So, it's already the last day of February, which seems like some sort of cruel joke (i.e., my mom being right about time going faster when you get older).
To date I have logged just over 2000 fitness minutes, which means an average of 1000 minutes per month or 250 minutes per week. And while I've said it before that this is not necessarily about the weight loss, but more about the overall fitness, it did dawn on me over the past week that if I would STOP eating for every reason and no reason under the sun that I would have burned enough to lose at least 10 pounds this year.
This realization, as well as some awful seeing myself in the mirror moments, has led me to decide to submit an audition tape for The Biggest Loser.
Overall I am pretty happy with how my training is "working out" for me. :)
I haven't built the speed I was hoping for in the first two months, but I have had the consistency and have mostly avoided over-training.
I started with a new PT on Friday for this chronic knee/quad/hip pain since it wasn't responding as well as I wanted it to with self-management. His assessment is that I have some bursitis (makes me sound old!) in the hip. I have some stretches, foam roller and ice to do twice a day and then we'll re-evaluate on Tuesday. He seems very similar to my former PT (who is not practicing right now) in approaches and is very much about allowing me to stay as active as possible as I also rehab. I am confident that by the time my "official" training starts the last week of March that I will be ready for it!
Speaking of the stretching, roller and ice I'd better go get to it!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Yes, yes, I know......
I missed my week in review blog for this past week. And it's coming. It really is.
Unfortunately, I got a nasty post-massage-hangover after Saturday's kick a-- workout and then massage. It has taken me a few days to feel like I'm getting past it.
So, I think it's gonna be a 2 week review by the time I get to it.
In other news, I have decided that I am going to audition for The Biggest Loser. I'll be contacting some of you to ask you to be my references.
Later!
Unfortunately, I got a nasty post-massage-hangover after Saturday's kick a-- workout and then massage. It has taken me a few days to feel like I'm getting past it.
So, I think it's gonna be a 2 week review by the time I get to it.
In other news, I have decided that I am going to audition for The Biggest Loser. I'll be contacting some of you to ask you to be my references.
Later!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Neola Half Marathon
I was putting the Galloway training program long runs onto my Google calendar and discovered that on July 3 I am supposed to do 14 miles. What a perfect time to do a half-marathon! So, thanks to my friend Google, I found a half marathon in Utah. It is in Neola (a teeny-tiny town). Here is the registration on Active.com if you are interested in joining me!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Feb. 14 - Week in Review
Another week has come and gone and as I posted yesterday it ended up being more of a recovery week than I had intended. But it's a good thing as the ache in my knee/quad/hip has almost resolved.
Monday: 60 minutes of boxing (20 min on the bike, 3 rounds speed bag, 3 rounds heavy bag, 4 rounds mitts, strength training that includes upper body, abs and quads/hammys)
Tuesday: 6AM treadmill workout - kept it mostly at 3.3
Wednesday: 60 minutes of boxing (I could tell I was getting really fatigued as I only managed to get in 3 rounds with Tim instead of 4 and that included a lot of talking in between)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: rest/recovery
Total for the week: 150 minutes
My nutrition has been in the toilet since Wednesday. The game plan for this week is to use up the stuff around the house that is going to cause problems and then be ready to really detox the following week.
I have been reading lots of other people's blogs and am struck by how "at home" I feel with their experiences. I know that I will be running by the time I get to the starting line. Because my goal is to get to the starting line feeling good I need to take the time and AVOID overuse injuries. This is forcing me to use patience that I normally wouldn't possess....
Thanks for reading!
Monday: 60 minutes of boxing (20 min on the bike, 3 rounds speed bag, 3 rounds heavy bag, 4 rounds mitts, strength training that includes upper body, abs and quads/hammys)
Tuesday: 6AM treadmill workout - kept it mostly at 3.3
Wednesday: 60 minutes of boxing (I could tell I was getting really fatigued as I only managed to get in 3 rounds with Tim instead of 4 and that included a lot of talking in between)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: rest/recovery
Total for the week: 150 minutes
My nutrition has been in the toilet since Wednesday. The game plan for this week is to use up the stuff around the house that is going to cause problems and then be ready to really detox the following week.
I have been reading lots of other people's blogs and am struck by how "at home" I feel with their experiences. I know that I will be running by the time I get to the starting line. Because my goal is to get to the starting line feeling good I need to take the time and AVOID overuse injuries. This is forcing me to use patience that I normally wouldn't possess....
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Unintended Rest/Recovery Week
I didn't come into this week thinking that it would be a rest/recovery week, but that is how it has turned out.
I did get through my workouts Mon, Tues, Wed. Felt really tired Wed night trying to hit mitts. I could only do three rounds (usually I do four) with Tim and that's with a lot of talking in between, too.
Thursday I woke up with a sinus headache and puffy eyes. It took me about 10 minutes of sitting on the edge of my bed debating if I was going to go to the gym or not before I went with the going back to bed. I was really happy I did, too, since we had our science fair at school and I was in charge and it was a HUGE day. Thankfully I didn't have ESL class that night, either, and I went to bed early.
At this point I should mention that I have really been working on my left knee, quad, hip. I have been doing PT exercises and icing and stretching, and it feels ok, but it has been waking me up in the night for some ibu.
Friday is one of my usual rest days. I considered going to boxing last night, but by the time I got home (pooped out from Valentine's Day parties, scrambling to get grades in since the system will down this weekend, presenting the science fair awards) and got my head on it was almost time for the Olympics coverage to begin.
And here it is Saturday. I have a workshop to get certified as an amatuer boxing judge today that starts at 9. The original plan was to get up and hit the treadmill for an hour from 7-8. I did get up at 6:30. But you know that feeling you get about a day before a muscle strain resolves? I have that feeling in the left leg this morning.
Tomorrow would also be a recovery day so I think by Monday I can go long on the treadmill and see how the leg feels.
Sometimes I have to remind myself of the fact that I really want to GET to the starting line of TOU ready to give a good effort and feeling like I can do the whole 26.2. So it's ok to take the time now to work out the kinks (literally and figuratively).
I did get through my workouts Mon, Tues, Wed. Felt really tired Wed night trying to hit mitts. I could only do three rounds (usually I do four) with Tim and that's with a lot of talking in between, too.
Thursday I woke up with a sinus headache and puffy eyes. It took me about 10 minutes of sitting on the edge of my bed debating if I was going to go to the gym or not before I went with the going back to bed. I was really happy I did, too, since we had our science fair at school and I was in charge and it was a HUGE day. Thankfully I didn't have ESL class that night, either, and I went to bed early.
At this point I should mention that I have really been working on my left knee, quad, hip. I have been doing PT exercises and icing and stretching, and it feels ok, but it has been waking me up in the night for some ibu.
Friday is one of my usual rest days. I considered going to boxing last night, but by the time I got home (pooped out from Valentine's Day parties, scrambling to get grades in since the system will down this weekend, presenting the science fair awards) and got my head on it was almost time for the Olympics coverage to begin.
And here it is Saturday. I have a workshop to get certified as an amatuer boxing judge today that starts at 9. The original plan was to get up and hit the treadmill for an hour from 7-8. I did get up at 6:30. But you know that feeling you get about a day before a muscle strain resolves? I have that feeling in the left leg this morning.
Tomorrow would also be a recovery day so I think by Monday I can go long on the treadmill and see how the leg feels.
Sometimes I have to remind myself of the fact that I really want to GET to the starting line of TOU ready to give a good effort and feeling like I can do the whole 26.2. So it's ok to take the time now to work out the kinks (literally and figuratively).
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Great Article from ChiRunning.com
Not only is this a great article about running, but the whole intro is also very fitting for dealing with opposition in one's life. :)
Here is the link to the original article, which I have cut/paste below. Enjoy!
View More Articles
A T'ai Chi Lesson for Your Running:
Cooperating with the Force of Gravity and the Force of the Road
Written by Katherine Dreyer
Here's a lesson from my T'ai Chi master that has helped my running more than I ever could have imagined. One of the first things we are taught in T’ai Chi is that the best way to deal with a force coming from your opponent is to cooperate with it, not oppose it. If you go against a force you give it more power. If you want to neutralize any force, learn to cooperate with it, not fight it. By incorporating this simple lesson into your running form every time you start running, you could avoid having to deal with any kind of running pain.
Whenever you're running, your body comes under the influence of two forces: 1.) the constant downward pull of gravity and 2.) the force of the road coming at you as you run. In ChiRunning, you’ll cooperate with these two forces and make them your allies with every step.
The Pull of Gravity
You can either cooperate with the pull of gravity and let it help you down the road, or you can fight it, causing friction and extra work for your leg muscles. Here's the science behind this statement: Newton’s law states that "a body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force." Anytime you run with your body upright (which is how most adults run) your center of mass is located directly over your feet and your body is vertically aligned with the downward pull of gravity. In this position, your body is at rest because your center of mass (pelvic area) is directly over your feet. The only way to get your body moving is to use your legs, which is why we call it "power running." When you run upright, as soon as you stop pushing yourself forward, you stop moving. All of your motion is dependent on your legs, and because you are pushing yourself off the ground to move forward, you're working against gravity.
With the ChiRunning technique, you cooperate with the pull of gravity by leading with your upper body and falling forward into the pull of gravity. Your body then becomes a forward-falling object, like a tree that's just been chopped down. Because your center of mass is just ahead of your feet, your upper body falls forward. When you learn to balance in this “perpetual fall" you'll be cooperating with the same force that pulls a unicycle rider forward. (See p. 108 in the new ChiRunning book for more information about how to maintain the perfect balance of lean.) So if gravity is pulling you, just go with it and you'll run more efficiently than you ever thought possible. Can you imagine how happy your legs would be if they were used only for momentary support between strides, and they didn't have to be used for propulsion? This is especially great for anyone doing distance running.
The Force of the Road
Here's how to cooperate with the other force you'll be dealing with: the force of the road coming at you. Whenever your body moves forward, the road is always moving in the opposite direction at the same speed, relatively speaking. Most power runners reach forward with their legs, swinging them into the force of the oncoming road, and land with a heel strike in front of their body. The impact of a heel strike, coupled with the forward momentum of your entire body, can send a shock wave up your leg, potentially damaging your heels, ankles, shins, knees, hips or lower back, depending on where your weakest link is. Having your foot strike in front of your body is like putting on the brakes because your feet are stopping your forward momentum each time they hit the ground. Pretty inefficient, I'd say. If you don't believe me, just look at the bottoms of your running shoes and check to see if the heels are worn down. If they are, it means you're running with your brakes on. What's wrong with this picture? Would you ever drive your car with one foot on the gas pedal and one foot on the brake pedal at the same time? I wouldn't.
In the ChiRunning book and DVD, we show you how to land with your foot underneath or slightly behind your hips. When you're leading with your upper body and relaxing your lower body, and allow your hip to swing back with your leg, the force of the road coming your way will swing your legs for you. How cool is that? This allows your legs to cooperate with the force of the road, eliminating any braking component to your stride. The ability to rotate your pelvis will prevent a heel strike, and instead you'll land with a nice soft midfoot strike, and all the force of the road coming at you will pass by without slowing you down or impacting your body.
Allowing your pelvis to rotate back with your leg creates a healthy twist of the spine and makes the force of the road your ally. A healthy pelvic rotation adds length to your stride and reduces impact even more. The pelvic rotation has become a central theme in ChiRunning and is described in depth in the new (May 2009) edition of the book and DVD.
It's how you used to run when you were a child. Just think about cooperating with the pull of gravity by leading with your upper body (falling forward), and and cooperating with the force of the road by allowing your legs to swing rearward, in the same direction the road is moving.
Here is the link to the original article, which I have cut/paste below. Enjoy!
View More Articles
A T'ai Chi Lesson for Your Running:
Cooperating with the Force of Gravity and the Force of the Road
Written by Katherine Dreyer
Here's a lesson from my T'ai Chi master that has helped my running more than I ever could have imagined. One of the first things we are taught in T’ai Chi is that the best way to deal with a force coming from your opponent is to cooperate with it, not oppose it. If you go against a force you give it more power. If you want to neutralize any force, learn to cooperate with it, not fight it. By incorporating this simple lesson into your running form every time you start running, you could avoid having to deal with any kind of running pain.
Whenever you're running, your body comes under the influence of two forces: 1.) the constant downward pull of gravity and 2.) the force of the road coming at you as you run. In ChiRunning, you’ll cooperate with these two forces and make them your allies with every step.
The Pull of Gravity
You can either cooperate with the pull of gravity and let it help you down the road, or you can fight it, causing friction and extra work for your leg muscles. Here's the science behind this statement: Newton’s law states that "a body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force." Anytime you run with your body upright (which is how most adults run) your center of mass is located directly over your feet and your body is vertically aligned with the downward pull of gravity. In this position, your body is at rest because your center of mass (pelvic area) is directly over your feet. The only way to get your body moving is to use your legs, which is why we call it "power running." When you run upright, as soon as you stop pushing yourself forward, you stop moving. All of your motion is dependent on your legs, and because you are pushing yourself off the ground to move forward, you're working against gravity.
With the ChiRunning technique, you cooperate with the pull of gravity by leading with your upper body and falling forward into the pull of gravity. Your body then becomes a forward-falling object, like a tree that's just been chopped down. Because your center of mass is just ahead of your feet, your upper body falls forward. When you learn to balance in this “perpetual fall" you'll be cooperating with the same force that pulls a unicycle rider forward. (See p. 108 in the new ChiRunning book for more information about how to maintain the perfect balance of lean.) So if gravity is pulling you, just go with it and you'll run more efficiently than you ever thought possible. Can you imagine how happy your legs would be if they were used only for momentary support between strides, and they didn't have to be used for propulsion? This is especially great for anyone doing distance running.
The Force of the Road
Here's how to cooperate with the other force you'll be dealing with: the force of the road coming at you. Whenever your body moves forward, the road is always moving in the opposite direction at the same speed, relatively speaking. Most power runners reach forward with their legs, swinging them into the force of the oncoming road, and land with a heel strike in front of their body. The impact of a heel strike, coupled with the forward momentum of your entire body, can send a shock wave up your leg, potentially damaging your heels, ankles, shins, knees, hips or lower back, depending on where your weakest link is. Having your foot strike in front of your body is like putting on the brakes because your feet are stopping your forward momentum each time they hit the ground. Pretty inefficient, I'd say. If you don't believe me, just look at the bottoms of your running shoes and check to see if the heels are worn down. If they are, it means you're running with your brakes on. What's wrong with this picture? Would you ever drive your car with one foot on the gas pedal and one foot on the brake pedal at the same time? I wouldn't.
In the ChiRunning book and DVD, we show you how to land with your foot underneath or slightly behind your hips. When you're leading with your upper body and relaxing your lower body, and allow your hip to swing back with your leg, the force of the road coming your way will swing your legs for you. How cool is that? This allows your legs to cooperate with the force of the road, eliminating any braking component to your stride. The ability to rotate your pelvis will prevent a heel strike, and instead you'll land with a nice soft midfoot strike, and all the force of the road coming at you will pass by without slowing you down or impacting your body.
Allowing your pelvis to rotate back with your leg creates a healthy twist of the spine and makes the force of the road your ally. A healthy pelvic rotation adds length to your stride and reduces impact even more. The pelvic rotation has become a central theme in ChiRunning and is described in depth in the new (May 2009) edition of the book and DVD.
It's how you used to run when you were a child. Just think about cooperating with the pull of gravity by leading with your upper body (falling forward), and and cooperating with the force of the road by allowing your legs to swing rearward, in the same direction the road is moving.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
week in review
I wish there was a cuter way to title these weekly review blogs. If you have any great ideas let me know.
This week started off kind of rough. I had stuff swirling in my head and was emotional. It took until Wed/Thurs to get it all sorted out and dealt with. I have been feeling better since then, except that I am still working on my left knee/quad/hip. Ice, ice, and more ice.
Here come the daily stats:
Monday: Boxing for 60 minutes
Tuesday: 30 minutes on treadmill (bonus points for 6am), did "random" at 3.1
Wednesday: Boxing for 60 minutes
Thursday: Same as Tuesday
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 60 minutes on treadmill, random at 3.1 with some bursts at 3.3 followed by 90 minutes at boxing but I didn't work out the whole time I was there - I think it was probably still my 60 minutes worth of workout. I also had a massage which is good, but I am kind of sore this morning from where she really worked my left leg. More ice for that today!
Sunday: Rest
I also got registered for Little Red this week. I decided that I would do the 18 mile event. Since my primary focus for 2010 is preparing myself for the marathon, I know I can get worked up for that length of ride without too much effort. Especially since I am going to be coming into spring in pretty good shape.
Nutrition is getting a little better. When I'm NOT stress-eating, I actually do ok. There is still room for improvement, of course. Lots of room for improvement. Ok, I guess I should have just said that I've got breakfast working really well..... LOL!
This week started off kind of rough. I had stuff swirling in my head and was emotional. It took until Wed/Thurs to get it all sorted out and dealt with. I have been feeling better since then, except that I am still working on my left knee/quad/hip. Ice, ice, and more ice.
Here come the daily stats:
Monday: Boxing for 60 minutes
Tuesday: 30 minutes on treadmill (bonus points for 6am), did "random" at 3.1
Wednesday: Boxing for 60 minutes
Thursday: Same as Tuesday
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 60 minutes on treadmill, random at 3.1 with some bursts at 3.3 followed by 90 minutes at boxing but I didn't work out the whole time I was there - I think it was probably still my 60 minutes worth of workout. I also had a massage which is good, but I am kind of sore this morning from where she really worked my left leg. More ice for that today!
Sunday: Rest
I also got registered for Little Red this week. I decided that I would do the 18 mile event. Since my primary focus for 2010 is preparing myself for the marathon, I know I can get worked up for that length of ride without too much effort. Especially since I am going to be coming into spring in pretty good shape.
Nutrition is getting a little better. When I'm NOT stress-eating, I actually do ok. There is still room for improvement, of course. Lots of room for improvement. Ok, I guess I should have just said that I've got breakfast working really well..... LOL!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Little Red Riding Hood
Registration is open and it fills up fast. I am going to register on Friday. I am not sure which distance I'm going to register for right now. I am tentatively thinking the 35 mile. 18 would be really easy. Realistically I don't think I can get trained for the 57 - at least not for my SEAT to be able to be in the saddle that long.
Here is the link to the website.
Here is the link to the website.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A direct steal from Jeff Galloway
Magic Words
Magic words distract you from the discomfort, while they connect directly to the extra spirit that all of us have hidden inside. You don't have to give in to any negative message that hits you when you're under stress. By focusing on the positive, you maintain control. It's what you put in the forefront of your thoughts that counts.
Relax
* There is no pressure on me.
* I'm going slow. If it gets tough, I'll just slow down more.
* From the first step, I'm going to relax and enjoy the endorphins.
* I feel comfortable, supported by all of the energy.
* I'm part of a very positive movement.
Power
* I feel good about myself and what I'm doing.
* This experience gives me control over myself.
* I know what I'm doing when I'm out here.
* This is my heritage; the power of the human migration spirit is with me.
I'm Getting There!
* I'm tired but strong.
* I'm feeling better.
* I'm tired but proud.
* There's plenty of strength left.
* The reward is coming.
* What a wonderful accomplishment!
Magic words distract you from the discomfort, while they connect directly to the extra spirit that all of us have hidden inside. You don't have to give in to any negative message that hits you when you're under stress. By focusing on the positive, you maintain control. It's what you put in the forefront of your thoughts that counts.
Relax
* There is no pressure on me.
* I'm going slow. If it gets tough, I'll just slow down more.
* From the first step, I'm going to relax and enjoy the endorphins.
* I feel comfortable, supported by all of the energy.
* I'm part of a very positive movement.
Power
* I feel good about myself and what I'm doing.
* This experience gives me control over myself.
* I know what I'm doing when I'm out here.
* This is my heritage; the power of the human migration spirit is with me.
I'm Getting There!
* I'm tired but strong.
* I'm feeling better.
* I'm tired but proud.
* There's plenty of strength left.
* The reward is coming.
* What a wonderful accomplishment!
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