Update & Total of 12 Pounds Gone!

Since Saturday....

Sunday 4 miles in the morning. Good run, good times.
Monday, Plyometrics, good workout, sweat a lot, but it's always gettin easier.
Tuesday, 44 minute run, about 4 miles.
Wednesday, slept in a LOT, bought running shoes for about $200 (gift card was used to help), Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps was accomplished.
Thursday, 5 miles down AGAIN!

I weighed myself again, and since the beginning of the month, I've lost 7 pounds! :-) I haven't seen the number on the scale for a long time and this is awesome how great I feel. My confidence in a lot of areas is coming back and I'm definitely not as self conscious when I look in the mirror. The best thing though? I can feel how much stronger my body is, from my quads to my hamstrings, my stomach, my biceps, my back, my shoulders, it's pretty AWESOME!

So thanks to the mean boy that told me I was the biggest girl he'd ever dated...I'm not dating you anymore and you motivated me enough to get the real me back!

Pushing The Limits!

Let's see, Wednesday morning I did bike Turkey Mountain! Yay, 15 miles! Although I have to admit, I went the 'easier' route. By going from my house all the way to 71st and Peoria and THEN going North, I don't have 2 huge hills to bike up. The first time I tried biking Turkey Mountain, I went the really difficult way and had to push my bike up twice. I felt like a TOTAL loser, but this time, I did the long slow climb hill at the beginning and then SOARED down the 2 really steep ones!

I also figured out that even with biking that far and spending 90 minutes out there...that it just doesn't burn a whole lot of calories. That's about 10-11mph, and honestly only about 26 calories burned per mile. So even with doing 15 miles, it's ONLY 390 calories! I could bike 15 miles and be out for 90 minutes, or just go run/walk 4 miles in approximately 45-60 minutes. Granted, biking is much easier for some people because they have issues with their knees and such, and I know that if I was to pick up the pace and bike faster, it would burn a little bit more...but still...calorie burning = running for me.

So onto the NEXT thing...
I surpassed my 3.2 or 38 minutes running! Thursday morning, I planned on running 4 miles on Riverside. So I go out and start at 41st and know that I have to run to 21st and turn around = 4 miles. Well, I couldn't figure out where the street sign for 21st Street was, so I kept running until I saw a sign, but by then it was 17th Street! So I just continued, not really sure how far I was going, but I kept looking at my IPOD clock and it was going on almost 50 minutes. I was extremely tired and warm (stupid me decided to go run at 9:30AM instead of earlier when it was cooler!). But I finished and then when I got home, I got onto www.mapmyrun.com and pulled up what I had just did, and I had run 4.98 miles! Super SUPER excited! Whooo!

Although, then I didn't work out that night after working at the salon, plus, I hung out with the guy. And because he kept me up, I didn't get up Friday morning either, and then felt really tired after work. So I ate, napped, and ended up going running with the boy at midnight, just like 2 or 3 miles total with warmup. Good times though! Tonight is back to P90X and building some 'muscle' - Back & Biceps!

How Many Pushups...?!

Chest and back was today. Well, techinically it was last week, but I just now got to it today. 227 pushups, granted, they were 'girly' (on the knees) but still. I think next time, I'll do them regularly. I've changed doing the pullups/chinups with the bands to doing them with the chair. So now....I think I'm ready to do the real pushups now. It won't be until next week or the week after until I do that routine again though.

Tonight after work....I just really needed to exercise. I had gone out for breakfast and eaten a little bit much and then at work, it was potluck day, which never means 'healthy' food. I did fairly well, but there was some queso and I did have a brownie and 2 little peanut butter chocolate chip cookies though. So a few miles burned a few hundred calories and that made me feel better.

Until getting hungry at almost 11PM. *sigh* Snacking on roasted & salted green peas and some rice crackers I suppose isn't THAT bad, but still. Could have been better.

Tomorrow moring, I'm hoping to get up and go bike Turkey Mountain. That's the goal, so I should probably be going to bed....now.

Mohawk 5000 Update!!!

I ran this last Friday night and it said often times you can get your personal best because it's flat and fast. :-)

32:00 minutes!!!!

Tired Again

Well well well. This morning accomplished La Fortune (3.2) miles before 8AM. Yesterday as well. I was supposed to weight train yesterday but after work and church and a meeting and running....I was tired.
Today, was going to instead. After working a full day, meeting until 9PM, yes, tired again.
I still feel good and my arms actually have been a little sore, just from being a stylist. But I said that I was going to do P90X and even it ends up taking me longer than 12 weeks, it's probably the best thing that I could have EVER done.
Tomorrow I don't work until 3PM so I need to do Chest & Back (from last week) and possibly Plyometrics but I don't know if I will have enough energy. The guide says to only add more cardio if you have extra energy but between being really busy at work, meeting a new person (gotta HATE that!), meetings, and trying to run at least 3 times a week....yeah, I'm tired. The sad part is, excluding the man, there is very little social time and I don't even see him that often!

Measurements

Today was not any specific day, but about 30 days since I last took measurements. I lost 1" in my chest, 1/2" in my waist, but I think I GAINED 1/2" in my hips (?), unless I measured a different spot last time. That doesn't make sense to me, since my clothes aren't tighter. My forearms lost .3" on both and my biceps lost from .2-.5" and then thighs lost from .5" to 1" (I measure 2 different spots). And calves, I noticed the first time I measured that my left was almost a full 1" bigger than my right. But today, I had gained .5" on my right and lost .25" on my left, so getting more symmetrical! I didn't weigh myself, because that's a first thing in the morning thing...so tomorrow!

Phase 3 & Some Results FINALLY!

Today was the 2nd day of Phase 3, first time around. I stepped on the scale today because I told myself that I'm going to start weighing myself twice a week, that way I have to answer a little bit more. So Mondays and Thursdays are THE days. I weighed last Thursday....at ***.* and BW of **.*. :=) Can't let you know TOO much!

But weighed today after really working hard all weekend and pushing it, LOST 3.4 pounds!!! Granted, they'd still better be gone on Thursday, although...I am having my birthday dinner and drinks tomorrow night. And I'm probably going to...drink a lot. Mexican and margaritas, they're kind of high in calories. But I'm doing Plyo in the morning and ran today and about to go do Shoulders & Arms, and then Wednesday - run, bike and possibly Kenpos X.

Oh, the Body Fat drop was 1.3% too. :-) Hopefully it's even better Thursday!

One of my clients came in yesterday and he hadn't seen me....for 7 weeks; he waited a little long in my opinion. But he told me that he hardly recognized me (my hair was down and straight too...I think that was part of it)! But that made me feel really awesome, and I really am noticing results, it only took 2 months of doing this and really only about a month of trying to eat really well. Just imagine what would have happened if I had known about the nutrition plan to begin with?! Craziness.

When It Rains, It POURS

This week has been super busy and a little crazy too.

Tuesday night, I decided I was going to bike up to the Call Center the next morning to pick up my pay check stubs and drop off some postcards. Well, I didn't get my butt out of bed quite as early as I wanted, but at 9:30, I was determined to set off for my adventure, even though the sky looked a little questionable. Ha!!! Not even 2 miles away from my house, the sky literally just opens up. I looked like I had jumped into a swimming pool by the time I got up to the square. It usually takes me about...20 minutes or so to bike it, and I had to be a little more careful because the roads were slick. So then of course, on the way back, it's still pouring, even though I waited inside for a while to see if it would let up. Nope, of course not! When does it stop? About 10 minutes after I get home! Ahhhh!!!

Round two. Thursday morning, I'm going for a run, and I'm going to La Fortune. I overslept a little again and am still determined to go. I have to be at work at 12PM and I know that it is still much too hot at night to run even when it 'cools' down. I arrive and just barely started walking for warmup and I feel a couple drops. By the time I get settled in pace, it's pouring.

But! I only passed 1 other person that morning, which is a RECORD for La Fortune, it's usually packed. And...it felt SO EASY to run the 3.2 miles.

I was a little concerned about my IPod though. Wednesday, I had my Nano on my arm through the rain on the bike, and it had a blank screen until I let it dry out. So I purposely used my shuffle Thursday, just in case....and it was fine.

This morning, another 3.2 miles down. Tonight, need to do Core, and it's the END of the 2ND recovery week! 4 more weeks for P90X! Bring it!

That Girl...

Shelley at work is really amazing. She's my constant motivator. :-) Love her!

Today, got up around 9 and it was about 75 out, so I went for around a 2.2 mile run. The little park next to my house isn't a full mile but I know from the walk from my house, there around twice and back, it's 2 miles. I like to run La Fortune too, but I'm lazy and don't want to have to drive. *rolls eyes* I'd rather just walk to my running place!

Tonight after work was Core, which I didn't really want to do. I have to say that I've grown a little tired of constantly looking at the TV and working out, although I KNOW that it's a GREAT workout. I'm kind of aching to be back in the gym again. Although I can do this at my house, at any time, and best of all, I can wear ANYTHING or less and not feel uncomfortable. Not quite the same, especially at a co-ed gym. Tomorrow...bicycle ride and some yoga!

And Keep On Rolling....

So Saturday was the race. Sunday, my family was still here from visiting and after I did their hair, honestly, I was just exhausted. I had some lunch and then just passed out in bed until 11PM. So...now workout on Sunday. Monday morning, because I took a 'nap' until 11PM, I couldn't get back to sleep until almost 3AM, so I didn't get up and go for a bike ride like I wanted.

After work I had a meeting and had a light salad there and honestly, I really did NOT want to work out, at all. But my new thing is, if I'm 'out' of calories, exercise or go to sleep. So I can eat or just forget about it. So...exercise I did! P90X Back & Biceps and man, do I feel awesome! This week is Recovery Week, although I'm still going to be running so lots of stretching and then onto the last 4 weeks of this program. YaY!

My little sister did make a comment to me when she saw me though. She mentioned that she had gained like 7 pounds since the summer had started just because it was so hot up home that she didn't want to do anything. But she asked me if I had lost weight, because I looked..."toned up"? I haven't really lost a lot, just like 4 or 5 pounds, but I do have more defintion, upper body wise, which makes me feel awesome that she said that! Gotta love the small comments!

Firecracker 5K!!!

Yesterday I just did Ab Ripper X and let my ankle rest a little bit, kind of. I suppose standing on it all day doing hair isn't really 'resting'.

This morning, 6:30AM popped out of bed, got ready and was at the starting line at 7:20AM. Good music in my ears and I started a little farther back to not get pushed, trambled, poked, prodded....etc.

The route wasn't too hilly but there was a few smaller ups and downs. I did not stop and beat my previous time by 13 seconds, without really trying/knowing. There is the Mohawk run on the 17th and I read that is flat and 'fast'. So maybe...we can shave off some more time!!!

Still Moving & Groovin'!

Let's see...I met my goal time for June, 1900 minutes of exercise! Yay! Great job! This month, my goal is to run 38 miles and then 1950 minutes of exercise. The mileage itself should be about 380, so that should be fairly easy to do! :-) My birthday is this month, so maybe ONE day off...maybe. Maybe not. :-)

Have continued to listen to my ankle this week, my knee is being a little weird as well. I did yoga that day to help, then I went for just a 2 mile run and did Legs & Back VERY GENTLY the following day. Yesterday was Plyometrics day, and I made it through it without taking as many breaks, and it felt good, but I didn't feel as though I pushed as hard as I could. Sometimes I don't think I get my heart rate going as much as I should. Although when I check it, it's usually about 22-28 beats (for 10 seconds), so it's in the correct range. But I think that it goes up and then down and then up and then down. Granted, I don't think I could keep it up at the 168 bpm for very long; it's not even that fast when I'm running I don't think. I really want a heart rate monitor, a Garmin 450....$350-$500 later....I think I'll wait for a while. :-)

Today I went for another little run, 2.5 miles. I woke up a little later than expected this morning, but it rained last night so it wasn't too hot or humid out at 9:30AM. I had to be at work at noon and yes, I take a good hour to get ready (lunch, clothes, shower, hair, makeup and EVERYTHING else!) to be out the door is good I think. So I did about 2.5 miles and then worked at the salon.
Busy day and my ankle is acting up again, a little ice during dinner and I'll wear very good shoes tomorrow = no heels, no flip flops.

I WILL be running that 5K on Saturday, I will!