Turkey Day 5k

What a beautiful morning! When I was finished with the run I decided that this was my most favorite race to date. It was chilly; about 25 degrees. You warm up real quick though when you get moving. It was like running in a snow globe. Big flakes slowly drifted down during the entire race. Except for the river of people, all the world looked still and peaceful. I busted my butt to get that 31 minute time, but alas it was not enough. Final time was 31:40 for 3.14 miles. I'm gonna round down to 31:30 because of the extra .04 and the traffic jam at the finish line. I'm pleased. I was probably in pretty good shape I guess to run the 10 Mile because a month and a half later after minimal running I can still eek out a good time. I wonder what I could have done with the 5k when I was in that peak condition!!!??? I could have been a condender! It's been a good month and a half though, so I don't regret what I could have done.

One of these years, I am going to cook a Thanksgiving dinner at my house and invite the whole family to run the Turkey Day 5k. It was a really fun thing to do before eating a meal. I just felt better the whole day. The food even seemed to taste better. I would like to share that experience with the family some year. Consider this an official invite :)

A Flaw in the Vision

I received a bonus from work on Thursday and promptly spent it (I do have some left) on Friday by ordering my coffee maker!!! It arrived yesterday and this morning I enjoyed my first cup of coffee. It started brewing just as I entered the house after yoga class. Side note: Yes! I made it to yoga. It was everything I could have imagined, and I even poured some in a travel mug and brought it to work. Much better than the weak coffee here. The only flaw in my beautiful relaxing morning? By the time I get home from the gym and have to get ready for work, I have no time to sit and enjoy the coffee and breakfast. Breakfast was rushed as usual and I certainly didn't have time to read anything. I won't be getting up any earlier than 5:45 to go to the gym and get to work, so I guess I am going to have to let go of the leisurely morning for now. Be flexible in your goals sometimes. Mine didn't turn out the way I had planned but it is still a sweet victory.

Maybe on Thursday before we head out for Thanksgiving I will make myself a cappuchino. Think of all the money this little baby is going to be saving me!! It will practically pay for itself :)

Sunday’s check in a day late

This week I am down 1. No big deal really, I think it was luck and the fact that weight can fluctuate quite a bit on a day to day period. The big challenge will be this week for a number of reasons; thanksgiving, being out of town, happy hour for a co-worker on Tuesday. Let me recap the week.

I did not go to spin class on Wednesday morning. I have yet to conquer that class! It’s getting ridiculous. Just go already! I did go to the gym that evening though. Thursday I didn’t do anything, which because of that I only worked out 4 times this week. And I’m not sure I technically followed the weights twice a week thing either, but I did run 2 miles on a treadmill on Friday night and then did my “tempo” run on Saturday. It was cold. I say “tempo” run because it was just a run. I tried to run at race pace, but then got tired out after the first mile and a quarter. I nailed the warm up and cool down pace though!! :) Saturday was my day to binge. I went out dancing with a bunch of friends and had a BLAST. We danced for about 3 hours straight so that has to count for something right? I did write everything down, but didn’t count calories. Sunday wasn’t that great either, but it’s down in the books. On to a fresh week. I’m already getting more motivated just typing.

This week’s workouts will go like this:
Monday: Speed training for the run and some weights
Tuesday: 6AM yoga
Wednesday: 6AM Spin class??? Could this be the week?
Thursday: 5K

Then I am hoping for a walk on Friday or Saturday to round out the 5 day schedule. I’m not so sure that 31 minute 5k will happen on Thursday, but it’s a goal. A noble goal.

A thought for me to remember: This counts - NOW.

So often I think “Well….I’ll just eat this now because tonight I’ll just have a salad” or “I’ll work out extra hard tonight” It’s much better to take the healthy action NOW rather than put it off because so often it doesn’t happen later either. Live in the present. That’s what I always say. Actually, I never say that, but it should be my mantra.

Have I mentioned how excited I am for Thanksgiving? This is going to be a great holiday season. I can feel it!

Goals

As promised and after much deliberation I have finally come up with my new fitness goals. I want to lose 5 pounds by the end of November; I’ll worry about the other 20 later. How will I accomplish this near impossible feat? Why diet and exercise of course silly! That’s the plan. Actually, I wish that would work for me, but I need a detailed hour by hour plan weekly if I am going to reach this goal. The whole “I’m on a diet” thing doesn’t work for me. I need something to follow. I’m not the best at following my own plans, developed, tested and implemented by me, but I’m going to give it a shot this time because I have tried almost every diet out there (food plan wise) and I know what I like and what is easiest for me to follow. And because it’s not just me. It’s the millions of people who I can only imagine are reading this blog and hanging on my every pound.

Let’s talk food. I need more protein in my diet and less carbs. I decided not to count grams or blocks but instead make a conscious effort to include mostly protein in lunch and dinner and save the carbs for snacks or breakfast. Writing everything down works really well. I’m going to aim for 1200-1400 calories a day with one day that I can go over. I must must MUST drink more water. I can tell I get dehydrated when I work out because that has been lacking from my diet. No soda pop for the rest of the month. I’m not cutting caffine because I just read on MSN (and they know EVERYTHING) that caffine after a workout helps fight skin damage and people are less likely to get skin cancer. The reputable doctors at MSN are good enough for me!

Exercise: Each Sunday (ok – the next two) I will develop a schedule. Since every week changes I find it hard to always make it to the same yoga class. I’m not training for a run anymore so I don’t want exercise to trump everything else in my life. I want to plan exercise around my life for a while. Each weekly goal is 5 workouts a week, two of those being strength workouts.

Rewards:
For writing down each days food for the 1st goal period: Picture frame
For every 5 pounds lost: $50 towards a trip
Goal weight: Take a trip somewhere (TBD)
Side Goal for running the Turkey Day 5K in less than 31 minutes: Pedicure

Since I am a little behind on this week here is how it’s going to go for the remaining days.

Tuesday: 6AM Yoga Class – Done and done!
Wednesday: 6AM Spin Class (1st timer here!)
Thursday: 6AM Yoga Class
Friday: Easy run (2-3 miles) *beginning of Race Ready in 1 Week
Saturday: Tempo Run

Next check in on this subject: Sunday

What a weekend!

This has been a great weekend. Many may find in not very notable at all, but I really enjoyed my days. Friday morning (ok - so not really part of a weekend, but still; it was a good day) I gave my ice breaker speech in Toastmasters. I'm not sure you could find a less threatening group of people anywhere, yet I was quite nervous. I'm always fearful that what I have prepared is not good enough. I practiced my speech probably 50 times, so I had it down. During my presentation I could feel my voice quivering and my hands shaking. But nobody noticed!! I even specifically asked one person and he said he couldn't tell. I'm scared a lot. I don't know what to do often and I sometimes have to do difficult things I don't want to do. But here is the thing. I fake it. If it has to be done and I don't want to or am afraid to, I pretend I'm not and just do it. Shut off all of the feelings of anxiety about whatever it is; they don't exist because they don't have room to exist. Not if you are going to get through what it is you have to do. After my speech many people commented on how prepared I was and how well I did. I was so relieved and ready to practice again! To add to my euphoria, when I walked outside afterward it was snowing :) Bring on winter. I'm ready!

Friday evening I went to a yoga class and then saw American Gangster. The movie was better than the class. In fact, the movie was really good. I especially liked how they never let you forget that this guy was a bad guy. Whenever they would show Frank (the gangster) with his family or friends or loving wife, they would flash to scenes of all the destruction and damage he was causing so the audience didn't forget.

Saturday, I had breakfast with a friend and then went home to clean my house. The cleaning bug bites me very very infrequently. I clean, but rarely am I ever in the mood. Who is, right? But I felt like cleaning, so I got a lot accomplished. In the middle of the afternoon though I took a break for a long overdue run. The weather was cold. That was a shock, but I got over it luckily. I ended up running close to 5 miles. I hadn't run since I ran a blazin' 3.1 miles Oct. 11th. Turns out 5 is the old 5 again. It was more difficult than I remember, but I did it. My average pace was 10:15, which was another shocker. My legs can feel it today!

More cleaning, crocheting and cooking finished out the day. Today, is church and a family birthday party for my boyfriend. Should be a great leasurly Sunday. We are also going to sign up for the Turkey Day 5k. I am reluctantly doing so, but I think if I don't I will regret it on race day. Plus, what better way to start Turkey Day!? Making room for 400 extra calories that I am sure to need with all the mashed potatoes and stuffing. Yum, yum!!!

To Do: Find the training plan for "One-Week to Race Day" The procrastinator guide to a 5k.

A Post Overdue

If this were the library my fine would be about $6.40.

I just returned from Las Vegas yesterday. Vegas is too much. Too much glitz, too much money, too many lights, too much stimulation, too many people, too much of the same thing. Too much. Everything in excess and such a waste. At the same time it is beautiful, exciting and entertaining. I think you just need to know your Vegas limit. Here is what I enjoyed about my vacation:

• Had a great time being with good friends
• We wined, we dined, we roamed, we laughed, we hugged. It was all good
• Learned to play a grown up game: blackjack. At a real table
• And I did good. If it weren’t for the battering I took at the slot machines I might have come out even
• Laid in the warmth by the pool and read. It was 34 when I got home :(
• Saw the fountain show at the Bellagio. That has to be the best thing ever. Spectacular. And free!

Thinking about the past weekend one thought comes to mind: Life if good.

Friday I am slotted to give my ice breaker speech to the toastmaster group. I have it half composed in my head already. The subject matter is easy enough; about myself. I’m worried I won’t have enough time to prepare and am once again wondering what I have gotten myself into. I’ve got an idea started hopefully the rest is just the filler.

There is no exercise in my life for at least another day. That will make a good week since I have had time to workout. I feel like a total slug. Maybe I would feel like it was a good rest if I was sick of going to the gym, but I was just getting started again so this break has been most unwelcome. Right now, Thursday is looking good. The good news is, is that I think I spiraled so far down the eating out and no exercise path that I am ready work hard for a goal. I’m pretty sure I found my motivation again. It was at the bottom of a Happy Meal. Next to the toy. I’ll formulate a goal in the next few days.

I need goals. Maybe there had to be a cooling period after my last goal (the run) because I didn’t really seem ready to jump into something else. I have felt like I am in between everything. If I’m not running, what am I doing? I need something to work for. I’ll have to take some time in the next few days and formulate what I am truly interested in attacking next. Maybe time to update the list.