Tri-ing To Catch Up

Holy cow it's been a long time since I've posted!  Sorry about that.  Since I last posted, I finished Phase 2 of the Pull Up Challenge Workout, got a new job, started my triathlon training, got a new toilet, planted a (small) garden and ran a 5K race.  Plus, I came up with that silly title to this post.  So I've been a little busy.  :)

So, to quickly recap my results with the Pull Up Challenge Workout....When I reach up to the pull up bar, from floor to bar, I am at full extension.  I attempted pull ups from a full hang and from beginning with my toes only touching the floor (not pushing off). My initial score from a full hang was zero, and from my toes was 1/4 of a pull up.  At the end of Phase 2, I improved to 1/2 a pull up from a full hang and 4 pull ups from my toes.

I also tested chin ups and got an initial score of zero at a full hang, and a score of 1 full chin up with just my toes starting on the ground. At the end of Phase 2, I improved to 1/2 a chin up from a full hang and 6 chin ups from my toes.  I'm quite happy with those results.  I felt like my upper body strength improved a lot and I like the way my arms and back shaped up!

After Phase 2, I began triathlon training.  I'm using a beginner training program.  I don't expect to be competitive; I just want to finish!  It's sprint distance, so it's 1/2 mile swim, 14 mile bike ride and then 5K run.  I have about a month to go, and training has been going OK, but I miss strength training.  I've only done a couple strength training workouts since beginning the training.  Today I completed TT for Abs, Workout A and it felt great to be lifting weights again.

Last week I participated in a 5K fun run that I have done for the past 4 years.  It was actually the first 5K run that I ever did.  I looked over my results from previous years and discovered that I really haven't improved all that much, lol.  The run is actually 3.8 miles, not really a 5K (3.1 miles).  The first year, I ran it with a time of 40:59, second year was 38:25, third year was 40:35 and this year was 43:12.

Finally, this weekend my daughter and I planted a small garden.  We planted peas, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, basil and one bean plant (that she got from school).  I accidentally broke the bean plant during transplant, so I'm hoping it will still grow.  This is our first time planting a garden so crossing our fingers!

Happy Mothers Day!!


Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.

Summer Vacation

That's what I've been up to! After the spring marathon, I took some time off, caught some fish


and then trained for a half marathon. Did OK - finished 4 minutes slower than last year. But I will confess to not training as hard as I should have.



I chose that picture to show off my husband's amazing picture-taking skills. :)

You may notice that I have a poncho tucked into the back of my belt. Because I had to run another race in the rain! For the first 3 or so miles of the half marathon it was pouring rain. Then the sun came out and it was beautiful for the rest of the race.

There's a 5K race coming up that I want to run, and then another half marathon around Halloween, but I'm going to hold off on signing up until I am absolutely sure that I want to commit to the training.

I should be posting more often later this summer or early fall. Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Love, Death And The Bike Anti-Theft

Wow, time flies, doesn't it? This weekend I finished up the Bikini Ready workout I had been using. My weight didn't change all that much, but my bodyfat dropped about 1% according to my Omron.

The workouts were starting to wear on me a little bit because they were big circuits and I always felt like I was hogging equipment at the gym. So I am taking this week off from workouts - except I am running a 5K on Thursday. LOL This particular race is the same race that was my very first 5K a year ago (and I ran it in 40:59). I haven't been training per se for a 5K, but I'm pretty sure I should be able to improve on that time! :)

....BIG ANNOUNCEMENT....

The 8th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest started this week...and I think I am going to join this one! (You can read the rules HERE.) My sister-in-law might join as well, so give it up for T.! [Hurray! :)] I'm going to use this contest to really focus on my training and nutrition as I prepare for the half marathon I am running late this summer. I plan to start Monday, May 10! :) I decided not to join the M&F Hers contest. I checked out the rules online, and just decided it wasn't for me.

...OTHER SILLY RANDOMNESS...

The past couple of weeks my back has been feeling tweaky. (That's a technical term, by the way; my chiropractor used it.) I made an appointment with said chiropractor and decided to ride my bike over after work. When I went to unlock my bike, I discovered that someone had locked up their bike next to mine, and had put their lock through a part of my back tire. It's a little hard to explain, but there's a straight piece that comes down from the "basket holder" and hooks into the pin that holds on the back tire. Luckily, 2 girls walked by and helped me remove my back tire so I could remove the idiot's bike lock. I was not amused.

A couple weeks ago I was on a Saturday run and I nearly witnessed death. Some poor squirrel was in the middle of the road and a truck was speeding toward him. I started yelling at the squirrel, but I don't think he could hear me. Or understand me. Or know why the heck I was yelling at him. I think the truck actually ran over his tail. Then the squirrel staggered over to the curb. He jumped up once and missed the curb, then jumped up again and made it. He limped over to his tree with kind of a dazed look. There was squirrel tail fluff blowing across the road, but I think the little guy made it.

Finally, on my Saturday runs, without fail, the song "Your Love" by the Outfield comes on. (You know the song - "I just wanna use your love, tonight") The first line of the song is "Josie's on a vacation far away" so we already know he's cheating on her, but I always thought it was with some underage girl. There's a line where he says "You know I like my girls a little bit older" which I always interpreted as him meaning "I usually like my girls older, but you'll do". After listening to the song so many times, however, I've decided that the woman he's talking to is actually "older". So now instead of being a pervert, he's chasing a cougar. Which makes me feel only slightly better. After all, he's still cheating on poor Josie.

Have a great week!!



Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.

Week In Review - Week 5 (Including Race Results)

Can you believe Week 5 is over? YIKES! I think this week went just OK. I didn't have any ice cream, which is good, but I only replaced it with something WORSE. I have rediscovered my love of eating peanut butter out of the jar. Bad, bad, BAD! In the evening, I've been craving smooth, rich foods. Peanut butter, ice cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. Does this mean I'm lacking something in my diet? Maybe I need to eat more rich foods earlier in the day. I will NOT eat peanut butter out of the jar anymore!!

This week I started the TT for Mass at Home workout and it's been great. Workout A makes my arms feel like jelly all day. :) Workout B is lower body, and I took it real easy this past week since I had a race yesterday (more on that in a minute). Workout C is total body, but more focused on the upper body than the lower body. Since it's a mass-building workout, there are no intervals. So this workout is perfect as I continue my running. I can't remember if I mentioned this already or not, but I've signed up to run a 10K race in November!

So here's how the past week went:

Sunday: Ran 2 miles, easy pace; TT Mass @ Home, workout A; TT 6 Minute Abs (This was technically the last day of Week 4, but it was my first day of TT Mass @ Home.)

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: 3 Mile Stride Workout (38:00); TT Mass @ Home, workout B; TT 3 Minute Arms

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: TT Mass @ Home, workout C

Friday: Ran 1.74 miles, easy pace

Saturday: 5K race, 28:32. My time was EXACTLY the same as my time from the race 2 weeks ago. Except this race was better because I didn't feel like I was going to puke on the finish line! :) There were only about 125 people, and for many of them, I think it was their first 5K. I placed 10th overall, and 2nd in my age group.

Sunday: Ran 2 miles, easy pace; TT Mass @ Home, workout A; TT 6 Minute Abs

Primary Contest Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state: Healthfully, I did good. Mindfully, not as good. That peanut butter isn't jumping out of the jar by itself.

To NOT use Fitday: Still going well.

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability: Yes

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week: Week 5 - only a little over 10 miles, because of the race on Saturday.

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes: Complete! Ran two 5K races, both at 28:32.


Secondary Contest Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs): N/A this week.

Reduce consumption of diet soda: This week I bought some decaf tea so that I could make iced tea instead of drink soda at dinner time. We'll see how it goes!


Before I forget, here's the link to the TT Weekly Call: TT Fat Loss Coaching Call

This week, Craig talks about the TT program he used to help an actress do her first chin up (TT for Female Strength). He also talks about sticking to your plan, the best lower ab exercise, and the "300 Workout" from Men's Health Magazine.

Have a great week!

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase the product, I will receive a small portion. I don't get paid for reviews, and I only review items that I actually own.

Racing Results - Goal Achieved?

Today was the first of two 5k races I will be running as part of my goals in the TT contest. I woke up this morning, and my quads were sore! I couldn't imagine what from. I did my TT workout on Friday, but with a lower intensity, and I wasn't sore yesterday. So if it was DOMS, they were really delayed!

I warmed up for about 10 minutes and my legs felt like lead. I was a little nervous about the race. I wasn't sure it was going to go well by how my legs were feeling.

The first mile consisted of trying to move up because we were still in a pack. I past the first mile marker at about 9:06, so I knew I was on pace. Then my shoe came untied so I had to stop and tie it! During the second mile, my heart burn started to get bad, and I vowed to take something for reflux before my next 5K race. My pace was still good and I past the second mile marker at about 18:30. The third mile felt better - the heart burn diminished, and my pace was steady, but I was getting doggone tired.

Final results
Time - 28:32
pace - 9:11
place - 231 out of 665
division place - 15 out of 81
gender place - 104 out of 438

And here's an action shot my husband took at the finish line...Yes, I am wearing tiger ears and a tail. It was a run to benefit a zoo!

All in all, I am very happy with the results. I made my goal of a 5K in under 30 minutes!!

Afterward, I splurged at lunch and had one of my favorite kinds of pizza. It's called the Border-to-Border. It's Canadian bacon, pineapple, tomatoes and jalapenos. Yum!

Week In Review And Contest Update

OK, today is the LAST DAY to enter the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest and still have the full 12 weeks to transform. Remember, when you complete the 12 weeks, and submit your before pictures, after pictures and 300 word essay, you get 6 months free to the forums. Everyone who finishes gets that, not just the winners!! See the rules here:

Turbulence Training Contest Rules

You can still enter after today, you just don't get the full 12 weeks.


Week In Review - Week 3

How can it be the end of Week 3 already? This is going by fast!!

Sunday: OFF

Monday: (AM) Running: I warmed up for almost a mile, then ran my fastest 5K ever (28:23)! Cooled down for about 1/2 mile. Total 4.38 miles/42:41; (PM) TT for Athletes, workout A

Tuesday: Had to shorten today's workout because I got to the gym a little late. TT Intervals - warm up, followed by 2 minutes running and 2 minutes walking, repeat for total of 4 intervals (7.5 mph), cool down/2.45 miles/30:00

Wednesday: (AM) Running: 3.03 miles/30:43 followed by TT 6 minute abs; (PM) TT for Athletes, workout B

Thursday: OFF

Friday: TT for Athletes, workout C

Saturday (tomorrow): 1-2 easy miles planned in preparation for my 5K race on Sunday.


Primary Contest Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state: I think this week went well!

To NOT use Fitday: Still going well.

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability: Yes

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week: Week 3 - about 11.86 miles, depending on the total tomorrow (reduced number because of upcoming race, but probably could have been higher).

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes: First one up is Sunday! Feeling really good about it!


Secondary Contest Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs): N/A this week.

Reduce consumption of diet soda: Still doing better. Had quite a bit on Thursday; I need to work on drinking less when I go out to eat. The free refills thing gets to me sometimes.


Overall, I think the week went pretty well. I'll be back to update you after the race - crossing my fingers that there is no puking! :)

Here We Go Again....

I'm joining another Turbulence Training Transformation Contest! (You didn't think I could stay away forever, did you?) My first day is TOMORROW!! I'm taking Before pictures early, early tomorrow morning. Even before going to the gym! I think my eyes will be open in the pictures. :)

If you are interested in joining me, please check out the rules here ==> Transformation Contest Rules

If you complete the 6th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest, and submit Before and After photos and a 300-word essay, you will receive SIX MONTHS FREE to the TT Members website (which includes the discussion forums and new workouts every month). That is a fantastic prize, and the only thing you have to do is complete the 12-week contest. EVERYONE who finishes (and submits their photos and essay) gets that! At least go check out the rules...

You have until September 18 to think about it... ;)

Here are my goals for the next 12 weeks:

Primary Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state

To NOT use Fitday*

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes

*As I've said before, I think Fitday is a fantastic tool for someone who is a beginner, or is not likely to be obsessive/compulsive about it. It was becoming a little OCD for me.

Secondary Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs)

Reduce consumption of diet soda


The workout I chose to start the contest with is TT for Athletes. It's an older TT workout, but I liked the way it had a couple of optional interval days that I could use to instead work on my endurance running. It's mostly bodyweight exercises, with a couple of optional weighted exercises.

So my week looks like this:

Monday: TT for Athletes, Workout A

Tuesday: TT Intervals

Wednesday: TT for Athletes, Workout B*

Thursday: OFF*

Friday: TT for Athletes, Workout C

Saturday: 5-7 mile run

Sunday: OFF

*My gym is getting all new equipment and they are closed this week on Wednesday and Thursday to clean the area and install the new equipment. Since it's mostly BW exercises, I can do workout B at home. Next week I will probably add a short run on Wednesday (as the TT workout seems like it will be short), and will run 3 to 4 miles on Thursday. If the stars align right, I may run 3-4 miles this Thursday. :)

So that's it for now. Remember, if you want to check out the rules for the contest, you can do so here ==> Transformation Contest Rules

See you on the forums! :)

Racing Results!

Weeeeellllllll......Not EXACTLY the result I was looking for, but I still set a new personal best in a race. I started near the back (so I wouldn't get run over) but that may have been a mistake. I started off slower than I intended because we were kind of crunched, and it was hard to pass at first. I felt really good the entire race, and I didn't have to stop and walk at all. I ran really hard at the end and managed to cross the finish line without vomiting. Although I did gag 3 times. :) But....I didn't make it under 30 minutes.

My official time was 31:15, with a pace of 10:04. I finished 192/480 overall; 92/317 total women; and 16/52 women in my age division. Very happy with those results!!

There's another 5K next Monday on Labor Day, but I haven't decided if I will enter. I'm going to check it out though. :)

Week In Review

Wow, it was a really busy week this week. Sorry about missing Recipe Wednesday. It was one of those nights where I had to choose between posting a recipe and sleep. I chose sleep. ;)

Diet has been good this week. I started using unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze in my morning oatmeal, just to try something different and it was really good. Also got the kids hooked on unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze. :) This week I am experimenting with So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk Beverage. We'll see how that goes!

Training this week went really well. I know my times aren't real fast, but I feel like I am making really meaningful improvements.

Saturday: This was the day I got stuck in the rain while trying to run the course for the upcoming race. My average mile was 10:50, but I had a 15 minute break in the middle while waiting for the rain to pass. Total 5.13 miles/55:40

Sunday: 1/2 mile warm up, then 1 mile, then a quick cool down. 1.625 miles/18:53

Monday: 1/2 mile warm up, followed by 1.5 miles at an attempted race pace. I'm having trouble finding "race pace" while not on a treadmill, but this run felt pretty good. I did those two miles in 19:32 (average 9:46 per mile), then slowly jogged just under a half mile for a cool down. 2.43 miles/24:35/TT 2K6 Workout A (after running)

Tuesday: 1 mile warm up, 3x800 at race pace (4:30) with a 2 minute walk in between, then cool down. I wanted to do 4x800, but ran out of time. 3.27 miles/40:00

Wednesday: Finally got back to the course for the upcoming race and ran it after work, plus an extra mile. The course has a big hill in the beginning, and then right before the finish line, there are stairs (up, then down). YIKES. My legs are not going to like those stairs at the end. I was really pushing to finish in less than 45 minutes, but I did it! (average 10:41 per mile) 4.2 miles/44:54/TT 2K6 Workout B (in the morning)

Thursday: OFF

Friday: Did the same speed drill as last week. Walked for 3 minutes, jogged for 8 minutes, then ran for 10 seconds, ran faster for 10 seconds, ran faster yet for 5 seconds, then walked for 1 minute and then repeated that 3 more times. After that, I ran for 10 seconds, ran faster for 10 seconds, ran faster yet for 10 seconds, then walked for 1 minute and then repeated that 2 more times (total of 7 intervals). Cool down was jogging 8 minutes and then walking for 5 minutes. 2.52 miles/34:00/TT 2K6 Workout A (later in the day)

Total Weekly Miles: 19.175 miles

Today I ran for 6 whole miles! Whoo-hoo! Two weeks ago I ran 5.8 miles with a time of 1:19:49 (average 13:46 per mile) so I made my goal today to run 6 miles in less than 1:15:00. I got started a little later than I intended so the sun was higher than I had hoped, but the run felt good. I realized it takes me a good 15 to 20 minutes to hit my stride. (Note to self: warm up 15-20 minutes on race day.) At 3 miles my time was around 34 minutes, so I was feeling good about coming in under my goal time. My final time was 1:08:38! I was so excited about that time! I was especially excited that my 6th mile had a time of 11:08. My average mile time for all 6 miles was 11:24. Much better than my average from 2 weeks ago.

Off now to do a million things! LOL OK, maybe it just seems like a million things, but this weekend is jam-packed!

Finally, a big Happy Anniversary to my parents who are celebrating their 40 Year Anniversary this weekend!!!

Week In Review - Honk If You Love Pluto!

What a great week! Training went well, diet went well - just felt great! Ever since I have been back from vacation, my diet really has been falling into place. I haven't been counting calories at all, and I'm even down a few pounds!

Before vacation, I had started feeling a little out of control. I was eating a few things I shouldn't have been eating in great quantities (i.e., graham crackers, ice cream). I don't know if my new balance has to do with eating more fruits and veggies from the farmer's market, getting more sleep, running more, or if it's something hormonal dealing with leptin, serotonin, cortisol, or whatever. Probably a combination of all of the above, but everything has been great since vacation - so when in doubt, take a vacation! :)

Running went well this week. My legs didn't feel overly sore, and it didn't feel like it was too much. I did modify my plan slightly, so here's what I did (distance and times include warm up and cool down):

Saturday - 5.8 miles/1:19:49

Sunday - 1 mile/11:15

Monday - 4.18 miles/48:00/TT 2K6 B (later)

Tuesday - 4x400 (2:15 each)/3.17 miles/40:00

Wednesday - TT 2K6 A/1 mile (9:00)/2.14 miles total/25:00

Thursday - OFF

Friday - speed drill (see below)/2.00 miles/27:00/TT 2K6 B

Total miles for the week: 18.29 miles

The speed drill is something I found online and decided to try. I walked for 3 minutes, jogged for 8 minutes, then ran for 10 seconds, ran faster for 10 seconds, ran faster yet for 5 seconds, then walked for 1 to 2 minutes and then repeated that 2 more times. Cool down was the reverse of the warm up - jogging 8 minutes and walking for 3 minutes. I had enough time afterward to complete my Turbulence Training workout so I didn't have to do it later in the day. Next week, I will do more repeats so probably won't have time for the TT workout before I have to leave the gym, so I will do it later in the day.

This morning's workout was a 5 mile run. I parked in a ramp near the farmer's market and then ran 1 mile to where the 5K race will be in a couple weeks. I wanted to test out the course. :) There was just one little problem - it started pouring rain (complete with lightening and thunder) about half way through. I stopped in a bus shelter and waited for about 15 minutes, then finally decided to head back. It was still raining (not quite pouring) and by the time I got back to the car, I was soaked. Still, the run felt good, and I feel like my running form is improving. It ended up being 5.13 miles, and it took me 55:40, not including the time I spent in the bus shelter. A much faster average than last week's 5.8 mile run. I'll give this another try next week.

Then I did my shopping at the farmer's market. Luckily, I brought some dry clothes! As I was leaving the parking ramp, I saw my new favorite bumper sticker: "Honk if Pluto's still a Planet."

Honk! Honk! :)

"You Might Think I'm Crazy..."

My penchant for 80's music aside, I officially signed up for another 5K race. A big thank you to everyone who gave me a pep talk and/or advice after my last race! :)

I have about 4 weeks to train for this next one, so this time I am mapping out a real training plan. I'm currently using Turbulence Training 2K6, which appears to be a good workout choice. It's 2 alternating workouts - one upper body, one lower body - 3 times per week. The lower body workout has 3 exercises that are lower body-specific, and 3 exercises that are more ab-specific (and 1 other exercise that's more arms), so it shouldn't be too tiring for my legs since I will be running more. So after consulting a few websites and a few friends who run, here's the plan:

Mondays: 4 mile run, TT Workout (later in the day)
Tuesdays: 1 mile warm up and cool down, 4 pace intervals (length will vary week to week)
Wednesdays: 3 mile run, TT Workout (later in the day)
Thursdays: Off
Fridays: 3 or 4 mile run, TT Workout (later in the day)
Saturdays: 5 or 6 mile run
Sundays: 1 mile run, increasing speed each week

The week before the race is a little bit different than this, but I'll tell you about it when I get there. :) Since I'm such a beginner, I didn't want to make the training too complicated. I wanted to put a lot of focus on gaining endurance. Any opinions?

So yesterday was my first 6 mile run. I re-used the course from the 5K race I ran last weekend and mapped out a course that ended up being about 5.8 miles. I ran at a pace that was "easy" for me. (Run along to Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" and that was my pace.) It probably looked like I was running in slow motion. :) It took me 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 49 seconds. But I was able to run the whole way, except for the few seconds I stopped about every mile to check my heart rate. (My heart rate monitor watch is kind of diva and won't take my heart rate while I'm actually running.) My first few miles were at about a 13:15 mile pace, the middle miles took a little longer. But my last mile was at about 12 minutes, so I was proud that I was able to speed up at the end. (And I was still able to sing along with The Outfield's "Your Love".)

Today my quads and hips are sore, but not near as sore as I was expecting. I ran "down to the tracks" and back, which is about a mile. It took me about 11 minutes so next week I will aim to be a little bit faster.

Well, that's all the news I have today! Although I will hint that I found a recipe for doughnuts that I've being playing around with so perhaps look for a doughnut recipe soon for Recipe Wednesday! :)

Oh, and here's the link for Craig Ballantyne's Weekly Fat Loss Call ==> Fat Loss Program Call I keep forgetting to post the link on Sundays when they come out. This week he talks about dreaming big, foam rolling, and the first 5 day per week Turbulence Training Program (TT Reconstruction Program).

Have a great week everyone!

If At First You Don't Succeed...

Maybe I should hang up my running shoes.

My race was yesterday, and I did really awful. It started bad and went downhill from there. I felt really good, didn't even feel that nervous, until the race actually started. Almost right away, I started to have this weird feeling that I can only explain as an anxiety attack. I wasn't even a quarter of a mile into the race and I couldn't catch my breath. I'm not that out of shape. I just kept running, even though I was actually wheezing by this point, because walking that close to the beginning would just have been ultimate failure. But by the time I got to about 3/4 of a mile, I started to feel better.

At the first mile marker, the guy called out "8:45", which is certainly the fastest mile I've ever run. The second mile went without incident, although I did walk in a couple places for 15-30 seconds. At the second mile marker, my time was "19:39" so I knew I had only about 10 minutes if I wanted to make my goal of finishing in under 30 minutes. I wasn't so sure I could do it.

The third mile was rough. I walked in a few places, but tried to keep them short. I knew I was in trouble when the guy pushing his kid in jogging stroller passed me. Then, when the time was at about 28:30, and the end was nearly in sight, I said to myself, "OK, let's just run as fast as you can until the finish." Not sprinting, mind you, just as fast as I could muster at that point.

This worked pretty well until I got to about 1/2 a block from the finish line. I could see the finish line. And I'm jogging along, and I started to gag. And I'm thinking, "I am NOT going to throw up, I am NOT going to throw up!" (Hey, hey Fred, another post to use the old vomiting tag.) And then...I threw up. Or rather, I would have thrown up, if anything had been in my stomach. Instead, I had to stop and dry heave just before the finish line. How embarrassing. I had to walk/jog the last 20 feet or so.

Official time: 31 minutes, 18 seconds.

The gal who won my age class came in 10 minutes before me.
I got the same time as the guy who got second place...in the 63+ age class.
I finished 141st overall, out of about 182 runners.

A big thanks to my friend Coreen who told me "If you finished, then it doesn't really matter...;)"

Although puking at the finish line doesn't really make me feel like a winner.

I won't even mention the fact that my husband didn't even come out to watch the race, despite the fact that we live 4 blocks from the start/finish line. Oops, I mentioned it. Not that it bothered me, nope, not one bit.

Needless to say, I have a lot of work to do. I'm going to start a new TT workout this week, but not sure which one just yet. I'm ready to get back to lifting weights, and looking for a workout that is pretty straightforward. I might go back to the Original TT workouts and use 2K3, or 2K4, or maybe even 2K6. I think I've done up through 2K5, so 2K6 would be something new. But I digress.

If I want to improve my 5K time, I think I need to practice running 5K (duh, right). But I also want to run the intervals in the TT program so I will have to integrate the two types of training. Maybe for now, I will just commit to running 5K once or twice a month. I think I'm done running in races for now, and then next spring/summer, I will look forward to finishing another race with a much better time!

Excessive Energy In The Vortex...

That's what one of the local weatherman actually gave as part of his forecast while we were on vacation. It just made me crack up laughing. :)

Our vacation was fantastic. A whole week with no computers, and no phones. We went swimming with the kids, and fishing, and did LOT of eating! LOL I did manage to fit in 3 workouts. Monday and Friday I ran about 3 miles (in preparation for the 5K race that I signed up to run at the end of the month), and on Wednesday I used a TT bodyweight workout.

And, I caught a big fish! Well, big is relative, I suppose, but it's one of the biggest I've ever caught. It was a 16" largemouth bass, which we'll be having for dinner later this week. :) Here's a picture:


And here's a picture of my son being very brave and sticking his finger into the fish's mouth:


It was a very fun and relaxing week. It's been tough getting my sleeping and eating schedule back on track, but with the race getting closer, I want to make sure I'm drinking more water, and sleeping and eating well.

Have a great night!

What Is Ideal? Part II - My Experiences

Recently I've been striving to change how I look at eating. In the past, it's been very controlled, neurotically counting calories and carefully measuring everything. Which works great for serious fat loss. And I lost a lot of weight doing that. Too much, in fact.

In March I weighed in at 127 lbs and 16% body fat (I'm nearly 5'8" tall). I was thrilled with how I looked! But it was not a healthy weight for me. Losing your period for 3 months does not equal a healthy weight. So I've gained some weight back - up to about 20% body fat - and now I'm struggling with how I look.

In the back of my mind, I know I'm not fat. But when I look in the mirror, my brain remembers what I looked like at 127 lbs and it sees someone who is overweight, which I know I am not. But my mind's eye has not yet made peace with the fact that 127 lbs is not a healthy weight for me.

I started coming up with a list of reasons to be happy where I am:

I can see muscle definition in my arms and legs.
My bodyfat is about 20% (still considered "fit/lean/athlete").
(Most of) my pants still fit.
I can still do more chin ups (and push ups) than my husband.
My resting heart rate is in the high 50's/low 60's (considered "athlete").
I would still wear a bikini in public.
My husband thinks I'm sexy.

That last reason alone should be enough. :) I think I need to work on focusing on the positives of where I am now, instead of negatively thinking about where I am, compared to where I have been in the past.

As for exercise, my husband and I recently took a 90 day break from Turbulence Training and completed a round of P90X. It was extreme, heavy lifting, and a lot of fun, but the 6-day-a-week schedule was pretty tiring by the end. Now during my "rest week" I am just running because I have decided to run another 5K race at the end of July. I'm going to start a TT bodyweight program next week. Even though I am a fan of heavy lifting, I also think it's good to give your body a different challenge every now and then.

On a side note, we took pictures pre and post P90X (had to get the high heels out for the after pics), and I just want to post my legs up close so you can see how well my rash is finally healing. I've had this rash now for 4 months (since mid-March)!


As far as diet, I'm just trying to eat healthy foods without counting too many calories. Not that I won't be planning anything. I still think failure to plan is a plan to fail, but my meal plans will be much less fixed. I want my eating to be more organic. Not organic as in "certified organic" (although that would probably be good as well), but more in the way of a natural flow and progression. As opposed to "clinically controlled" with all the weighing and measuring. Although I still weigh some things, like oatmeal. It's so easy to throw the bowl on the scale and pour in 40g of oatmeal. I've been eating less meat as well. No real reason, just seem to be eating less, particularly beef. It seems like everyone is eating less meat nowadays. Precision Nutrition even has a Plant-Based Diet Guide in the new V3, and I've heard that Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training is coming out with vegetarian meal plans very soon.

I'm just going to get out all my healthy cookbooks and create with abandon. OK, maybe not with complete abandon, but with moderate abandon. :)

OK, signing off here. We are unplugging the computer and taking ourselves "off the grid" for awhile, so no posts next week. Hope you all are enjoying your summer!

Just A Quick WHOO-HOO!

Recently I've been toying with the idea of running another 5K race. The last one I ran was mostly for fun, since I had never run one before, and there were no prizes, except for the satisfaction of finishing it. My time in that race (in May) was 40 minutes and 59 seconds. Not great, I know, as far as 5K standards for real runners, but for me, that was really good. The race I've been thinking about running is a "real" race, with age groups and prizes and everything. So I've been practicing. The route for the race is posted online so I tried it out today (although I think I may have run it backwards) and I ran it in 31 minutes and 52 seconds! I was really excited about knocking more than 9 minutes off of my previous time, and also excited that I didn't puke on the finish line. :) The race isn't for another couple weeks so I'm hoping to reduce my time by a few more minutes. I'll let you know how it goes. WHOO-HOO!!

I Ran (and Finished) a 5K!

I am proud to say that I completed a 5K run yesterday! Something I never even dreamed I would be able to do. I set a goal of 40 minutes based on how fast I ran 1 mile and 2 miles at the gym in the past couple weeks. Here's a picture of the start line. Could you find me without the big arrow? My husband's photography skills at work. It took me 5 minutes to find myself in the picture. (I'm behind the gal in teal- all you can see is my hair.) I was like "I KNOW I was there!!" LOL


I started out pretty well, staying with the group. As we started to spread out, I stayed pretty much in the middle. I was excited that I wasn't last! We had to run by a marsh, so I deftly avoided the goose poop and was feeling pretty good through most of the run. I only walked a couple times for just few seconds each time, mostly because my heartrate monitor/watch has trouble finding my heartrate while I'm running. I started feeling a little sick just at the very end. The sun had come out from behind the clouds and I was getting very hot, but I managed to make it without puking. :)

My final time was 40:59. I was very proud of that as I collapsed after crossing the finish line. I laid on the ground for a bit before having a little bit of water and a small cookie. Couldn't stomach the turkey sandwich and definitely wasn't going to touch the chips! I wanted to eat a little something, though, since we had to leave right away and take my daughter to her swimming class. I think I earned that cookie! ;)