic and then suggested trying acupuncture on my achilles. I have had acupuncture before and handled it fine, so I thought it was worth a shot. It hurt a lot more than the previous acupuncture, it wasn't the placing of the needle that hurt, but once he started prodding around at the knots in my calves it was pretty painful. Once he finished it was sore and got progressively more sore over the next few hours, I was pretty sure he maimed me! Luckily he had warned me it would be like that, so I trusted him. Ryan and I decided to repeat Day 3 on our next run, and the difference was night and day! I felt amazing. My achilles didn't hurt at all. The were a little tight during the run still, but there was no screaming, especially when I stopped to walk at the end for the cool down, no screaming! It was a miracle. We ran 2 miles without stopping!
Today we did Week 7, Day1, we ran for 25 minutes, 2.25 miles! I was so excited. I still felt really good. We average about 11:00 minute miles, not fast, but we can sustain it which is amazing. My achilles felt pretty good still today, my IT band was a bit tight today, but I'm staying on top of it. I'm finally feeling like this might actually be a real possibility for me. I might be able to keep running!
I had my gait analyzed again and found some more tweaks to make, but overall i'm feeling great and happy!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Week 6, Day 1- And a Fitness update
5:00 Warm-up, 5:00 Jog, 3:00 Walk, 8:00 Jog, 3:00 Walk, 5:00 Jog, 5:00 Cool-down
This run seemed kind of like a nice reprieve after the 20 minute run earlier in the week. It was still hard though. But, I was glad to be back outside with Ryan! My achilles were super mad after the long run, which was annoying, but I recovered well. The runs get longer and longer from this point, so I'm a little nervous, but excited to be making real progress. I'm seeing my sports medicine guy once a week right now to make sure I stay on top of possible injuries, but I think I'm doing well at this point!
I thought I would take a second now to talk about the rest of my fitness journey as it stands right now. I'm kind of at a weird crossroads right now that I can't really figure out in my head. I spend a lot of time thinking about where I am right now, and where I want to be. I'm generally happy with my fitness level. I can go out on a long bike ride, no problem. I can workout 6 days a week, several of those days being double workouts, and i'm great. My run is improving, I'm lifting a little heavier all the time, but somehow, I've plateaued again, or possibly even gone backwards a little bit. I feel a bit fluffy. I know its my diet. I've been really really struggling with finding my nutrition niche again. I have spent the entirety of this year tracking my food pretty meticulously, and I think I just hit major burnout. I haven't seen a big drop on the scale or body fat %, and its hard to be that careful and think about food so much without seeing big changes (I did see a big drop from January to April, and then have bounced around since then). I get to the point where thinking about food all of the time makes me crazy and pushes me off the deep end. I end up binging on junky food because i'm frustrated. Which I know is the total wrong thing to do. I get annoyed at myself because I have learned a lot about nutrition. I know the kinds of foods to eat, I know the combinations of food to eat, I know what serving sizes look like. I know how to eat. But for some reason I don't trust myself, so I track everything and then beat myself up every time I slip up. Or I do the most silly thing and don't put the junk food into my food diary, like it doesn't count if I don't write it down. Ha! I'm sad that i've let myself slip back so far from when I was at my best this year. I know there was a point this year where I was eating mostly healthy, having an occasional treat, feeling satisfied, and feeling happy with myself and my body. I know there is a sweet spot for me, I just really can't seem to find it right now. I've been eating terribly for the past couple of weeks, and I can tell! But i've just been so frustrated. I even went and talked to my doctor and asked him to check my thyroid and all my hormones and stuff and see if there is something physical that is making it so hard for me to break through difficult plateaus. My blood work came back completely normal and healthy. I can't be sad about that, but it is frustrating to know that there is no easy fix for whatever this is.
So the questions I've been asking myself are 1) How badly do you want to hit that body fat % goal? 2) What are you willing to sacrifice for it? 3) Is there a point where you just learn to be content where you are and stop stressing about it all so much? 4) Can you find a happy medium between relaxing and still moving forward to your fitness and body fat goals?
I don't have any answers. I'm really trying to spend some time to get my head straight. To figure out what the answers are. To find my happy spot where I can stop beating myself up so much. The place where I can love myself as I am ,but still have forward moving goals. I know that place exists. I just haven't found it yet. I think running is helping me, its something that has been impossible for me to conquer and now i'm making good strides toward conquering it. So I just need to do the same in the nutrition realm. So that's where i'm at right now. My brain is a little muddled, but I'll keep working on it.
This run seemed kind of like a nice reprieve after the 20 minute run earlier in the week. It was still hard though. But, I was glad to be back outside with Ryan! My achilles were super mad after the long run, which was annoying, but I recovered well. The runs get longer and longer from this point, so I'm a little nervous, but excited to be making real progress. I'm seeing my sports medicine guy once a week right now to make sure I stay on top of possible injuries, but I think I'm doing well at this point!
I thought I would take a second now to talk about the rest of my fitness journey as it stands right now. I'm kind of at a weird crossroads right now that I can't really figure out in my head. I spend a lot of time thinking about where I am right now, and where I want to be. I'm generally happy with my fitness level. I can go out on a long bike ride, no problem. I can workout 6 days a week, several of those days being double workouts, and i'm great. My run is improving, I'm lifting a little heavier all the time, but somehow, I've plateaued again, or possibly even gone backwards a little bit. I feel a bit fluffy. I know its my diet. I've been really really struggling with finding my nutrition niche again. I have spent the entirety of this year tracking my food pretty meticulously, and I think I just hit major burnout. I haven't seen a big drop on the scale or body fat %, and its hard to be that careful and think about food so much without seeing big changes (I did see a big drop from January to April, and then have bounced around since then). I get to the point where thinking about food all of the time makes me crazy and pushes me off the deep end. I end up binging on junky food because i'm frustrated. Which I know is the total wrong thing to do. I get annoyed at myself because I have learned a lot about nutrition. I know the kinds of foods to eat, I know the combinations of food to eat, I know what serving sizes look like. I know how to eat. But for some reason I don't trust myself, so I track everything and then beat myself up every time I slip up. Or I do the most silly thing and don't put the junk food into my food diary, like it doesn't count if I don't write it down. Ha! I'm sad that i've let myself slip back so far from when I was at my best this year. I know there was a point this year where I was eating mostly healthy, having an occasional treat, feeling satisfied, and feeling happy with myself and my body. I know there is a sweet spot for me, I just really can't seem to find it right now. I've been eating terribly for the past couple of weeks, and I can tell! But i've just been so frustrated. I even went and talked to my doctor and asked him to check my thyroid and all my hormones and stuff and see if there is something physical that is making it so hard for me to break through difficult plateaus. My blood work came back completely normal and healthy. I can't be sad about that, but it is frustrating to know that there is no easy fix for whatever this is.
So the questions I've been asking myself are 1) How badly do you want to hit that body fat % goal? 2) What are you willing to sacrifice for it? 3) Is there a point where you just learn to be content where you are and stop stressing about it all so much? 4) Can you find a happy medium between relaxing and still moving forward to your fitness and body fat goals?
I don't have any answers. I'm really trying to spend some time to get my head straight. To figure out what the answers are. To find my happy spot where I can stop beating myself up so much. The place where I can love myself as I am ,but still have forward moving goals. I know that place exists. I just haven't found it yet. I think running is helping me, its something that has been impossible for me to conquer and now i'm making good strides toward conquering it. So I just need to do the same in the nutrition realm. So that's where i'm at right now. My brain is a little muddled, but I'll keep working on it.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Week 5: Day 3!!
5:00 Warm-up, 20:00 Jog, 5:00 Cool-Down
We did it! We did Day 3! It seemed so daunting, but we did it! Sad thing is, we had to do it separately, and on the treadmill. Boo! But this morning Ryan had to leave for a meeting, and it was pretty cold outside, and the kids had no school today, so there just wasn't time to run outside together. Ryan got it done this morning, and I was so so proud of him, so I knew I needed to tackle it. I had a busy morning with my leg doctor, and errands with the kids, so I had to wait until the afternoon. I just bought another new pair of shoes (Hoka Clifton) and wanted to give them a real try, I did 8 minutes in them on Saturday to try them out and felt great, so I decided to wear them for today's run. I would be lying if I didn't say it was hard. I don't enjoy running on the treadmill much these days now that I've been running outside more, and I went to my leg doctor this morning and got my IT band and achilles worked over, so they were a little sore to begin with. But, I did it. I had to take a quick break in the middle while I answered an important text (couldn't do it while running), but I jumped right back in and finished the 20 minutes. It was slow! 11:20-12:00 pace. But that's ok, its still almost 2 miles! Right now its about endurance and not hurting myself, its not about speed! Thus my new headband. :) Slow and steady wins the race!
We did it! We did Day 3! It seemed so daunting, but we did it! Sad thing is, we had to do it separately, and on the treadmill. Boo! But this morning Ryan had to leave for a meeting, and it was pretty cold outside, and the kids had no school today, so there just wasn't time to run outside together. Ryan got it done this morning, and I was so so proud of him, so I knew I needed to tackle it. I had a busy morning with my leg doctor, and errands with the kids, so I had to wait until the afternoon. I just bought another new pair of shoes (Hoka Clifton) and wanted to give them a real try, I did 8 minutes in them on Saturday to try them out and felt great, so I decided to wear them for today's run. I would be lying if I didn't say it was hard. I don't enjoy running on the treadmill much these days now that I've been running outside more, and I went to my leg doctor this morning and got my IT band and achilles worked over, so they were a little sore to begin with. But, I did it. I had to take a quick break in the middle while I answered an important text (couldn't do it while running), but I jumped right back in and finished the 20 minutes. It was slow! 11:20-12:00 pace. But that's ok, its still almost 2 miles! Right now its about endurance and not hurting myself, its not about speed! Thus my new headband. :) Slow and steady wins the race!
I'm not sure if i've mentioned my current workout schedule, but I also lift on the days that I run, so after dealing more with the kids for a bit, I went back down to my workout room and knocked out my lifting session. I HATE afternoon workouts, but I'm so glad I got it done. I had a BAD eating weekend, so today is back on track and on top of life. I'm determined. :)
Friday, October 10, 2014
Week 5: Day 2, Again!
We decided to repeat day 2 today. We both felt great again, and accomplished with our 8 minute runs. Dare we say we might be ready for the 20 minute run?? That still scares me. We shall see!
I went to the running store today and got another pair of shoes. Hoka Clifton's, I'm rather excited about them! They felt really great on my feet, I can't wait to do a run in them and see how it goes!
I really really look forward to my runs now, and that is amazing to me. Ryan even admitted he looks forward to it too! I love our time together.
I went to the running store today and got another pair of shoes. Hoka Clifton's, I'm rather excited about them! They felt really great on my feet, I can't wait to do a run in them and see how it goes!
I really really look forward to my runs now, and that is amazing to me. Ryan even admitted he looks forward to it too! I love our time together.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Week 5: Day 2!
Day 2: Warm-up, 8 minute Run, 5 minute walk, 8 minute run, Cool-Down
Ryan and I were both very nervous to move on to day 2. 8 minutes seemed like a really long time! We are not above repeating days, and were considering repeating day 1, but we decided to give it a shot. We told ourselves that if we were really struggling we could take short walk breaks during the 8 minutes if we needed to. We started our first run, and to both of our surprise, we felt really good! We finished the first run and were glad for the long walk break, but ready to go again when it was time to run the next 8. It was a little harder the second time, but still we managed to do it feeling pretty good. I carefully watched out pace to make sure we didn't push too fast. We tried to stay around 10:30-11:00 minute mile. We were so proud when we finished it with no walk breaks during both 8's. I think we will repeat it before moving on, the next run is 20 minutes! But I was grateful to feel good.
After Monday's run I was kinda sore. My hips and feet and knee were aching and I got very discouraged. Its so frustrating to not just be able to do exactly what I want to be able to do. But, I stopped wallowing, bought a bunch of cold weather running gear, set up an appointment with my favorite Sports Medicine Chiropractor, and rested. I chose not to run Tuesday even though I wanted to, and went to see the doctor. He worked on my trouble spots and gave me some good advice. I was happy that I felt good to run yesterday and that the run went well. After the run I went to my cycle class to spin out my legs and then came home and got straight in an ice bath. The things crazy things we do to recover well! I know I have to be really careful and listen carefully to my body if I want to be able to keep at this, so I'm trying to do just that. I think I might have to get another pair of running shoes with more cushion for now while I'm building up, so I'm saving my pennies to look into that option.
Ryan and I were both very nervous to move on to day 2. 8 minutes seemed like a really long time! We are not above repeating days, and were considering repeating day 1, but we decided to give it a shot. We told ourselves that if we were really struggling we could take short walk breaks during the 8 minutes if we needed to. We started our first run, and to both of our surprise, we felt really good! We finished the first run and were glad for the long walk break, but ready to go again when it was time to run the next 8. It was a little harder the second time, but still we managed to do it feeling pretty good. I carefully watched out pace to make sure we didn't push too fast. We tried to stay around 10:30-11:00 minute mile. We were so proud when we finished it with no walk breaks during both 8's. I think we will repeat it before moving on, the next run is 20 minutes! But I was grateful to feel good.
After Monday's run I was kinda sore. My hips and feet and knee were aching and I got very discouraged. Its so frustrating to not just be able to do exactly what I want to be able to do. But, I stopped wallowing, bought a bunch of cold weather running gear, set up an appointment with my favorite Sports Medicine Chiropractor, and rested. I chose not to run Tuesday even though I wanted to, and went to see the doctor. He worked on my trouble spots and gave me some good advice. I was happy that I felt good to run yesterday and that the run went well. After the run I went to my cycle class to spin out my legs and then came home and got straight in an ice bath. The things crazy things we do to recover well! I know I have to be really careful and listen carefully to my body if I want to be able to keep at this, so I'm trying to do just that. I think I might have to get another pair of running shoes with more cushion for now while I'm building up, so I'm saving my pennies to look into that option.
Sitting in the compression machine at the Doctor's office.
Yep, that's a block of ice in my bathtub.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Week 5: Day 1
Couch to 10k Week 5
Day 1- 5:00 warm-up, 5:00 run, 3:00 walk, 5:00 run, 3:00 walk, 5:00 run, 5:00 cool-down.
Ryan and I dropped the kids off at school and headed to the park for our run. It was a little chilly starting out, but it was actually quite perfect once we got moving. I felt like my cardio system was in great shape during the runs. My legs were less happy today. My ankle and shins always complain a little when I first start running, but they work themselves out once I get into a rhythm. My achilles did pretty good until near the end of the second run. But it wasn't ever terrible, a little more achey on my right than my left. It does tend to scream at me a bit when I switch from running to walking, but I can walk through it. The arch near my heal of my left foot was a little cranky today, I need to figure out what's up with that. And then during the last run I could feel an inkling of pain in my IT band. NOT COOL. It never got painful, I could just feel the tightness from my hip to my knee that I am all too familiar with. I will repeat day 1 before moving up to day 2 (it has longer run segments), and I think I will visit my IT band doctor from last year and have him help me stretch that out and get his advice on the feet and achilles. Gotta stay healthy!!!! I really want this.
Day 1- 5:00 warm-up, 5:00 run, 3:00 walk, 5:00 run, 3:00 walk, 5:00 run, 5:00 cool-down.
Ryan and I dropped the kids off at school and headed to the park for our run. It was a little chilly starting out, but it was actually quite perfect once we got moving. I felt like my cardio system was in great shape during the runs. My legs were less happy today. My ankle and shins always complain a little when I first start running, but they work themselves out once I get into a rhythm. My achilles did pretty good until near the end of the second run. But it wasn't ever terrible, a little more achey on my right than my left. It does tend to scream at me a bit when I switch from running to walking, but I can walk through it. The arch near my heal of my left foot was a little cranky today, I need to figure out what's up with that. And then during the last run I could feel an inkling of pain in my IT band. NOT COOL. It never got painful, I could just feel the tightness from my hip to my knee that I am all too familiar with. I will repeat day 1 before moving up to day 2 (it has longer run segments), and I think I will visit my IT band doctor from last year and have him help me stretch that out and get his advice on the feet and achilles. Gotta stay healthy!!!! I really want this.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
On the Run! Again...
I've been slacking on my fitness blogging! Oh well...life goes on! I've restarted my journey with running. Again. I know, it wasn't long ago I did a post about giving up on running and feeling ok about it. But, for some reason, its just something I can't let go of, it just keeps coming back and nagging me! So I've started again. I've been posting my progress on Facebook, and i'm sure that my friends are getting sick of it, so I thought I would start blogging about it so that only those you care (maybe just me?) can have a place to go read it.
About 5 weeks ago Ryan started doing the Couch to 5k program. I decided that I would attempt to do it with him. Very slowly. And see if I could hold my injuries at bay if I built up very slowly and carefully. I had recently bought some new shoes that helped me to improve my stride, so I thought maybe I would have some luck.
For those of you not familiar with Couch to 5k, its a running program and slowly builds up from mostly walking to mostly running during about a 30 minute period over 8 weeks, running 3 times a week. The app we are using is actually a Couch to 10k app, so I think its a 14 week course to build up to running for an hour, but the first 8 weeks are the same as the 5k program.
We started the program, and at first you run for 60 seconds at a time, with walk long walk breaks in between and that was hard! We took it slow, but it was hard to imagine running more than that. But we made it through and moved on. Week 2 is 90 second jogs. Week 3- 90 seconds, walk break, then 3 minute jog. 3 minutes seemed like forever! We ended up repeating week 3 to make sure we were ready to move on without stressing our bodies. This past week we moved on to week 4 and finished strong. Week 4 including 3 & 5 minute run segments. We weren't sure we were going to be able to handle 5, but we made it through. With those longer segments we crossed the threshold and are now running more than walking during the run part of the workout (there is a warm-up and cool-down built into the workout). It feels good to feel like I'm running again. We watch our pace carefully to make sure we don't push too hard that we can't maintain. Its a little hard for me to think I need to go slower, not faster, but I know that's what my body needs to make sure I don't hurt myself. But, so far its working. Week 5 really steps up the game, its not the same thing 3 times, it gets progressively harder each day of the 3. We are planning to take it one day at a time and repeat as necessary. But, i'm happy to say that I'm looking forward to runs again. I get excited when I know that is what is on my workout plan for the day. I've been lifting weights on my run days, and just walking and doing PiYo on the days between. I like the hard days, and I think the active recovery days have been really helping me. Its a little different from how I was doing things, but so far, so good.
I was still feeling fine, but it was more of a struggle. My IT band is staying at bay, although I am careful to stretch it often and roll when I feel any tightness. My biggest problem has been my calves. I've always had very tight calves and hamstrings, and I can feel how tight they get when I run. I think the discomfort actually comes from my achilles tendon. When I first started running years ago, my calves always hurt, but I never put it together as an achilles problem, but I think it probably was. I think my new stride helps all of my other issues, but actually stressed my achilles a little more. But its not too bad. Its something I can handle. I've been stretching, using my foam roller, and icing my achilles if I experience any significant tightness. I also experience some ankle and feet tiredness, but I think I just need to build up strength there. Doing PiYo on my off days from running, a pilates/yoga mix that is a ton of stretching, I think is helping me stretch my hamstrings and achilles and strengthen my ankles and feet. I think it will be really beneficial for my running in the long run.
So, for now, running is working for me. I'm enjoying it. I can still walk the next day, so that's a bonus! I'm taking it a day at a time, but hopefully I can keep it up. I'm signed up for a 5k on November 1st and hoping to be able to run it strong. The next run i'm signed up for is an indoor run on January 1st, i'm sincerely hoping I can build up to a 10k by then, but if not, that's ok too. I'll do what I can.
About 5 weeks ago Ryan started doing the Couch to 5k program. I decided that I would attempt to do it with him. Very slowly. And see if I could hold my injuries at bay if I built up very slowly and carefully. I had recently bought some new shoes that helped me to improve my stride, so I thought maybe I would have some luck.
For those of you not familiar with Couch to 5k, its a running program and slowly builds up from mostly walking to mostly running during about a 30 minute period over 8 weeks, running 3 times a week. The app we are using is actually a Couch to 10k app, so I think its a 14 week course to build up to running for an hour, but the first 8 weeks are the same as the 5k program.
We started the program, and at first you run for 60 seconds at a time, with walk long walk breaks in between and that was hard! We took it slow, but it was hard to imagine running more than that. But we made it through and moved on. Week 2 is 90 second jogs. Week 3- 90 seconds, walk break, then 3 minute jog. 3 minutes seemed like forever! We ended up repeating week 3 to make sure we were ready to move on without stressing our bodies. This past week we moved on to week 4 and finished strong. Week 4 including 3 & 5 minute run segments. We weren't sure we were going to be able to handle 5, but we made it through. With those longer segments we crossed the threshold and are now running more than walking during the run part of the workout (there is a warm-up and cool-down built into the workout). It feels good to feel like I'm running again. We watch our pace carefully to make sure we don't push too hard that we can't maintain. Its a little hard for me to think I need to go slower, not faster, but I know that's what my body needs to make sure I don't hurt myself. But, so far its working. Week 5 really steps up the game, its not the same thing 3 times, it gets progressively harder each day of the 3. We are planning to take it one day at a time and repeat as necessary. But, i'm happy to say that I'm looking forward to runs again. I get excited when I know that is what is on my workout plan for the day. I've been lifting weights on my run days, and just walking and doing PiYo on the days between. I like the hard days, and I think the active recovery days have been really helping me. Its a little different from how I was doing things, but so far, so good.
I was still feeling fine, but it was more of a struggle. My IT band is staying at bay, although I am careful to stretch it often and roll when I feel any tightness. My biggest problem has been my calves. I've always had very tight calves and hamstrings, and I can feel how tight they get when I run. I think the discomfort actually comes from my achilles tendon. When I first started running years ago, my calves always hurt, but I never put it together as an achilles problem, but I think it probably was. I think my new stride helps all of my other issues, but actually stressed my achilles a little more. But its not too bad. Its something I can handle. I've been stretching, using my foam roller, and icing my achilles if I experience any significant tightness. I also experience some ankle and feet tiredness, but I think I just need to build up strength there. Doing PiYo on my off days from running, a pilates/yoga mix that is a ton of stretching, I think is helping me stretch my hamstrings and achilles and strengthen my ankles and feet. I think it will be really beneficial for my running in the long run.
So, for now, running is working for me. I'm enjoying it. I can still walk the next day, so that's a bonus! I'm taking it a day at a time, but hopefully I can keep it up. I'm signed up for a 5k on November 1st and hoping to be able to run it strong. The next run i'm signed up for is an indoor run on January 1st, i'm sincerely hoping I can build up to a 10k by then, but if not, that's ok too. I'll do what I can.
Friday, August 1, 2014
32 for 32
A friend of mine had this idea to do 42 things she enjoyed on her 42nd birthday, I decided to steal her idea, but make it 32 things I enjoy during birthday month (August) since i'm turned 32! Here is my list:
-Fancy Dinner
-Wicked!
-Girls Night
-Get a massage
-Lunch with Friends
-Race!
-Swim 2 miles non-stop
-Write 32 things that I like about myself
-Have a family movie night
-Make homemade ice cream
-Have a water balloon fight
-Squeeze my kids as often as possible
-Take at least 1 nap
-Read a great book
-Write in my journal weekly
-Learn a new song on the piano
-Sing at the top of my lungs often
-Workout, because I love it, not because I have to
-Hire a cleaner once, its ok to ask for help!
-Parade of Homes!
-Keep a gratitude journal every day
-Hang out with my sisters
-Have a picnic under a tree
-Go swimming with the family
-Mommy dates with all 3 kids
-Go shopping
-Play Just Dance with my kids
-Ride my bike, just for fun
-Reconnect with friends
-Go to the temple
-Date nights! At least 2 of them.
-Pray, and pray often in gratitude!
I can't wait to start checking things off. Here is to one FANTASTIC birthday month!
-Fancy Dinner
-Wicked!
-Girls Night
-Get a massage
-Lunch with Friends
-Race!
-Swim 2 miles non-stop
-Write 32 things that I like about myself
-Have a family movie night
-Make homemade ice cream
-Have a water balloon fight
-Squeeze my kids as often as possible
-Take at least 1 nap
-Read a great book
-Write in my journal weekly
-Learn a new song on the piano
-Sing at the top of my lungs often
-Workout, because I love it, not because I have to
-Hire a cleaner once, its ok to ask for help!
-Parade of Homes!
-Keep a gratitude journal every day
-Hang out with my sisters
-Have a picnic under a tree
-Go swimming with the family
-Mommy dates with all 3 kids
-Go shopping
-Play Just Dance with my kids
-Ride my bike, just for fun
-Reconnect with friends
-Go to the temple
-Date nights! At least 2 of them.
-Pray, and pray often in gratitude!
I can't wait to start checking things off. Here is to one FANTASTIC birthday month!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Ride Report!
2014 JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes- Burlington Edition
Ride Weekend Report:
Thursday: Ryan and I took off bright and early Thursday morning, we met up with several members of our Utah Chapter riders at the airport in Salt Lake City and headed off to Burlington, we were all excited and the flight went pretty smoothly. We had a really quick layover in Philadelphia, then off to Burlington. We arrived around 5pm and caught the shuttle to our hotel. It was so nice to get there and see all the smiling faces of other JDRF riders and support staff. We dropped off our luggage in our room and then got checked in and met some of the riders. Energy was high and it was very exciting to be there. We had a fun, more low key dinner Thursday night, since all of the riders hadn’t arrived yet. After dinner the Utah chapter peeps took a shuttle to downtown Burlington to explore. We walked through the beautiful old streets and looked at little shops. We eventually made our way down to the water front and walked some more. Vermont is fantastically beautiful. The weather was perfect, slight humidity and 70’s. On our way back to the shuttle, we of course had to stop at the original Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store for a few scoops of fabulous ice cream. By the time we made it back to the hotel everyone was ready to crash from our long day of travel and excitement.
.JPG)
.JPG)
Friday: We woke up around 8 and headed down to the JDRF breakfast buffet with the group. Its always fun to see all the riders trickling in. After breakfast was the ride meeting where they go over the course and safety precautions. I was getting a little nervous at this point, the ride directors were talking about some of the challenges of the course and I realized I didn’t seem to have an accurate idea in my head of what the course was going to be like! After the meeting we got ready for our tune-up ride, just a quick ride on the early part of the course to make sure our bikes were working properly. About 3 miles in I saw a massive hill ahead. I started to panic a bit. I had no desire to try the hill on this quick tune-up ride, so most of the team went ahead and I turned back to the hotel. My bike was working great, and I was enjoying the feel of all of the oxygen from this almost sea level ride, but I was really starting to get nervous after that hill, and knowing it wasn’t even one of the big hills they had warned up about. I got a little stuck in my head and started to really doubt myself. Luckily my husband and my trainer kept reassuring me and telling me to trust my training. After talking to my team that had gone over the hill, I felt a bit better that it was a deceiving hill and wasn’t as hard as it looked. (Cause it looked HARD). After we got a chance to clean up we headed to lunch on a floating restaurant on the river. It was a beautiful spot and a fun time with my team and a few of our “adopted” cohorts from North Carolina. From lunch we headed straight out to tour the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory. Its a quick, fun little tour, and a tasty sample at the end. We took lots of fun pictures and enjoyed more yummy ice cream (it kind of became the theme of the weekend, bad Diane. :) ). We then headed back to the hotel to relax a little bit before the big Friday night dinner. We all dressed in our team shirts and enjoyed a great meal and learned so much about what JDRF is doing and about how fundraising is going this year. They handed out the Jersey for best recruiter and best fundraiser ($90,000!!!). And they handed out the “Promise” Jersey. It goes to the person that is not Type 1 who is best keeping the promise to do everything they can until we find a cure. Our teammate Maggie, a 16 year old girl, won the jersey! It was a very exciting and emotional moment. The whole night is so emotional and inspiring. Its the night that reminds me why I do this. Why I go to the trouble to fundraise and train. My heart was full to bursting with excitement and desire to never stop doing this. I went to bed feeling ready and excited, if a tad nervous.
.JPG)
.JPG)
Saturday: Ryan and I woke up bright and early to get ready for the ride. Luckily the ride starts and ends at the hotel, so there was no pre-dawn bus ride or anything to worry about. I drank my planned ucan/protein shake while I chatted with the team at breakfast. I was really pumped at this point. The still slightly asleep crowd probably thought I was crazy. :) We headed down to the bike room to get bikes set-up and ready to roll. The weather was PERFECTION. It was probably high 60’s at the start, beautiful skies, little wind, although the wind did pick up a bit later in the day. After taking start line pictures and singing the National Anthem, we were ready to roll! I was seriously excited. I got out and hit the hill I was so worried about, and it was a piece of cake! The momentum I got going into it and the extra oxygen flowing through my veins made me feel fantastic. I actually lost the group (Scott, Maggie, Maryann, Brian, Missy, Steve, Betty and Matt) I planned to ride with early on because I was just feeling so good. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. I have never ridden such a beautiful ride in my life. There were some rolling hills, and some long winding descents. I was awestruck. It was strikingly green and lush. I loved every second of it. I waited for the team at rest stop #1 and tried to stay with them for the rest of the ride. I did pull away a few times and ride with people from other chapters, but we always regrouped at the rest stops. The rest stops were great, the volunteers were helpful. I stayed almost completely with my nutrition plan, and it really paid off. I felt energetic and happy the whole time. At mile 23, the sacred mile in JDRF rides, everyone gets quiet and contemplates all of those who have lost their lives in this fight against type 1. I cried, and I prayed. I prayed that no one will ever have to think of James during that mile. It really is a sacred mile. Later on, as we approached rest stop #3, I was getting nervous again, i’d heard about this crazy hill up to the rest stop. And rightly so. It was insane. The steepest thing i’ve ever attempted. Unfortunately, its a hard hill to see and prepare for, so I didn’t get geared down quite enough. My legs were going so slowly that I was sure I was going to fall over, so I quickly unclipped (I was sure I wouldn’t be able to without crashing, so woohoo, I didn’t crash!). It was so steep that even standing over my bike was almost impossible because my cleats kept slipping out from under me. I walked, very carefully, 15 feet or so to the top of the steepest part, then remounted my bike and finished the hill up into the rest stop. Whew, it was hard! The team regrouped and I got a second wind, yay, the climb I had feared all day was over! Little did I know that the next 15 miles were the toughest of the ride. There was a lot of climbing. Rolling hills, but it sure felt more up than down. I was really getting worn out from climbing. My left knee started to hurt a bit, which made me nervous. Luckily I was riding with a fantastic guy named Matt, a Type 1 on a hybrid bike, no clips or cages, and he was killing it! It was fun and motivating to keep up with him over the course of these crazy hills. Luckily, at the end of that difficult section is the turn around rest stop. The team regrouped again and we took a longer break to cool off and hydrate and fuel. My knee was definitely hurting so I took some ibuprofen and hoped that would take the edge off since there was still 48 miles to go. The 15 mile section back to the next rest stop was still difficult, slightly less so than doing it the other way, but it was still a challenge. Once we got back to the rest stop at the top of that crazy hill, I was grateful to know what lay ahead, I knew there would be some climbing but that the worst of it was over. My knee was also starting to feel better, which I was very grateful for. I was still feeling great otherwise and ready to keep rolling. Going down the crazy hill was actually quite terrifying. I had my breaks on as hard as my hands could stand to ease me down the hill, and my hands were cramping by the end of the steep section, i’m surprised I could hold on to the bottom. Once that was over the next miles were just fun. The team was riding together, we were pushing a good pace (we held about 14 over the whole ride, which was my goal), everyone seemed to be feeling good. The scenery was still epic. The weather was still fantastic, if a bit windy. We took quick stops at all the rest stops, but we were really just enjoying the time at this point. The hardest part near the end was at about mile 90 where there were several decent climbs, the last of which is called “Irish Hill”. Its only about 3/4 of a mile long, but it’s pretty brutal, and at mile 90, it’s really brutal. But, I made it to the top which I was very proud of. We cheered each member of our team to the top. I was inspired by the coaches who repeatedly rode the hill to help everyone make it up, some even pushing riders up. Once we regrouped, we rode the last 8 miles together. Just around the corner from the finish line we met up with our coach, Kimberly, and the faster riders from our group (John and Darin) that had already finished, and we rode in together through the finish line, with me at the front of the pack. It truly was a great moment. I couldn’t believe I had actually done it. I finally completed a century. I finally had the full experience of the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes, and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Truly. It was WAY harder than I thought it would be (nearly 4,300 feet of climbing, my personal record in a single ride), but I also felt better throughout than I could have hoped for. It was a great day. I got back, celebrated a bit with everyone, and then showered and relaxed for the little time we had before the celebration dinner. Another great time that leaves me on a JDRF high and that I wish I could experience on a weekly basis. I mostly relaxed all evening, and chatted with my husband and Chapter Coach about what to ride next year and fundraising ideas. I think I pretty much have Ryan convinced to ride with me next year. Ryan was a great cheerleader. He made the weekend about me, and he texted me, and watched my progress throughout all of ride day to keep me motivated. I’m so glad he was there for me. It was so nice to see his face at the finish! And I couldn’t have done it without such an awesome group of people to ride with. Truly, a great day. I will never forget it.
.JPG)
Right before the start with my awesome team and our adopted team. :)
.JPG)
Crossing the finish line!
.JPG)
Team Utah!
.JPG)
Sunday: We got up early and got ready for church, and packed up our room to check out. We then met the LDS portion of our team and took a cab to the chapel nearby so we could attend Sacrament meeting. It was a special experience to do it with my team. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel to get ready to fly out, and to enjoy one more lunch together before the official end of ride weekend. They are all such great people. I’m so lucky to have found this group and to be able to call them all my friends. Now, the travel home…that will require a whole post of its own…as I type this I am sitting in the Philadelphia airport. I’ve been here for 22 hours. We got to the Burlington airport 25 hours ago. Its been a long, sleepless trip, worthy of its own post. But despite that chaos, I cannot wait to do this again. The plan for now is La Crosse, WI in August of 2015. That seems so far away! Lots of the team is doing Tucson in November of this year, and I wish I could pull it off. I need as much of that #bikeface as I can get into my life. Its truly a special thing.
I’m still a little short on my fundraising. If you have a few bucks to share, please help me out. It is a cause I will never give up on! And better yet, if you want to join the ride program, you will NOT regret it. It is the coolest thing I have ever done, and once you drink the Kool-aid, you’ll know exactly what i’m talking about! Talk to me about it anytime, or go to ride.jdrf.org and read more about it!
Here is my fundraising link: http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/DianeOwen
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Progress!
I took my body fat measurement again today at the gym. I wasn't expecting much change after vacation and everything that's been going on, but i went down another 2.4%! That makes a total of 5.5% since January. My goal is 20% body fat, as of today i'm at 26.2%. Getting there! Those numbers got me excited so I took a bunch of progress pictures so I could see the change. I'm so glad I take pictures! Sometimes its so hard to see any little changes that are happening day to day.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Top pictures are from January, bottom pictures are today (May 29)
And her is a picture from October 2010 when I finally got serious about my health, compared to today. Woot Woot!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Running- The Bane of my Existence
So, last year I was training for my first half marathon. I was determined to conquer running, something I had never really done, and certainly had never been good at. I got to 8 miles in my training, feeling pretty darn good, when I was out of no where struck with IT Band syndrome. It was miserable and painful. I spent the next 6 months or so visiting a doctor that specialized in injury trying to work through it. It never really got better. I mean I did eventually feel some relief, but if I ever tried to run for very long it would come back. After my surgery last December, I was obviously forced to take a break from running, and I was hoping the complete rest would help. It actually did help, I've been very slowly starting to run again. I started using the Couch to 10k program to ease me in, I went to a running specialist and got some tips on fixing my form to prevent problems, I spent a boatload of money on new shoes, and I was determined. I've been feeling pretty good with it and got all fired up about again attempting a half marathon, and a half ironman, a couple of races that have been my goals for a while, mostly because I don't like that running beat me last year. And i'm stubborn. Well, yesterday I did my first outdoor run, i've been doing all of my training on the treadmill because its a little easier on my IT band, and man did I not enjoy it one bit. Haha! I'm signed up for a 5k on Monday, a cause that is special to me, and I was excited to do it, and I still will do it, but I can't really say i'm excited right now. Haha. Running is really hard on my body. Some bodies seem built for it, and for some reason, mine just really doesn't like it. I know that if I am very patient I could eventually be a runner, but the question i've been asking myself is, "Is it worth it?" And maybe its the pain in my legs, or the memory of yesterdays run talking, but today I can so, No, its not worth it. I've been talking to my trainer about it, and she agrees. She is an ex-marathon runner who decided 3 years ago that running wasn't worth the stress it was putting on her body, so she switched to cycling.
There is still part of me that doesn't want to give it up. The stubborn part of me that says then I would be letting running win, it would officially beat me. The part of me that likes saying i'm a triathlete. The part of me that set the goals to run a half marathon and complete a half ironman. So, today i'm kind of in mourning. Mourning for the runner I thought I was, for the races i'll have to let go of, for the running friends I will never be able to keep up with. I will still run a little, I can't give up on the Larson Cup, the triathlon that basically got me into my fitness journey, but I will only do the bare minimum and focus on taking time off my swim and bike to make up the difference. I will do triathlons, but mostly relays. I'm a strong swimmer. I'm a strong cyclist. I'm an athlete. I can be fit, healthy, strong, competitive, and not be a runner. I keep saying these things to myself today. I really do believe them, but I've said them before and then got caught up in running again, caught up in the need to be and do everything. But for now, i'm done with that. I want to be an athlete for life. I want a strong, healthy, injury free body that will serve me for decades to come. I want that more than I want a half marathon medal. And for those that know how much I love getting medals, you'll know that means a lot. :) I know i'll have friends who will try and convince me not to give up, but I need to tell myself, i'm not giving up. I'm making the choice that is best for my body in the long run. And that is OK! So, i'm gonna feel a little sad today, and then i'm going to go kick butt on a bike and forget about it. I'm gonna do my 5k and not care one bit if I walk most of it. I'm going to relay a half ironman race in a few months and be grateful that I can swim a strong leg for my team, and cheer our runner on as she does what I cannot. And I will be ok with that.
There is still part of me that doesn't want to give it up. The stubborn part of me that says then I would be letting running win, it would officially beat me. The part of me that likes saying i'm a triathlete. The part of me that set the goals to run a half marathon and complete a half ironman. So, today i'm kind of in mourning. Mourning for the runner I thought I was, for the races i'll have to let go of, for the running friends I will never be able to keep up with. I will still run a little, I can't give up on the Larson Cup, the triathlon that basically got me into my fitness journey, but I will only do the bare minimum and focus on taking time off my swim and bike to make up the difference. I will do triathlons, but mostly relays. I'm a strong swimmer. I'm a strong cyclist. I'm an athlete. I can be fit, healthy, strong, competitive, and not be a runner. I keep saying these things to myself today. I really do believe them, but I've said them before and then got caught up in running again, caught up in the need to be and do everything. But for now, i'm done with that. I want to be an athlete for life. I want a strong, healthy, injury free body that will serve me for decades to come. I want that more than I want a half marathon medal. And for those that know how much I love getting medals, you'll know that means a lot. :) I know i'll have friends who will try and convince me not to give up, but I need to tell myself, i'm not giving up. I'm making the choice that is best for my body in the long run. And that is OK! So, i'm gonna feel a little sad today, and then i'm going to go kick butt on a bike and forget about it. I'm gonna do my 5k and not care one bit if I walk most of it. I'm going to relay a half ironman race in a few months and be grateful that I can swim a strong leg for my team, and cheer our runner on as she does what I cannot. And I will be ok with that.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Catching up!
I just realized how long its been since i've posted here! Bad Diane! :) I guess time just flies when you are having fun! I went to the Caribbean! It was amazing. And wonderful. And I want to go back. Tomorrow. Worth every second of work to get there. I loved the time with my husband. It was great!
Now i'm working hard again. Back on track with my trainer, working toward my goals. Next up: The Larson Cup Triathlon! I must keep my title! Followed shortly thereafter with my century bike ride for JDRF. I just finished making this video for my fundraising efforts. It makes me heart ache, but it also makes me proud of my son. He handles his lot in life very well.
My nutrition is going well, I'm working hard to find a balance between eating really well to go along with all of the hard work I put in in the gym, and easing up enough to make it a life long sustainable thing. Right now I feel like my relationship with food has improved a lot. I feel like I get to eat a lot. I feel like I get to treat myself enough that I don't feel deprived. And sometimes I let myself eat whatever sounds good, and I don't let it ruin my day. I haven't stepped on the scale in weeks and I'm ok with that. My goal jeans fit (i'm wearing them right now!), I'm feeling more confident than ever, and I feel strong. I genuinely feel like an athlete now. And that is a great feeling! I still hope to get faster and stronger. I still hope to get leaner. But I am super happy where I am and that is a great feeling.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
4 months!
Its been 4 month. Crazy. Life is good.
These are my feelings today I posted on Facebook:
Sometimes trying to live a healthy lifestyle feels really hard. Birthday weeks are like that. But I don't want to turn back. I want to get to the point where its easier and I don't have to flex my willpower quite so often. But i'm making progress. We went to Chuck-a-rama tonight for James birthday and I didn't gorge myself. Or eat 3 desserts. Tomorrow is the pizza and cake party. I will definitely need to practice my will power then. But I've already planned out my day for tomorrow to help me stay on track. I don't expect perfection from myself. Just progress. I am strong. I am healthy. I am a roll model for my children and family. I have jeans to fit in, beaches to enjoy, hills and miles to conquer. Those are more important than a slice of cake.
Its true. Sometimes doing things the healthy way is hard. But its worth it. I'm feeling better and better every day. I'm proud of myself and my body. I'm pushing myself to limits I didn't know I could. Its worth it. Here are my progress pictures from this week. Week 1 with my goal jean, and this week, Week 3 with my goal jeans. I definitely see and feel a difference. I only lost 1.6 pounds in March, but i'm leaning up, and I have more muscle. Here's to April!
These are my feelings today I posted on Facebook:
Sometimes trying to live a healthy lifestyle feels really hard. Birthday weeks are like that. But I don't want to turn back. I want to get to the point where its easier and I don't have to flex my willpower quite so often. But i'm making progress. We went to Chuck-a-rama tonight for James birthday and I didn't gorge myself. Or eat 3 desserts. Tomorrow is the pizza and cake party. I will definitely need to practice my will power then. But I've already planned out my day for tomorrow to help me stay on track. I don't expect perfection from myself. Just progress. I am strong. I am healthy. I am a roll model for my children and family. I have jeans to fit in, beaches to enjoy, hills and miles to conquer. Those are more important than a slice of cake.
Its true. Sometimes doing things the healthy way is hard. But its worth it. I'm feeling better and better every day. I'm proud of myself and my body. I'm pushing myself to limits I didn't know I could. Its worth it. Here are my progress pictures from this week. Week 1 with my goal jean, and this week, Week 3 with my goal jeans. I definitely see and feel a difference. I only lost 1.6 pounds in March, but i'm leaning up, and I have more muscle. Here's to April!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
16 Weeks Post-op!
I can't believe its been 4 months almost (next week). I'm feeling great. Changes now are small since most of my swelling is gone, so its just a few little pockets left. Now the changes are just from my workouts and eating! Bye bye fat, hello muscle! I still take pictures every week and note any small change I can. I love that I can look at myself now and see the positive changes that are happening. Two weeks ago I bought some goal jeans, size 27 Silvers, I've been trying them on weekly and noting how they fit me a little better each time. They are close to being a great fit, still a touch snug, but I could wear them in public if I wanted to (and that's during the lovely time of the month, aka Bloat season)! Another couple of weeks and I think I'll be there. I've really been trying to focus hard on my food intake. I've been watching my macros and this week upped my protein fairly significantly. Its hard eating this much protein! But I know my body is loving it. I have been really good about not worrying about the scale, I'll post at the end of the month for March's results, but whether its a lot or a little that i've lost, I know I am stronger and everything is tightening up! My workouts this month are focused on stoking my metabolism, and man are they hard! Rest-based sprint intervals, and crazy timed weight training circuits among lots of cycling and walking. Its fun, but crazy! And they make me TIRED! :) I'm still working with Stacey and loving every stinking minute of it. She is so great. She is doing similar workouts to me and we report to each other every day. I love having her friendship and motivation during every step of the way. I'm sure I would have fallen off the wagon at least 5 times in the last 2 months without her.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Goal Jeans:
In other news, this week is my 10th wedding anniversary! I can't believe its been 10 years. I'm so lucky to have my husband by my side. I could not have gone through the surgery without him, and I couldn't do everything I am doing now to get fit without him. He is doing it right along with me and is down over 35 pounds! I'm so proud of him and so glad we are working together in this life. I'm a lucky girl. :) 4 1/2 more weeks til we hit the Caribbean together to celebrate. Woot!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Refocus
Its funny how a few days can change things. I was in such a good spot last week. I'm not saying i'm not in a good place now, but I let the scale get in my head a little this week. I've been focusing so much on my eating, and its hard when you are working so hard, and focusing so well, to not see big changes on the scale. I know I'm doing things the right way, and I know I am SO much healthier than I used to be, and most of the time I'm totally ok with all of that and I don't care what the scale tells me. But this week it has been jumping around a little, and making me crazy! I start to second guess how I'm feeling about my body because of a crazy number on a scale. A number that is affected by my food and water intake, by the time of the month, by the time of day, by the workout I did yesterday...obviously its not a reliable thing!! So I went downstairs. I did my workout. I planned my eating. And I took my weekly progress pictures. I made a few collages of some before and after pictures. There is only a small difference in weight in these pictures (I think about 5 lbs)! Obviously the scale doesn't say it all. I'm leaner, i'm healthier, i'm stronger. I really am seeing significant differences in how my body is performing. The numbers i'm producing at spin class every week say a lot! I'm more powerful and I have more endurance. So once again i'm reminding myself that the scale DOES NOT MATTER. I bought a pair of jeans this week that I want to wear on our trip next month. I can get them on, but they are snug, on purpose. I will prove to myself that the work I am doing is working. Those pants will fit me beautifully by the time we leave. I'm sure of it. Tomorrow is my last workout from month 2 with my trainer. I'm excited to see what she has in store for me in month 3!
.jpg)
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Life is Good!!
I am in such a good mood today. Seriously. :) Yesterday was another cycle class with Stacey. It was probably the hardest workout I have ever done. We did time trials, which basically means we warmed up, then pushed hard for 10 minutes, 3 different times, and tried to beat ourselves in distance each time. Let me tell you, 10 minutes is a long time when you are working that hard! It was so so hard, I had to tell myself a lot of times not to quit. My body was totally exhausted! But I did it. I beat myself every time, and I pushed really hard. I was very proud of how I did when we were done. On the way home I was thinking about it and literally broke down in tears. I have spent years not liking myself. I've spent years feeling like I can't do hard things. And yesterday I proved to myself that I am not that person anymore. I didn't back down from the challenge. I pushed harder than I thought I could, and I overcame! And I was proud of myself! I've been proud of my body, I've been happy with the mirror, I haven't let the scale control me. And I feel free! I feel happy! As tired as I was yesterday, and still am today, I am in a fantastic mood. The scale was even up today, and I know its because I pushed my body to new limits, and I didn't let that number control how I felt today. I'm really like this new person I'm becoming and I plan to hang on to it for dear life.
Today I went in for my second Laser Hair Removal treatment. I talked a lot with the technician about my journey, and after it was over I showed her some of my progress pictures, and I was so happy to do it. I was so happy to talk about how hard i've worked, the time I'm putting into my recovery, my body, my nutrition. I didn't take the easy way out. Surgery certainly helped me improve my body and my mind set, but I did a ton of work before and after to get to where I am. And I'm going to keep pushing myself and making new breakthroughs.
Here are pictures from this morning. I'm loving my waist! Everything is still healing really well. My scar is still really noticeable as you can see, but I feel like its smoothing out really well and lightening up a little all the time. And I don't give it one second of thought. I'm fine with my scar and stretch marks!
Today I went in for my second Laser Hair Removal treatment. I talked a lot with the technician about my journey, and after it was over I showed her some of my progress pictures, and I was so happy to do it. I was so happy to talk about how hard i've worked, the time I'm putting into my recovery, my body, my nutrition. I didn't take the easy way out. Surgery certainly helped me improve my body and my mind set, but I did a ton of work before and after to get to where I am. And I'm going to keep pushing myself and making new breakthroughs.
Here are pictures from this morning. I'm loving my waist! Everything is still healing really well. My scar is still really noticeable as you can see, but I feel like its smoothing out really well and lightening up a little all the time. And I don't give it one second of thought. I'm fine with my scar and stretch marks!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
3 Months Post-op!
I can't believe its been 3 months! I'm feeling great. I've lost 4.6 pounds in the last month too. Woot! Still a little swollen, I'm ready for that to be done, but I'm super happy! My workouts are going great, i'm pushing hard, and feel like i'm ready for more. My nutrition is on better track then it has ever been. I've finally found a niche. I don't feel super deprived, I don't feel hungry all the time. Am I more choosy about what I put in my mouth? Yes! But I've had some cake, i've had some pizza, i've had some crackers, i've had chocolate covered strawberries. I'm not avoiding all the good stuff! I'm just much more choosy about what and how much and when I eat it. I'm so glad i've found something that's working for me! I'm feeling strong and healthy. I'm starting to see muscle definition again. I feel like my goals are within reach, for real, for the first time in a very long time. I'm just a few pounds from my next big goal. And I know I will reach that! I'm done fighting with my body, now i'm working with it and we are getting along. :) I see positive things every time I look in the mirror. Do I still have some body issues and part of my body I don't like? Yeah...but they don't take over my mind anymore. I can look at my body and say, "i'm looking good! look at the progress i've made!". It is making all the difference. Hooray for self-esteem again. Hooray for getting along with my own body! I forgot to take progress pictures today, so I will take some soon and post. The changes are small every week, but there are changes, and for that I am grateful! Bring on March!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
10 Weeks Post-op!
I'm feeling fantastic! I've got my diet under control, with the help of my trainer Stacey, the scale is moving again, I see things tightening up. I'm super happy with what I see in the mirror for the first time in my recent memory. Its a great feeling to be pushing myself hard and enjoying the fruits of that labor! I still have a bit of swelling, especially after a hard workout, but overall I'm so happy.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Today I did another Cycle class with Stacey. It was super hard. I was struggling physically and mentally. It was a class about hill climbing, something I desperately need to work on. I've always had a bit of a mental block when it comes to climbing. I used to carefully plan all of my cycling routes to avoid any big hills, which is hard to do in Utah! Last year I pushed myself to climb a little more, and I know I can handle more than I think I can, and I learned to enjoy some climbing, but last summer I did one really big hill. I was scared going in. I was scared all the way up. I got off my bike many times. I almost quit a bunch of times. I did eventually make it to the top, but I hated every minute of it and felt like a failure for struggling so much with it. And ever since then hills stress me out! I'm glad I have Stacey to push me in these classes, to teach me that I am stronger than I think, and that i'm putting in the work to be able to conquer whatever it is I want to conquer. I don't think I'll be going back to that hill anytime soon, but maybe someday I can conquer it for real. The picture below is my profile picture on Facebook right now. Its what I tell myself every day as I start my workout or think about my goals. And its true. I know it is. I am stronger today that yesterday and i'll be stronger yet tomorrow. One day at a time!
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Nutrition
I've got the workouts going, I'm feeling strong and motivated, but I have to say I've been letting my nutrition slip the last couple of weeks, between the flu and a family vacation, i've just been slacking. I know that no amount of exercise will show me the results I want if I don't reign in the food i'm taking into my body. So, I'm rededicated to that part of my life. I really struggle with eating too many carbs and too much sugar, so I'm reigning it in, tracking what I eat and trying to focus on eating more of the good stuff so I will be too full for the bad stuff. I'm home from church today with a sick baby, and usually I use the excuse of a lazy day to snack too much, but not today. So far i'm right on track, and I plan to stay that way. I'm not going to deny myself everything, I go crazy doing that, but I can definitely cut back. I went shopping yesterday and made a healthy, lower carb, higher protein meal plan for this week. I'm hoping that a couple weeks back on track and I will remember how much better I feel eating this way! I'd be lying if I said the snacks in the cupboard weren't calling my name, but like they say, "Will power is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets." So today i'm doing a lot of flexing of my will power muscles. :)
On another note, I finally got the ok to take off the surgical binder. I'm still wearing it sometimes, it helps my back and abs feel stronger, especially while I exercise, and it helps with the swelling, but its nice to get breaks from it. My incision is healing really well, just a small scab left, woot! And i'm going from seeing the doctor every 1-2 weeks to every 6-8 weeks. Woot! Almost back to normal. :)
Monday, February 3, 2014
2 Months post-op!
I've been feeling so good, until I got the flu! I completed the first full week of my trainers workouts, and started week 2, then had to take a few days off to recover, but i'm easing back in now. The workouts are tough but I totally rocked them. :) My incision is almost healed. My swelling is improving all the time. I'm so excited about it all. My weight still seems to be bouncing around the same 2 pounds, but that's ok, it'll come. I bought new jeans last week, size 6! Yay!
I also started laser hair removal last week! I'm gonna be a whole new person. :) It went really well, i'm nervous as it gets more painful down the road, but I really like the medical spa I went to, and I know it'll be worth it!
In other big news since my last post: I'm officially signed up for the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes again! This time in Burlington, VT in July. I am SO excited to do it again, and actually complete all the miles this time. :) I'm hoping my brother and sister will be joining me, i'm still working on winning them over, but I think they are coming along. Now it's time to buckle down and fundraise! I've got a few things in the works, hopefully it'll work out for a big money year for JDRF. If you care to read about why I ride, or want to donate to the cause here is my link: http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/DianeOwen
I'm not planning to race as much this year, but so far my race (actually more like ride) schedule looks like this: Goldilocks Bike Ride in May (Probably 60 miles), JDRF Burlington in July, Wonder Woman Bike Ride in September (70 Miles). I will also do the Larson Cup Triathlon whenever that is, and maybe a long swim race in August if I feel like I can fit in the training for it. I'm so excited for this year. Seriously, its going to be awesome. Woot!
Here are my 2 month post-op pictures:
I also started laser hair removal last week! I'm gonna be a whole new person. :) It went really well, i'm nervous as it gets more painful down the road, but I really like the medical spa I went to, and I know it'll be worth it!
In other big news since my last post: I'm officially signed up for the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes again! This time in Burlington, VT in July. I am SO excited to do it again, and actually complete all the miles this time. :) I'm hoping my brother and sister will be joining me, i'm still working on winning them over, but I think they are coming along. Now it's time to buckle down and fundraise! I've got a few things in the works, hopefully it'll work out for a big money year for JDRF. If you care to read about why I ride, or want to donate to the cause here is my link: http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/DianeOwen
I'm not planning to race as much this year, but so far my race (actually more like ride) schedule looks like this: Goldilocks Bike Ride in May (Probably 60 miles), JDRF Burlington in July, Wonder Woman Bike Ride in September (70 Miles). I will also do the Larson Cup Triathlon whenever that is, and maybe a long swim race in August if I feel like I can fit in the training for it. I'm so excited for this year. Seriously, its going to be awesome. Woot!
Here are my 2 month post-op pictures:
As you can see, my incision is rather red and inflamed right now, but that is a normal stage of healing and doesn't bother me at all. It is healing really well and is nice and thin and smooth in most places. The little scab on the left hand side of the picture is the spot i've been watching for over a month now. Its getting so close to being gone! I rolled my pants down as far as I dared for these pictures and they still cover the edges of my scar on my hips, I like that. :) Obviously there is still some swelling, but its really easing up every where. I have a million pictures of myself on my phone because i'm fascinated with my new shape, and how differently all my clothes fit. My husband gets a kick out of going through my phone. haha.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
New Game Plan!
I've had a decent plan going, but I felt a little scattered and was trying to gain some focus, and wasn't quite sure how to go about that. And then I met Stacey. :) Remember that super empowering spin class teacher? Yep! She does personal training and coaching! So this week I met with her and hired her as my coach. She put together a plan for me, and I am so excited! She believes in me so much that I am so pumped about what I can accomplish this year. She wrote me a plan with 3 cardio days and 3 weight days per week. I did her leg workout yesterday and her cycling workout today. Whoo! She knows her stuff! I can't walk or sit down now, but I can tell its working! This month we are focusing on leaning me out, getting my body burning fat like crazy and then in another month or so we will start focusing more on cycling to get me ready for my events. I am seriously so excited! Who know I could be so excited about so much pain. Haha! I check in with her every day right now, and it really makes me not cheat on my workouts. No more skipping the lunges. :)
I can also tell that having more focused has me more on my game in the kitchen too. I have to fuel myself well, so I've been planning a little better and eating a little better. But, I'm happy to say i'm not obsessing. I've been counting my calories, but not stressing. I'm not beating myself up when I have a little treat. I'm not beating myself up if I have a bad meal. I'm not stressing about the ups and downs with the scale. I'm just doing better overall and trying to be positive about myself. I love how much happier I am when I take this approach.
I forgot to take official 7 weeks post-op pictures this week! I haven't changed much this week. I feel like my swelling is going down though, which is great. I'm still wearing my surgical binder, but I'm totally used to that now. And my incision is looking better and better. Its still not completely healed, but I can tell its getting close. The rest of the incision looks really good. Its thin and smooth. Its still pretty red, but I can tell as it heals its going to be a really nice looking scar. Here are some random pictures of my in different clothes. I'm kind of obsesses with how different my clothes look on me, I take a lot of pictures. :) I'm also obsessed with wearing workout clothes now. They make me feel like a million bucks. I just bought a bunch of new ones. I might need a workout clothes closet soon. Haha!
I can also tell that having more focused has me more on my game in the kitchen too. I have to fuel myself well, so I've been planning a little better and eating a little better. But, I'm happy to say i'm not obsessing. I've been counting my calories, but not stressing. I'm not beating myself up when I have a little treat. I'm not beating myself up if I have a bad meal. I'm not stressing about the ups and downs with the scale. I'm just doing better overall and trying to be positive about myself. I love how much happier I am when I take this approach.
I forgot to take official 7 weeks post-op pictures this week! I haven't changed much this week. I feel like my swelling is going down though, which is great. I'm still wearing my surgical binder, but I'm totally used to that now. And my incision is looking better and better. Its still not completely healed, but I can tell its getting close. The rest of the incision looks really good. Its thin and smooth. Its still pretty red, but I can tell as it heals its going to be a really nice looking scar. Here are some random pictures of my in different clothes. I'm kind of obsesses with how different my clothes look on me, I take a lot of pictures. :) I'm also obsessed with wearing workout clothes now. They make me feel like a million bucks. I just bought a bunch of new ones. I might need a workout clothes closet soon. Haha!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Progress
I've been thinking a lot about a lot today. :) Mostly about how far I've come. I did a spin class today at my new gym. I wasn't sure I was up for the intensity yet, but I was excited to try it out. I LOVED IT. Was I pushing as hard as some other people in the class? Probably not. Does it matter? NOPE! My heart rate was sky high when it was supposed to be, I knew I was pushing my limits, I was sweating buckets, and I was loving it! And I did everything the teacher asked us to do. When I did my first spin class about 2 years ago, I couldn't stand up and pedal for more than 15 seconds. I was literally incapable. My first 2 classes I left half way through in tears. I haven't done a ton of spin classes since. I have done a few, and I knew I had improved, I mean I did spend a lot of time on a bike last year, but spinning is different! I really didn't know what to expect, especially after surgery. But I went, and rocked it, and I felt like a super star! The teacher was awesome, as was her playlist. She was very motivating and empowering. I bought into everything she said about us being more capable than we believe, about the fact that our legs will do whatever our brain tells them to do, and about the fact that I AM AN ATHLETE. She told a little bit of her story, she didn't step into a gym until she was 33, she walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes and thought she would die, but she kept coming back, and 1 year later she ran her first marathon! That is amazing to me! So often I get down on myself, I feel like I got into this living healthy thing too late in life and made it a lot harder on myself. But, who cares?? Its hard, yes. But its worth it! I teared up on several occasions as I was pushing hard, standing up out of the saddle, legs on fire, listening to the teacher cheer me on. I have come so far!
Before the class I met with a trainer and did what is called the "MyHealthScore" test. It went over my weight, body fat, water levels, cholesterol etc etc. I knew there would be a few things that I need to work on, but I'm happy to report I score a 92/100! The only deduction was for a higher than optimal body fat %. I knew that. That is my goal this year! Get my body fat down and my lean body mass up! For my own sake, I'm going to list a few of my numbers here so I can reference back as I work on these things.
Body Fat: 31.7%
Total Cholesterol: 158
HDL: 39 (needs to come up)
LDL: 102 (could stand to go down a bit)
Triglycerides: 85
I'm glad I can look back and see how far i've come. I'm glad I can see a healthier me in my future.
Before the class I met with a trainer and did what is called the "MyHealthScore" test. It went over my weight, body fat, water levels, cholesterol etc etc. I knew there would be a few things that I need to work on, but I'm happy to report I score a 92/100! The only deduction was for a higher than optimal body fat %. I knew that. That is my goal this year! Get my body fat down and my lean body mass up! For my own sake, I'm going to list a few of my numbers here so I can reference back as I work on these things.
Body Fat: 31.7%
Total Cholesterol: 158
HDL: 39 (needs to come up)
LDL: 102 (could stand to go down a bit)
Triglycerides: 85
I'm glad I can look back and see how far i've come. I'm glad I can see a healthier me in my future.
Proof that I worked my tush off in spin today!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)