Enjoying the Journey

Whenever a successful dieter said, "It's a marathon, not a sprint" in reference to their lasting weight loss, I used to roll my eyes. What a cliche. You've got to be kidding me. That's just what they want you to think when the fad diet doesn't work so you keep spending money. These were my thoughts for at least the last 5 years or so.

However, earlier last week I had a bit of an epiphany. I've been on the losing weight track for almost 5 months now. I've officially hit my halfway mark of 30lbs (30 to go, of course). Then... it hit me. I was actually ENJOYING THIS JOURNEY! And perfectly ok with the idea that I wasn't losing 10lbs a week like the Biggest Loser contestants! In fact, there are days I don't see the scale budge, but I have to get rid of jeans because they won't stay on anymore!

I'm sure you're rolling your eyes now, too. But, seriously, if you are wanting to get in better shape and at the very least, eat healthier, there is a way to do it while actually enjoying the journey. Think of a couple things you can change right now. Pick a couple items that won't greatly effect your current lifestyle. What are the things that you know you SHOULD change? Focus on changing those first. To create a habit, it generally takes about two weeks. I know you can handle anything for two weeks. Take a couple things (drinking less soda, less fat/sugar laden coffees, the bagel with cream cheese every morning) and change it up to healthier options. Instead of soda, try some of the different vitamin waters. They are sweet and actually pretty good. Your liver, kidneys, stomach, etc. will thank you. Instead of a grande caramel macchiato, try a misto with half the caramel instead. It's half drip coffee, a little steamed milk and I do half the flavor in mine. Still just as tasty with a bit more caffeine kick. Want a tasty, quick breakfast? Try BSN's Cinnamon Roll protein powder and some oatmeal. Just as tasty as the Quaker packaged stuff, but much healthier. And because oatmeal is a better carb for you in the beginning of the day, it will keep you full longer.

Small swaps like these, will help you foster new habits and that is really the best way to step into a healthier and fitter lifestyle. As you progress further, you'll find yourself naturally craving the healthier options. It's really weird and there are days I just want to eat cake, don't get me wrong. But, you'll find that your mind begins to decipher and crave the foods that are going to make it perform better.

Plugging Along...

Looking back at my workout log this week, it was pretty dang low mileage. It's nice heading out for a run around my hilly town with fairly fresh legs everyday! Since I have several months to train for the half, I'm kind of leap-frogging my Sunday runs between endurance and some speed training. So far, so good.

The rest of the weekend is pretty relaxed, I got a new swimsuit for training this week, and I cannot contain my excitement, so I'm heading to the pool in a bit. Tomorrow will be about a 4.6mi run, at half marathon pace (which means I'll be moving quicker than my normal Sunday long, slow run.) 

The week of the 15th I've got a bit more mileage planned, as well as a small bike clinic with a friend (fellow tri-babe). We'll be heading out to see a trainer friend of mine who has raced tons of elite cycling races, triathlons and coached track as well as cross-country. She's also a personal trainer I used to see a few years ago, when my schedule was a little more flexible. 

Super Bowl 10k

As most folks feasted on Buffalo Wings, Dorito's and knocked back beers today, I completed a 10k run. The local YMCA puts on a series of "Resolution Runs." The first Sunday is earmarked for racing ever increasing distances. We had 5k (3.1mi) in January, the 10k (6.2mi) for February and 2 more scheduled after this 15k (9.3mi) for March and 20k (12.4mi) in April. The fun thing is it's more of an organized training run than a race, with most folks looking to complete spring half marathons and full marathons. The weather was perfect for a run, but geez! Must I live in the worlds hilliest town?! Despite my quads screaming on the downhills and burning on the inclines, I was able to beat my goal time by over a minute!

Some of you know that I've recently switched to minimal running shoes, the Nike Eclipse. Actually, they are supposed to be casual shoes... Hey! They were the only thing that I could find with a super thin sole and low heel lift. My legs feel MUCH better than after any of my runs in my Saucony Hurricanes or other over-engineered running shoes/pillows. Blech! 

After I updated my Facebook peeps (or let them know I lived through the run) a friend of mine commented to me about my consistency in meeting my goals. What a compliment! I've never really been consistent in anything in life (unless it's my constant tardiness or procrastination). It made me think about how I got to where I am, from where I was several months ago. As I referenced in my first post, do the right thing most of the time and it gets easier and easier. A lot of folks have trouble sticking to a new fitness plan because they aren't at 100% with their diet, water, workouts, etc. That doesn't mean it's time to throw in the towel. 

Make the right choice most of the time and you'll find your body naturally craves 100%, whether it be natural foods, water or looking forward to setting out on your run or hitting the weights. Right now, I crave veggies and a lot of fruits and lean meats, because that's what fuels my body best. The last 15 minutes of my workday are garbage because I train after work. All I'm thinking about is my workout, where I'm running to and how fast I can change my clothes and GO!! Make the right choice most of the time and you'll find your body will build the habit itself.

Stay tuned for my post in the next couple days on why chicks need to hit the weight room!

My Training

I got to thinking that I haven't really giving you all an idea of what my training is like for this half marathon/triathlon craziness. 

I've been back in the gym, consistently since late September of 2009. My fitness and endurance is coming back with the cardio and weights, but at first I felt like a real slug. At of the first of this year, I decided to really focus my running on building mileage base for the half marathon. (A half marathon is 13.1 miles.) The half is June 26th, so I still have a bit of time. I'm definitely not built like an endurance athlete, hell, I'm not even built like an athlete (pin-up girl? Now we're talking!) Anyhoo, I have to really make sure to train my muscles to handle the endurance, without injury. Part of that is just plain running and part of it is factoring in rest and building muscle, too. So, from the first of January until March 1st, I'm running 4 days a week and stationary biking 2 days. I also have two workouts I'm doing in the gym. One is focused on power, with higher weights and lower reps and the other on endurance, lower weights and lots of reps (and lots of lactic acid.)


In the gym, I'm also focusing on more dynamic/functional training. Even though that seems to be a real buzzword right now in the fitness industry, I think done effectively, it can help even the chubby athletes. Most of my leg work is done unilaterally as well.  It basically involves more bodyweight work for stabilizer muscles and waking up some muscles that aren't really good at firing (hip flexors for me and most office jockeys.) 

So far, I haven't missed one workout. I'm enjoying the challenge and have races scheduled every month until June (sometimes 2) to keep me motivated for the half marathon. Some friends and I are even running a local 10k (6.2mi) on Super Bowl Sunday. 

It's all about choices...

I would bet most, if not all people who set out on a diet or fitness regime don’t stick to it. They probably fail at least once… or twice. Heck, probably repeatedly. Then, they give up. I couldn’t find any stats to prove any of this, but there are a lot of muffin tops running around my town.

I was definitely one of them, at least for the last five years. Well, not muffin-topper, a diet failure. I’m feeling pretty successful now, since I’m down 25lbs over the last 4 months and I don’t have a death grip on my daily menu. I’m not afraid of slipping backwards every minute of everyday. I was trying to figure out what was this different this time and it all comes down to the choices you make.

It’s easy, especially for us women, to let our minds (the not very supportive part) talk us into bad choices when we’re dieting. 100% change in daily routine or food choices usually last a couple days. The then nag in the back of your head gives you a couple good excuses about eating junk and why you shouldn’t establish that new workout routine.

For myself, I’m very much a routine-oriented person and an “all-or-nothing” person. I do just about the same thing, everyday and I fully immerse myself in everything about a new hobby. Before (on Monday mornings, of course) I’d start my diet. Rarely did I make it to Thursday, because I was so focused on getting Monday 100%, that by Wednesday or Thursday I’d be skipping workouts and eating junk again. Vowing to start again on the following Monday and really get it “this time.”

My current diet? Started on a Wednesday. Ha! Ya can’t fail the same day you start! And I didn’t tell myself, “You have to get it right all. The. Time.” I told myself, “You have to start making the right choices, most of the time, that get you the body you want.” Now, if I want an M&M cookie from the coffee shop across the street (I swear there is an addictive chemical in those things) I get it. And I make sure to remind myself it’s a choice I am making. Yes, cookies day after day aren’t going to get me into my size 8 Old Navy shorts. But, making the choice to have a little treat every so often will keep me sane on this crazy ride.

Ultimately, in making the choice to eat better, drink water instead of soda or hit the streets for a walk instead of watching TV is about choosing YOU. By making you the priority, you’ll reach your life goals, be it with your weight loss, fitness goals or even happiness. And the more you make the right choices, the easier it becomes. Work the day you are in and do not allow yourself the time to get caught up in how long it will take you to get weight off. The time is going to pass anyway!

Today and tomorrow think about the choices you are going to make and comment on them here. Are you going to choose to make lunch a salad with some chicken? After work are you going to hit the gym, instead of going home to lounge? I want to hear about it!

The Beginning

I’ve always been a big girl. And by big, I don’t mean obese or anything, but big. I’m a tall chick, with a sturdy frame and I’ve always had an extra cushion of flab. To get you familiar with where I am now, let’s just take a walk down my last 6 years or so of fitness ups and downs. Uhh… mainly ups...

About 6 years ago, I embraced running. I loved it. It was free, without catchy weight-loss gimmicks and I could run anytime and (just about) anywhere. I spent about 4 months running, doing some full body weight workouts and counting all the calories I could. I lost about 45lbs during this stint and for the first time in my life I was thin and fit! I maintained this loss for about a year then fast forward through life happening, including losing my mom to Cervical Cancer and I piled that 45 back on, plus an additional 35. Yikes!

Throughout the following years, up until recently, I’ve tried just about every diet and trainer out there. My head just wasn’t in it and in retrospect, I think I was expecting that for weight loss to stick, I had to give up everything and live in a bubble. At a certain point, I became totally complacent and figured that it was just genetics. There are plenty of happy fat people out there, right? Right?! The good thing that happened through the yo-yoing was that I learned a bit about weight training, proper nutrition and a bit how the body works to burn fat and keep you going throughout the day. I added a fair amount of muscle to my body during this time and while I wasn’t always happy with the scale, as I lose weight, I’m happy to have added muscle mass.

After writing all that, I guess this isn’t technically the beginning. More like the end. The end of yo-yo dieting and binge eating, the end of choosing crap to fuel my body and the end of being a sloth. Hey! I’ve already lost 25lbs! So, I suppose you could say this is the beginning of leaner, meaner (well, figuratively) me.

I’m currently training for a half marathon – June 26th, 2010 and the Danskin Women’s Sprint Triathlon in August of 2010. I’ve got my own training plan from now until late May, when I’ll be joining the Kitsap Tri-Babes through the summer. They are a local group, of like-minded women, who gather a couple times weekly to train. While training for my half marathon and building a triathlon base, my intent is to lose another 40lbs or so. Oh, and still enjoy cupcakes and a few cocktails here and there. Heh.

The purpose of this blog is to inspire and motivate all women out there like me. Not all successful female runners and triathletes are muscley twigs! Successful female athetes are the ones that have the courage to start training for something that sounds completely unconventional and make it to the starting line. John Bingham wrote in one of his books (I believe, Marathoning for Mortals) that the part to focus on, the really hard part of the race, was getting to the starting line. After that, you get to spend the next few hours celebrating the end of your training and that's exactly what I'm going to do!

I was never a sports star, and I never will be, but dammit, I’m going to train like an athlete, complete some races and have fun and I hope you all enjoy the ride.