A mom's experience with fat loss and weight training - reclaiming my body and improving my level of fitness
Monday, February 7, 2011
Week 2: Feeling Like A Wimp
Monday was the day that I forgot my running shoes when I went to the gym and so I only ran about 2 miles.
Tuesday was a 30 minute tempo run.
Wednesday was a snow day! It was a blizzard outside and I wasn't going anywhere.
Thursday and Friday just didn't happen. I didn't work out at all - too tired. I know, I sound like such a wimp!
Saturday I was feeling a little more energetic. I was supposed to run 5 miles - I ran only 3.
Sunday I was supposed to run 11 miles (according to my master plan) but I'm just not ready for that so I planned to run 8 miles. The first 4 felt pretty good, but during the 5th mile I got really tired. I decided to take a short cut home and ended up running about 7.5 miles. My pace was super slow, but I didn't care. I think I would have been able to run 8 (or even more) if it hadn't been snowing for the entire run. I had to run in about 1/2" to 1" of snow and it was a little bit like running in sand. I was absolutely exhausted when I got home.
So, 3 days off this week, but not quite a total bust.
Week 2 totals: 15.3 miles
Week 1 totals: 11.6 miles, 25 minutes Warrior Yoga
Monday, January 31, 2011
Days 4-8: A Recap
By Thursday afternoon, my "sniffle" had become a full blown cold. I didn't work out on Friday, and I stayed home from work. I ended up sleeping most of the day - I hadn't realized how exhausted I was! By Friday night, aside from some sneezing, a runny nose, and a few lingering body aches, I was feeling a bit better.
On Saturday morning I decided to give running a try. I was supposed to run 10 miles, but I just didn't see that happening. I started out slowly, and the first mile felt pretty good. The second mile was mostly uphill, so it was a bit slower. The third mile was mostly downhill, and it was a bit faster. :) During the fourth mile, I was still feeling good, so I decided to turn away from home instead of toward home. I finished with 5.84 miles at about an average 12:00/mile pace. And I was pretty tired.
Sunday was a day off.
Which brings us to today. I was going to run 3 miles this morning. And so I drove to the gym. And then realized I forgot my tennis shoes. Grrrrrr. So I went back home and got my shoes and went back to the gym and ran 2 miles.
After my workouts I've been drinking the Lemon-Lime Recovery Drink from Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. It looks like the "sludge test" from freshman year science class, but actually tastes great. Although I don't think my husband would try it in a million years. :)
Week 1 totals: 11.6 miles, 25 minutes Warrior Yoga
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Days 2 and 3: Yoga and Pacing
Recently, I've been doing yoga a lot more often. I used to be very anti-yoga, but by forcing myself to do it, I've found that it's made me much more flexible. Sometimes I struggle with getting rid of the chatter in my head. You would think that yoga would help clear the noise, but it doesn't work that way for me. If I don't start with a clear head, I have a lot of trouble finishing the workout.
Today's workout was a 40 minute pace workout. A pretty slow pace, but a pace workout nonetheless. After a mile warm up, I did 2x400, and then 2x800, followed by a half mile cool down. I haven't been running a lot recently and just feel like I need to start slowly to build up my "running confidence". On top of that, I've got a little sniffle, so my breathing isn't quite at 100% capacity. :)
I recently read an article about age, sex and finish time compared to pacing in a marathon. The authors found that older, female and faster runners were better at pacing than younger, male and slower runners, respectively. (March DS, et al, J Strength Cond Res 25(2): 386-391, 2011) So I have the female going for me, but the younger and slower I think is going to trump that! I'm really going to have to learn to concentrate on pacing in my long runs so that I don't burn out.
Have a great day!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Marathon Training, Day One
I'm starting slowly. ;)
And I still got a blister. I just got my running shoes not that long ago so I'm not sure it's my shoes.
Also, I bought one of those braces for plantar fasciitis that you put on your foot while you are sleeping. It basically holds your foot so that it is flexed. I'm still not sure that's what is wrong with my foot, but this morning my foot pain was diminished. However, my calf was sore. I was not amused. I'll give the brace a week or two at the most before I make my final decision on whether or not it's working.
Finally, rest in peace Jack LaLanne. What a guy! The fitness icon died yesterday at 96 years old from respiratory failure due to pneumonia. I have his Juicer collecting dust in my basement. I bought it from my sister at her moving sale years ago. I should get that out and take it for a spin!
Have a great day!
Friday, January 14, 2011
My Vegan Challenge
This week I've been undergoing a "vegan challenge". I had joined the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart (free to join), which began on January 3, but I didn't follow a vegan plan for the entire first week. Then I learned about a "vegan challenge" where I work. They were doing a 7-day challenge, and I was determined to give it a try. (A vegan diet contains no animal products - so no meat, dairy, eggs, honey.)
The majority of my meals this week came from Brendan Brazier's Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life and from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet. In some ways, it was nice (lots of fruits and veggies, new recipes to try), but my food processor definitely got a workout, and so did my digestive tract. Let's just say I had a lot of fiber and flax. :)
Here's my menu so far this week (in somewhat random order, not necessarily by meal):
*Denotes Thrive Diet recipe, or at least derived from a Thrive Diet recipe ;)
Monday:
Quinoa and Sweet Potato Pancakes*
Salad with cukes, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, sesame seeds*
Dressing made with tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and agave nectar*
Homemade vegetable crackers*
Clementine, banana
Energy bar*
Tofu & Kale Spanakopita (Vegan Planet recipe)
Tuesday:
almonds, date, flax, carob powder, Vega powder, almond milk*
Tofu & Kale Spanakopita leftovers
pear, apple
Energy bar*
potatoes/onion
Boca burger
applesauce
prunes, peanut butter, almonds
popcorn with nutritional yeast
Wednesday:
Quinoa and Sweet Potato Pancakes*
lentil soup with quinoa
clementines, banana, pineapple
Energy bar*
Polenta Chili Casserole (Vegan Planet recipe)
almonds, raisins, peanut butter
Thursday:
Oatmeal with pumpkin, walnuts, almond milk
Salad with cukes, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, sesame seeds*
Dressing made with tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and agave nectar*
Clementines, pear, almonds
Homemade vegetable crackers*
Energy bar*
Mac and "Cheese" (Vegan Planet recipe - pictured below)
Chocolatey Peanut Butter Brownie (Vegan Planet recipe - pictured below)
Friday:
Tortilla with peanut butter, banana and strawberries
Mac and "Cheese" leftovers (lunch and dinner)
Homemade vegetable crackers*
almonds, pineapple, carrots
Chocolatey Peanut Butter Brownie
Quite frankly, I miss eggs. I don't really miss meat, but I miss eggs. Thursday night I had a dream that I ate something with egg in it and after I ate it I thought, "Wait, eggs aren't vegan!" and then I woke up. One of my son's favorite meals is "eggs and toast" and we usually have that for dinner a few times a month, so I think those dinners will stay. :)
Energy-wise, for the first 3 days I was kind of tired (probably sugar withdrawal) but by Thursday, I had tons of energy. Basement painting here I come! We are turning part of the basement into a playroom for the kids. I let the kids choose the colors - one wall will be pink, and the other will be green.
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
New Year, New Goals
1. Post on the blog more often.
I've been a little neglectful.
2. Run a marathon.
Or even jog one. :) I haven't been running as much as I would like to be. I confess, I've been a bit of a wimp. The weather has been really cold, and even though I bought some cold weather running gear, I haven't run outside. I also have a nagging pain in my foot. It actually started around the time I ran the half marathon. I thought it might be plantar fasciitis, but I don't have any heel pain, which seems to be a common symptom. It's more in the ball of my foot. I feel it in the morning when I first wake up, and also after sitting for a while, like when I'm in a meeting and then stand up afterward. I'm concerned because I haven't even started training yet!
3. Be more personable.
I am horrible at small talk. I've been accused of not being "effusive". So this year, I will "effuse". :)
4. Spend more time with my husband and kids, separately and together.
I always feel like I'm telling my kids, "In a minute." I want to spend more quality time with my kids. And a "date night" with my husband every once in a while wouldn't hurt either. :)
And, of course, eat right, exercise, and get more sleep. All of which will help me achieve my goals!
Happy New Year everyone!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Back In Action

Ahem, so, well, it's been awhile since I've posted. :)
New Year's Resolution #1:
Post on Blog more frequently.
I have 2 big announcements!
First, I got second place in the Women under 40 Category in the last TT Contest (Contest #9). Very excited about that! The 10th TT Contest has already begun - you can read the rules HERE. Start your year on the right foot! :)
Second big announcement: I have signed up to run a full marathon. Not EXACTLY sure what I was thinking! But I do plan to post more about training, nutrition, etc. I think it will help keep me in line! :)
My "official" training will start near the end of January, so I might not post too much before then, but I'm going to try!
Happy New Year!
Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
TT Contest Week 4 - Update and Really Exciting News
[Hangs head in shame.]
Where to begin?
Well....on Sunday I will have completed the first 4 weeks of the TT Contest. I'm just finishing up TT for Meatheads V and loving it! Next week I will begin TT for Jacked and Lean Meatheads. I'm a little scared - one of the guys on the TT Forums has been saying it's a tough workout!
Speaking of the TT Forums, I've been really good about posting my workouts and nutrition in my contest thread, something that I didn't do in the last contest. I'd forgotten how much fun it can be to interact with all of the other contest participants.
Nutrition has been pretty solid. Only a few little glitches here and there. One of my goals for this contest is to eat vegetarian at least 2 full days per week. So far that has been going well. I got tons of yummy-looking recipes courtesy of the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. I've made some of those and am looking forward to trying a lot more! Tonight for dinner I made a pizza using a crust recipe from Vegetarian Times, homemade meatless sausage, and Daiya vegan cheese. It was, in a word, AWESOME!
In minor news, I got a new haircut. It looks like a cross between Joan Jett and Jon Bon Jovi, lol.
And finally, in the Really Exciting News department, it's time once again for Tattoo Watch!! I got a laser treatment earlier today and I am hoping it works well. The place where I used to go doesn't do tattoo removal any longer so I had to find a new doctor and a new clinic. The laser they used today was a little different so I am excited to see the results! Hopefully I'll have weekly pictures as I have done in the past.
Have a great day!
Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Believe In Yourself - Be Your Own Audience
I will be one of the first people to champion social support. I have seen the benefits for myself and for many others (in TT Contests, for example). But even with social support, you first need to believe in yourself. I’ll demonstrate with 2 stories about my father (I’ll bet he doesn’t realize how philosophical he is!)
You have to want it.
My father smokes. Not as much as he used to, but he still smokes. Years ago, I asked him, “If you know smoking is bad for you, why don’t you quit?” His answer? “I don’t want to.” He knew smoking was bad for him, but he still smoked.
It’s exactly the same if you want to transform your body. “Why don’t you quit eating doughnuts/French fries/insert-vice-food-here when you know it’s bad for you?” Or, a more difficult question, “Why don’t you exercise when you know it’s good for you?” Is your answer “I don’t want to”? Probably not. It’s probably “I don’t have time” or “I don’t know what to do.” Stop making excuses. If you want it, go for it!
This is a perfect time to start the next TT Contest. Workouts are short, intense and laid out for you. Read the Rules here ==> TT Contest Rules
Be your own audience.
When I was in college, I interviewed my father for a paper I wrote while in a class about gender. He gave me his opinion on the differences in working with men vs. women. He said that you could tell a man to do something, and he would go and do it. If you tell a woman to do something, it will take longer because she’ll need to ask “How’s this” and then she’ll go check in with someone else “How am I doing?” The needing of constant reassurance was something my father saw as distracting and not a direct way to accomplish the task.
I think this can apply to lots of situations. I find that women in general do seek more approval, and their self-esteem relies on this approval. First, you need to be your own audience – make your own applause. If you don’t have the support you need externally, you need to be your own cheerleader. Don’t wait for external approval to begin your journey, start right now!
So join me in the next Turbulence Training Contest. Be your own advocate and start your journey! My start date is Monday, September 6th. When's yours? :)
(Note that you don’t have to actually buy anything to join the contest.)
Have a great week!!
Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Lots of Randomness
But one of the most important things is that I *might* have talked my husband into joining me in the next TT Contest. ;)
The half marathon went really well! It was a warm, humid morning. By 6:00am, it was 70 degrees. Not the most ideal running weather, but at least it was overcast so the sun was not beating down on us. I felt really good while I was running. I drank a ton of water in the days before the race, and had lots of carbs. :) My first mile was my fastest - about 10:45 - and my overall pace was about 11:15/mile. Total time was just under 2 hours and 28 minutes. So...not blazing fast, but I am proud to have finished! The first female finished about an hour ahead of me. She was racing. I was running, but she was racing. I'll do better next time! ;)
Last year I joined the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. I didn't really take advantage of it last year, so I signed up again this year. If you are interested, you can sign up here ==> 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Starting September 6, you receive a daily email with tips and a vegan meal plan. I don't typically eat vegan, but I like to look at the meal plans for ideas. (The plans are posted for the week so you can shop and prepare ahead of time.) I have been trying to eat vegetarian a day or two per week.
This weekend we are finally going to start repainting the kitchen. We've had the paint for a while, lol. Speaking of painting, I think I remember typing here that my daughter picked out a color for her room that looked like a strawberry milkshake. Well, I decided I couldn't live with it anymore and we repainted her room a nice neutral color. :)
Have a great week!!