T Minus 5 Days

So my mini triathlon is in 5 days.  I am getting really excited about it.  My coworker let me borrow her tri shorts.  That has been my biggest anxiety for this race is "what do I wear without spending a fortune"... Which led to middle of the night searches online and looking at last  years race pictures.  Looking at pictures ended up taking HOURS because some of them are just so hilarious.  Some of them are humbling, like the lady who finished with a CANE. Yes, she hobbled out of the pool with a cane and ran with it too.  If she can do it, surely I can do it and shame on me for not doing more!

Anyway, I am headed to the YMCA at 4:30 to workout.  I have to get a swim bike and run in today.  I went for the run earlier today but the baby did NOT cooperate in the jogging stroller, so it is much easier to just put them in childwatch while I get it done.  I think today I am going to try and do them all in order, like race day. 

I've also been paying closer attention to my diet this week.  Its going well.  I've been drinking a lot more water too.  That's all for now, just a quick little update.

Why not try a tri?

So my tri is coming up right around the corner.  It's a mini triathlon.  250 swim, 9 mile bike (or 8, I'm not sure), and a 2 mile run.  That is enough for me for the first one.  Last week I went to the Y and I did a 2.3 mile run, 1100 yard (not continuous) swim, then a 6ish mile bike.  It was nice, it wiped me out a bit.  So I just exercised like normal and then today I went back to the Y and did a 9 mile bike and a 2 mile run just so I could see how it would feel to have the jello legs going into the run (I've always run first and I've been worried about the transition backwards).  It was surprisingly not bad at all.  It was almost easier to run.  Running is my weak spot.  Physically I am fine.  Mentally is another story.  I get so BORED when I run.  I absolutely have to have music if I am running alone.  If I have a partner to talk to about interesting things, that is another story.  For example, I struggle getting a half mile done when I am by myself no music nothing... but I can run a 5k no problem when I have someone to do it with.  It is totally mental and I know that.  I try to tell myself that when I am struggling.  Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. 


Anyway, when I was doing my workout today, I was sweating an unusual amount.  I usually just glisten (ahhh sounds so nice, right?), but today it was full on dripping sweat to where my hot pink shirt looked like a purple color all over.  It was really unusual for me.  But I decided that I need to invest in a headband of some kind.  Not only to keep my flyaways intact (they are pretty bad) but to catch the sweat from my forehead.  My problem is that every headband I've ever tried always slips  back on my head.  I've looked at a few and I will just have to purchase one and try it out.  They promise to not slip.  We'll see about that!

goals?

I've worked really hard for the last few months and really have nothing to show for it. I like my chocolate.  I have a sweet tooth AND a salt tooth, so it really is a bad combination.  I've been working out pretty hard consistently and have not lost one pound.  Not a single one.  I can't really complain.  I am in the "healthy" weight range, and I am healthy overall so I guess that is all that really matters.  I can notice a slight (very slight) difference in the physical appearance of my body.  I need to set some goals for myself to stay motivated.  I just don't know what those goals should be?  I don't want to focus on numbers.  I would like to focus on habits (dietary, exercise, life in general).  So I will make a few here and tweak them as I go along:

Dietary

1.  Limiting fast food to once a week (shouldn't be too hard to do for me).

2. More vegetables.  I usually have 2 servings or so of vegetables per day (usually both with dinner).  Maybe I can split those up into lunch AND dinner and then add a half serving to each?

3. Limiting my sweets.  Or at least changing the type of sweets I'm enjoying.  Less ice cream and more fresh fruit for example.

Exercise

1. Finish my mini triathlon without dying.

2. Continue to do strength training twice per week throughout the summer.

3. Continue to run outside during the summer.  Even if I have to wake up early (before the sweltering heat) to get it done.  Being outside is so soothing for me.

Life

1. Stay caught up on laundry!  It's really one of the hardest things for me to do.  I hate doing whites (all those pesky socks to match up), so we are always running behind on it.

2. Take time out for each kid this summer.  Having alone time with them to make them both feel as important as they are!  My daughter is getting old enough to do fun things now like amusement parks and roller coasters.  Good thing she is a thrill seeker like mom!

3. Read.  Whether it is escaping into a book this summer, or perusing the Bible to find some scripture to reflect upon... I just need to read!

So there we have it! Goals.

a little disappointed

so I submitted my request for time off in September to go do my sprint triathalon and it was denied. 6 months ahead of time! to say I was disappointed is an understatement, but what am I supposed to do? I can't just take time off without pay, so I will suck it up and wait until next year I guess. I have emailed the girl that handles our requests off with a list of weekends that I would be interested in having off just to see if any of those weekends are available to take off. I guess when she gets back to me I can look and see if there are any sprint triathalons that match up.  I did get the night before the mini triathalon off, so that is nice.

I've been slacking at the gym lately. not really slacking but I have a hard time going to the gym when. my husband is at home (he is out of town for work a few days a week). I feel like I would rather spend time with him than to go to the gym. sometimes we do exercise together, taking the dog and the baby jogging stroller and switching off when the baby gets too heavy to push anymore. but our exercise routines are so different that it makes it hard to really do that together. I am doing couch to 5k again (I've done the program quite a few times) and he would rather just go for a quick jog maybe 15-20 minutes (no walk breaks, just jog)... I can usually hang with him and do the run but it just feels like it messes up my routine. last year I worked out with a friend and 4-5 days a week we would do one of the weeks (5 warm up, 5 jog/3 walk three times, 5 cool down) twice in a row... so we'd usually get about 4.7-5 miles in an hour while pushing our tots who were 12-18 months at the time. that was nice and I always felt pretty worn out afterwards but now she's expecting baby number 2 and isn't working out like that anymore.  I'm a pretty social exerciser, that's why I enjoy my classes at the gym. usually there is the same small group of moms that go to the classes I go to every week and it is nice. our kids vary in age (my 21 month old is the youngest and I believe one girl has a 12 year old), but it is nice to have someone to talk with before and after class. it holds us accountable too.

anyway, my point really is that while I'm disappointed that I don't really have a "goal" to work for now that my triathalon has been yanked from under me, I still enjoy exercising and beig active... I just have to find the right motivation to get out there and get it done!

gadgets and gizmos

I want I want I want.... there are so many things I want: a fitbit, new running shoes, a new iPod, new workout clothes, etc. I think all of these things will help me get better, stronger, etc, but in reality it's all a head game. the only thing that's going to make me stronger and better is hard work! I understand this, but it still doesn't take the want away. I do think I will be getting new running shoes in the next few months, definitely before I do my "races".

I'm starting to see results with my workout regimen. not that I've lost any weight (I actually stopped weighing), but I feel different and I look different. I really just need to buckle down my diet an that is really hard to do workin night shift! we are getting over the stomach bug at our house, too, so it's been a rough week to be at he gym. but none the less, I've had to make it a priority.

too tired for a title

for Christmas I asked for one thing: a bike. it didn't have to be fancy, a plain old bike from Walmart would do just fine. I wasn't sure Santa was really going to get me a bike but I really wanted one. my older sister had a bike trailer for the kids that I could have to cart around the kids and not be limited by my husbands work schedule and child care. so imagine my disappointment on Christmas morning when all of my presents were open and done and no bike. I am not really disappointed because I am truly blessed and fortunate to have gotten anything at all. my husband is a great gift giver, he always thinks of the best things to give that are really perfect. until he said he had one more gift and it was a piece of paper with a picture of my new bike! Horray! and ever since then I have ridden maybe 5-6 times. the weather has been totally crappy and the bike trailer doesn't attach correctly on my bike. these problems will soon be corrected and I will be on a roll! all of this to say that in honor of my upcoming 30th birthday I will be doing a little mini triathalon with my friend in June and a sprint triathalon in September. I've been getting in pretty good workouts at the gym 5 days a week and I try to do something at home on the 6th day. I have been mixing in running and swimming with my classes I've been taking (body pump, Zumba, core, kickboxing, body jam, step aerobics, and a spin and sculpt class). so I feel pretty confident that I will be ready to go for my races this summer (ahhh summer, I can't wait for warmer weather)!!

so I will be updating along the way. got to get in bed soon because 6:20 comes early around here.

week 2

week 2 of my YMCA membership and eating healthy started today. in reality, I always try to eat on the healthier side, but I've really gotten serious about it this past week. no more eating ice cream for the "calcium" :) 

anyway, last week I did a body pump class (ouch), a core class and kickboxing class, a step aerobics class, a dance class, and I rode my bike. I've been eating really healthy and drinking tons of water. so one would think maybe i would lose a pound or two right? wrong, I only gained a pound. although I do not trust my scale because it does say low battery.  so I made the decision on Saturday night to just get rid of that stupid scale. it doesn't really mean anything right? as long as I am exercising and eating right and I still fit into my clothes then who cares?! I say that, but it's still sitting in my bathroom. but I haven't stepped foot on it. 

today I returned for some more body pump action. I was incredibly sore last week so hopefully that will be the same this week. I could hardly finish the shoulders and triceps section of class today. I am beat! I really want to start training for a triathalon (a mini or sprint) so I am trying to look at our schedules and see when I can fit in training around our work schedules and everything else we've got going on. I'm headed to Walmart to get a calendar after I pick up kids from school. mj is going to try taking a kids fitness class today too. we will see how that goes :)

I'm back..... an update on life

so it's been almost 3 years since I posted anything on this blog. in those 3 years so much has happened! I ran on and off the summer of 2011 in prep for my half marathon. about 3 weeks before the half, I found out I was pregnant with baby number two. we were so thrilled. I decided to not run the half. I know that you can run marathons while pregnant but how awful would I have felt if I did run it and caused some kind of problem?! I would have never forgiven myself, even if it was "coincidence". so then I just exercised by walking and generally being active. during my pregnancy I gained about 35 pounds. he was 9 days late and I had such crazy cravings with him. first it was baby corns from a jar, then it was guacamole, and then I settled on cupcakes. not just like run to the grocery store and get some cupcakes, but go to a specialty cupcake shop and get the good stuff. couple that with a husband who loved to spoil me with whatever I wanted to eat... I'm lucky I only gained 35!!!

on July 5, 2012 we welcomed a bouncing baby boy who was 8 lb 1 oz, much smaller than the 9 pounder that the ultrasound measured him to be. I came home from the hospital and guess what? I only lost 5 pounds! how in the world does that happen? so anyway, fast forward to life today and we have a sassy 7 year old and the sweetest 18 month old. they are amazing and keep us super busy. not to mention our 2 dogs. it is so hard to figure any kind of exercise into my day between taking care of everyone else and trying to keep the house running semi smooth. I was doing so well for awhile. I would throw the baby into the jogging stroller and meet up with a girlfriend and run. sometimes 2 miles sometimes 5. but no matter how much I ran, I haven't been able to get a well rounded workout in. now that we've had the coldest winter in quite awhile, I haven't hardly been able to exercise outside at all, no jogging stroller and no bike trailer. so yesterday I manned up and joined the YMCA.  I did a body pump class and today I am feeling it for sure. it feels great.

anyway, I am on a quest to get my body back. when I tell people I still have 10 pounds to loose, they say no way!!! but it's there somewhere and I've got to get rid of it.