Weekend Gains...

Week #16... Start of a fresh new workout week...

Let's take a look back at last week, week #15 totals.. 63.5 miles I ran for the 7 days! Not bad, not bad!! I skipped running my 4 miles outside on both Thursday and Sunday. It's good to take a mini break! So it was a gain week for # of miles ran.

It was also a gain day on the scale after eating candy, salty ham, etc... I'm hoping it's just water weight? Not to worry, I'm still in the same weight range. A normal trend it seems for me.

It's also a gain on my speed. I upped my treadmill speed from 6.0mph to 6.5mph. It may not seem like a whole lot but it felt faster, a bit harder and I threw in random hills. I'll keep this speed for a week and next Sunday try for 7.0mph. That could be too fast to run for an hour so might just do half hour of 6.5 and the last half 7.0 and sprint the last minute at 8.0. That's my gain plan!

I'm also going to continue to run outdoors every day. Sometime today, I'll fit it into my schedule. Maybe after a nap since I didn't sleep so well last night. I should time my mile run time too. Must have goals, right!

Post times later.. keeping it honest!

Okay... napped for 30 minutes, plus I ran even though I had a hard time getting motivated. That wind is rough today! I took it easy and finished in little under 39 minutes for a very easy 4 miles today.  Now off to nap again... ugh!!!

Easter...cise...

Easter and exercise and eating right.

Hummm... now here comes the challenge. Pressure from family to be at home for all of Easter, make food and still fit in me time.

Well, I got up early, went to the gym and ran for an hour. I needed that time for me to burn the calories I'd be eating. I upped the mph from 6.0 to 6.5 and the last minute I ran at 7mph. A grand total of 60 minutes, 6.5 miles and 738 calories burned. No time for weights today. I do have time to run outside now, but I feel tired. Tired is a sign that I need to ease up. As much as I would like to get in more miles for a better grand total at the end of this week for running, I know I should just be okay with what I did accomplish.

As I was running today, I thought this is hard. I want to stop running. I want it to be easy. 30 minutes into my run, my heart was only at 137, I didn't feel tired and was glad I kept running. The 59th minute I felt good, enough to go on.. but I was glad the hour was up. Even running that last minute at a faster pace 7.0mph, I could have ran for longer at that same pace. So, it ended up being a little over a nine minute mile I ran today. A nice pace to work on improving for an easy run day.

In the next week, I will go run Rosemount's race trail a 4 mile route. I also want to check out Farmington's 3 mile race route where it's all flat. I should get a really good mile time and I'm anxious to see how I compare.

Speaking of comparisons... I went on-line and looked at past race results for 40+ year old women. I wanted to see what type of mile time I needed to place. I'm hoping to do much better this year but mostly I just want to improve my personal best. Whatever my personal best is.. will be just fine by me. It is what it is...

Back to Easter, healthy eating.. not in the cards today. I've had candy, bacon, donuts, pudding, cheese and that's just breakfast. Dinner will be bread, ham, potatoes and key lime pie.

Monday will be back to healthy eating.. more running, weight lifting and working... Got to live a little!!

Summer Race Schedule...

Check back for South of the River races...

Eagan 5K Saturday, May 19th at 9:15am, 3 first in the race awarded only
Burnsville 5K, Saturday, June 22 at 8:30am
Farmington 1 mile & 5K - Saturday June 16th, 8am, 8:30am
Apple Valley - 2 mile & 5 mile, Wednesday, July 4th @ 8am
Lakeville - 4 mile, Saturday July 7th 4 @7:45am & 1 mile at 8:45
Rosemount - 1 mile & 4 mile, Saturday July 21 @ 8am, 8:25am
Savage - 4 mile Saturday, Oct 27th at 2pm

I will be doing the Farmington Race (it's flat, hoping to get a good mile time) plus it's only 3 miles
Rosemounts 1 & 4 mile race, 2nd year doing this race
I might consider A.V. if we don't go anywhere for the 4th.




 I looked up the past race results in my age group. Here's what I need to run to place. Plenty of time to train.

The mile time to run is 7 minutes and 25 seconds or close to that!

My 4 mile should be around 29 -30 minutes. 

Therapy

There is no better therapy session then running..... zoning out to music, watching the pavement, listening to the birds, seeing the houses, trees and grass pass by as I run on and on...

I have a lot of thinking time on my hour long runs. I'm able to work through anything that is bothering me. Some how it never make me sad. Running keeps things positive in my mind, even if the situation isn't so wonderful.

I don't always come up with a solution to what's troubling me.. most of the time I just use my running time to  reflect on the situation. I come away much calmer. I see things more positively. I don't get down on myself or feel angry, sad or hurt.

I never knew exercise could be so therapeutic. I look forward to it. I  know if something needs to be though through it's time to go for a run... Time to treat myself to a therapy session... best of all.. My therapy session are  free and running frees my mind to being the happy person I should be!

Looking good enough? Crazy...

I'm at the point where I should be looking good enough, right? Some people, (friends & family) think since I've lost 50+ pounds and have been working out, that its okay to slack, miss workouts and start to cut back on all. I just think they are CRAZY and they think I am CRAZY...

Is there a middle ground? Should I care if some people think I am working out too much to maintain and tone. Working out too much to have a goal of running a half marathon and compete in some local 5K races this summer. What's so bad about training?  Oh yeah.. I hear it over and over about those that never train for a race and just go at it. Well, to me that's like taking a test and not studying. How do you think your going to do? Sure you'll get a grade and finish it, but is an F or D your going for? That's not my plan. I want to feel prepared, prepared enough to get an A.. or I'd even settle for a B.. That's not going to happen if I decide to slack off.

How will I know when I'm good enough, tone enough, healthy enough? I guess when my goals run out or I die. I decided once I started losing the weight, that this was not a diet I was on. It was a life plan, full of healthy eating and exercise. I don't want to go back to the couch, back to the computer and sit on my big old butt for hours, eating cake, ice cream or what ever else I can stuff into my mouth and have 50 pounds of fat on my body ever again.

So am I good enough right now? Sure, but I still want to improve myself. I will always want a challenge...

Next time you call me crazy for not wanting to miss a workout..for running every day.. you have to stop to think of how far I've come.. where I want to go... So please don't try to stop me.. I have a plan, a healthy life style plan. I won't give that up.. Even if I'm told I'm looking good enough or you think I'm crazy for all this exercise..

Steady and Slow

I just read that it's not how fast you take off the weight, it's how long you keep it off. Steady and slow is my weight loss right now.. I'm going for the long haul of keeping it off for good.

It's not always an easy task staying focused on maintaining or losing. I have lots of oops moments where I should have made better choices or I think I've exercised enough where I can eat what I want. I always get back on track and think of something to keep me focused. I know steady and slow will keep me going.

Right now I have summer and my daughter's wedding in August for my motivation. I want to look and feel great. I'm willing to work hard along the way to make that a possibility.

Yesterday, I got a nice complement. A woman I had just met, thought my oldest daughter and I were sisters. How nice to hear I look younger.. My face might not be fat and round any more, but taking off weight does make you look younger, heavier = older. I don't want to be a frumpy 40 something. I love the fact I can wear skinny jeans and look good. Or at least think I do...lol...

So don't think all the weight has to come off over night. The weight was put on over years. I have to remember that when I think about why I can't lose the last few pounds to reach my 129 goal. Maybe I won't ever reach that? Is weighting 133-135 so bad? No, but I really would like to reach my goal even if it does seem unrealistic to maintain. After all, I've been suck around this same weight for almost a year now. I go down then right back up again. Guess I like to eat but I love my exercise too. Somethings got to give.. I'm hoping it's a downward trend.. but I will get there.. I'm determined some days others not so much. So steady and slow will get me there... I have to believe that

Maniac..

www.ruggedmaniac.com Check out this fun run.... I signed up to volunteer. I will get the option to run the race after I help or save it for a later date. I think this is a good way to check it out before I commit to racing in this crazy event at Taylors Falls.

It's only a 5K which is little over 3 miles. The fun part is that it's through mud, over and under obstacles and also up and down a mountain. It's a timed event but I don't think I'll be making any great times. It's just for the fun and say I did it. At any rate.. I get to do it for free after helping out.

Oh.. and there is a training program.. I have until September 15th. Plenty of time to get fit.. and follow the suggestions on the race day.

Come and join me... no presure to do the race. Volunteer and enjoy the fresh air, fun, music and drinks....

Looking forward to this one!!

Where am I?

Where am I? Where am I at on my progress?

Here's the low down on all.. this week hasn't been my weight loss week. I haven't even tried to lose any weight. I just want to eat. Still manage to eat healthy for the most part, but I do like my chocolate.. I think it's good to take a break from trying to lose all the time. Next week, I should feel refreshed and ready to tackle more weight loss. This week, I'm focusing on just maintaining what I already lost and keeping up my exercises.

I'm trying to increase my running miles outside this week. I was doing sooo good until yesterday. I made the mistake of asking Steve to go with. I thought he would run too. I figured running on the dirt path around the lake would make him want to try it. It's only a mile around 1x and he could do as many laps as wanted. Well, I ran alone. I met up with him after running 1-1/2 miles then decided to just walk with him. I figured I'd be super thirsty and locked out of the car without any way to get at my water bottle for who knows how long. He could be out there walking and taking his sweet time thinking I'm still running. Ugh!! Plan back fired! I did get in 3 miles with walking the rest of the way.

Today, I will run outside on my 4 mile route. I'd like to add in one more mile. Not sure where I'll run and how I'll calculate that, unless I go out before and take the GPS on my bike or in the car? Guess I need to figure out a plan of action, so I'll stick with it today.

I also need to work more on toning my arms. I do about 20 minutes of weights per day. Not much time is spent on my arms. I never seem to work my arms to the point where they are sore. Might need to do more and lift heavier weights. I just want to be able to tell I work out my arms. Not going for big muscles. lol... just really nice arms.

So where am I? Still here.. Still working on me... still motivated to do more...

Todays 4 mile run time 35:56.07.. a few seconds longer then my best time. I don't always time myself just because traffic sometimes gets in my way and makes me stop to wait. Plus, it's nice to have easy run days where I don't try and push myself. Today's run felt good. I had some hocolate chip ccookie dough .. a little sugar to get me going!

Who Me?

I'm always taken by surprise when I'm told that I'm an inspiration to someone.

This morning Steve told me I was his inspiration. At first I was like, yeah Right! are you talking to me? Are you sure you just said and meant that?

I'm not sure why I have a hard time excepting the thought being someones inspiration An Inspiration to lose weight, be in good shape and keep up the motivation day in and day out. Maybe it's too much pressure to think that if I fail, I will let others down?

It's nice to know that I am an inspiration for a lot of others. It does feel good to hear it. I've heard it from friends, neighbors, gym acquaintances, men, women and my own family. It feels good. It leaves me thinking....this is the first time in my life I've ever been told I'm an inspiration. Makes me want to do more in other areas in my life, besides improve myself/health to inspire others.

Wouldn't it be nice to inspire others to be a better person by volunteering your time, do some good in the world.. etc... But for now.. I'll appreciate all the people that have come up to me and said I"m their inspiration.

I appreciate everyone for being my inspiration along this journey. I take from others to be a better me.. and now I'd like to pass that along to someone else.... Let's all inspire each other..

Weekly Totals

My Weekly totals are in... my week ends on Sunday instead of beginning.

Running total (includes, outside run, cross ramp and hiking) = 53.2 miles
Biking total = 14 miles

Grand Total = 67.2 miles

Weight-loss total.... Zero.. maintaining.. ugh!!!!!

Total aprox. hours working out =  11 hrs, gym hours
                                                      3  hrs, hiking hours
                                                      1 hr 20 min biking
                                                      2 hrs outside running
Grand Total working out for 7 days = 17 hours

What I did different this week?

I ran both Saturday and Sunday 4 miles outside followed by a 3.5 bike ride to the gym, then worked out at the gym, cross ramp 60 minutes or 6.5 miles and weights for 20 minutes, then my bike ride home 3.5 miles.

Plus, on Wednesday, I go to the gym and walk on the treadmill for 1-1/2hours while enjoying Survivor on TV.

I didn't get the high miles this week due to vacation days, but did the best to still fit in miles hiking the park and running at the hotel.

I'm hoping with the nice weather ahead, I'll be running more outside in the afternoons and evenings. Hoping that will help with the weight-loss. If nothing else it's helping me train for a half marathon.

I didn't do anything extra for my buns. I know, I know.. I said I would start doing some squats, butt lifts etc.. I'll have to add that to my todo list or it just won't get done. Baby steps... baby steps.....