Day 2: Run/Walk Method

Today was my second day to do the run/walk method of Jeff Galloway. When I did it Sunday, I ran for 30 seconds and walked for 30 seconds for the entire 3.11 miles. I felt pretty good and decided to bump it up to 1 minute:1 minute to see how I did. It is amazing to me how close my times were. But, it was a harder run for sure.

Now, I take a Zumba class on Monday evenings, and this being my second run after a Zumba class, I am here to tell you that I can definitely feel it in my legs. Whatever muscles are used in Zumba are screaming at me while I'm running but geez it feels fantastic. No joke. It makes me feel like something is working. So I'm not totally sure if it was a harder run because I bumped it up to 1:1 or if it was because of the Zumba. Or both.

Tomorrow is a rest day. THANK GOD. I'm not gonna lie, I like my rest days. My legs like my rest days. I NEED those rest days.

Because I love visuals, I am going to post the comparison of today's run and Sunday's run to show you how close they were.

Summary                            Tues 01/31/12                  Sun 01/29/12 Distance 3.11 mi 3.11 mi Time 38:43 38:14 Avg Speed 4.8 mph 4.9 mph Avg Pace 12:28 min/mi 12:18 min/mi Calories 368 C 364 C Moving Time 38:04 37:53 Elapsed Time 38:43 38:14 Avg Moving Speed 4.9 mph 4.9 mph Avg Moving Pace 12:15 min/mi 12:11 min/mi Max Speed 7.2 mph 7.2 mph Best Pace 8:20 min/mi 8:21 min/mi                      Laps Split Time Distance Avg Pace Time Distance Avg Pace 1 12:17 1.00 12:17 12:32 1.00 12:33 2 12:34 1.00 12:34 12:33 1.00 12:33 3 12:36 1.00 12:36 12:04 1.00 12:04 4 1:17 0.11 12:10 1:05 0.11 9:58

I want to be a runner

A few of the blogs I read have mentioned the training methods of Jeff Galloway. I decided to see what all the buzz was about so I went to his website, http://www.jeffgalloway.com/. Jeff Galloway was on the 1972 Olympic team and has coached thousands of runners for marathons and more. He also writes articles for Runners World and has written many books.

His method is based on taking "walk breaks", stating that runners will have better times as they will not slow down at the end of their run. When breaking up a run, especially long runs, into segments, it makes it "easier" to endure.

By no means have I ever proclaimed to be a runner. When I run, it is not pretty. I picture myself lacing up my cool running shoes and running around the park like it's no big deal. That is FAR from the truth. It is not pretty when I run. I huff and puff and sound like I'm about to keel over. I hunch my shoulders forward and I think eventually it will get better. It never does and my attempts at running usually end with me hurting all over. You'd think I'd give up by now because clearly, my body is not made to run.

Several years ago, I could run 3 miles. I worked my way up to it over time. Well, what happens when you stop? If you don't use it, you lose it. This time around, I'm having a hard time pretending to be that runner that I strive to be.

So, after reading about Jeff Galloway's method, I decided that this morning when I went to the park to run,I would give it a shot. Based on an optimistic pace of a 14-minute mile, it is recommended that I run for 30 seconds and walk for 30 seconds. So I did this. Thanks to my nifty Garmin watch on my wrist (which I'm not sure how I've not had one all this time....), I was able to easily glance down at the big numbers and see when every 30 seconds was up.

The first thing I noticed was that I did not feel fatigued as quickly as I normally would. I felt like I could run farther if I tried, but I stuck to the 30 second intervals to see how it worked out in the end time wise. I beat my best time ever, finishing in 38:14. And bonus, the third mile was my fastest one. Normally if I try to make myself run longer than I should, I slow down at the end and find that it is a real struggle to finish.

I am not necessarily trying to beat times, but it was pretty neat to see that even with walk breaks, I finished quicker that if I tried to run as long as I could. My optimistic guess of a 14-min mile was proven to be a 12:18 minute mile. I am faster than I think when I use this method. And according to Jeff Galloway's site, with this pace, I should be running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute. The next time I run, which will be Tuesday, I will go for 1 minute running and 1 minute walking to see how I do with that.

Ultimately, I would love to be able to run a full 5K. That is one of my biggest goals for 2012. And I think with this method, I have a pretty good shot at reaching that goal, sooner than later.

If any of you have any desire to run, I suggest you visit www.jeffgalloway.com and read up.

My motto for today...

I've been bitten...

...by the racing bug. Since signing up for the Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon coming up in just 2 weeks from tomorrow, I've been doing alot of walking and running. Last week, I did my first "official" 5K, getting a shirt and race bib and all. I am BEYOND excited about the RNR Half Marathon, it's just about all I can think about.

Last week I came super close to signing up for the Gasparilla Distance Classic Race weekend in Tampa in March. There was a promotion at Sports Authority, if you spend $85 in Nike running gear, you get free registration for certain events. I knew it would be going on this week as well, so I decided to think about it. Today, after our 11-mile training walk which went FANTASTIC, I decided I would splurge a little and buy some new running gear and get that free registration for the 8K on Sunday March 4. I bought a pair of super cool pants, a pair of shorts, a super light top, and a nifty water belt. I am all set and I will look fantastic doing it!

Super cool event shirt I got for registering for the 8K!

I am so excited about taking the time for myself and making the commitment to do these races. I certainly won't be the fastest or the best, but I will be out there doing it and giving it MY best shot. I am extremely proud of myself for doing this. I CAN DO IT!

Approaching 40

As my birthday is quickly approaching, just a couple weeks away, this coming week I am reminded why I dread turning 40.

I know, it's just a number. It doesn't shouldn't mean anything. But it does. It is a reminder to me of how much I dislike my body and what it cannot do.

Five years ago this week, I had a miscarriage. Since then, my body has been poked, prodded, medicated, tested, operated on, and more, all to no avail. Five years ago this week, we lost the baby we were supposed to have. We should have a 4 year old child. But we don't.

Everyone has reasons to dislike their body. Before being momentarily pregnant and then losing it in the blink of any eye, I would tell you I didn't like my body because I wasn't thin, I didn't like my butt, legs, whatever. While I STILL dislike those things about my body, it seems so minor compared to not being able to have a baby, to be labeled "infertile" by doctors.

The last several years have been rough. ROUGH in all capital letters. Losing a baby, running two businesses at once, the crash of the economy and all the stress from that, the above mentioned poking and prodding, losing our Sweet Sammi dog, and losing Daddy last year. My body has taken a beating, - physically, emotionally, and mentally.

I do my best to not think about the very real fact that we likely will never have a child. It is an awful thought to think about. Our resources are tapped, we have no alternatives, so I do my best to focus on everything else. Hence, one of the many reasons I am making 2012 MY year. The year to take care of myself. I am determined to make the year that I turn 40 the one to remember by losing the weight I've put on the last several years, to do not one but two half-marathons this year, and as many 5Ks as I can. I want to take control back on my body and show it that I am in charge, not  it.

It's a struggle, it always will be. It's so easy to not care about what I eat or drink or if I sit on the couch every day and not walk or workout. It's easy to fall into that trap. My body can't do what I want it to do, why should I be good to it? But that won't get me anywhere, except depressed.

I am changing that. And somehow, someway, I will one day learn to accept the other facts. Maybe.

Dear Weight Watchers...

Dear Weight Watchers,

Once again you have proven to me how the program DOES work. After going back to your meeting last week and committing myself to making it work, I jumped back in with both feet, making smart decisions whether I was eating at home or out, testing my willpower in some instances (i.e., no chips and salsa at Chili's!), and making new recipes that I have enjoyed all week long. I never once felt deprived or hungry or like I was missing out on something, even when choosing not to have the evil delicious chips and salsa at Chili's. To me, the points weren't worth it. I stuck to my points, walked a total of 24 miles since last Thursday, drank a lot of water, and took my vitamins.

Needless to say, I had high hopes when I went to the meeting this morning and got on the scale. Since last night I was thinking "oh no, what if despite all my hard work this week I didn't lose anything?" You never know with my body anymore. But, I was proven very wrong and I was very happy when I stepped on the scale and saw a 4 pound loss. GO ME!!!!

I walked out of there feeling very empowered, happy to have some sort of control over my body again after it has had a mind of it's own the last several months. I have a long road ahead of me and a lot of hard work to get it back to where I want to be, my "happy weight". But seeing that loss this morning tells me I CAN DO IT. My hard work will not go unnoticed.

It's only a matter of time that I will be more comfortable in my clothes and feel better in my skin. Thank you for once again showing me that I can eat healthy and enjoy it and that I don't need all that bad stuff that does nothing for me except stick to my hips.

Love,
Me

Fitness At Home

I saw this on Pinterest today. Fitness at home. It seems like the perfect thing to do on the days I don't walk or run. No equipment is needed, just me, myself, and I. I'm going to give it a shot, are you?

By the way, do you go on Pinterest? Oh my goodness, it can be a real obsession. So many fun, creative, neat, inspirational, yummy, exciting things on there that you can "pin" on your boards. Can be perfect for party planning, gift giving, home decorating, meal planning and more. I highly recommend you check it out. You have to have an invitation to it, so if you'd like one, leave me a note in a comment and I'll send you one!

I am participating in
 One Mouse Click Wednesday!
You should too! Click on the
button and join in!

So far so good!

Today is my 4th day back on WW. I jumped back in with both feet and I'm feeling really good about it, glad I finally made the decision to go back, even if it meant going to a different location to fit it in.

Thursday, the day I re-joined, I came in right at my daily points without much planning. Friday was a little more challenging as we went out for lunch and dinner. I planned ahead for both and was  very proud of myself. Jason's Deli for lunch meant I could easily have a half of a turkey sandwich on wheat with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. it came with a small side of blue tortilla chips and salsa. Very filling. We went to Chili's for dinner and I didn't have any chips and salsa. Not. One. This is so freaking hard for me because endless chips and salsa are one of my most favorite things but I decided it wasn't worth it. Much different than the ones I had at lunch which weren't greasy and there was a set amount on my plate. I knew if I took one chip at dinner, I was done. I went into my weekly  points for the Margarita Grilled Chicken I had with black beans and rice but it was well worth it, and I didn't eat every single bite. I stopped when I was full.

Saturday after walking 9.34 miles I was pretty hungry, but amazingly didn't eat all my points for the day. We went to Jimmy John's for lunch, I knew I could have one of their Unwich lettuce wraps for hardly any points. IT WAS SO GOOD!!! So many things I want to try there and if I go the Unwich route, not many points at all for such a filling meal. For dinner I made tilapia with zucchini and tomatoes. Great day for good food, not once feeling deprived.

This morning, I had my first Starbucks in several days and boy was it worth the 3 points. I went to the store and stocked up on goodies to make a Cheesy Chili Mac and Mustard Vinaigrette dressing that I got from WW. I also planned ahead for meals, lunches, and snacks for the week. I love being prepared, it makes it so much easier. I am still on point for today.

I am feeling very empowered and proud of myself for doing this, and falling back into it so smoothly. I know the program works, I just need to take it one day at a time, and plan ahead. This is the biggest thing for me when I am so busy during the week. The more healthy choices I have, the less likely I will be to fall into the trap of eating anything - and everything - around me. I love that there are so many options for eating out and that I don't ever have to feel deprived of enjoying delicious food just because I am trying to be healthier.

I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Recipe: Tilapia with Zucchini and Tomatoes

I have been on a tilapia kick the past couple weeks after Publix had it on sale. I bought it and froze it in servings. It thaws quickly when you are ready to cook it. Each piece is approximately 3 oz.. Twice now I've made this dish and IT. IS. DELICIOUS. I thought I'd share the recipe on here for anyone who may be interested. And it is very WeightWatchers friendly.

Tilapia with Zucchini and Tomatoes

3oz. piece of tilapia
1/2 can Italian diced tomatoes
1/2 zucchini, slices
1/4 white onion, sliced
5 quartered artichoke hearts
Garlic powder
Oregano
Italian Seasoning
Basil
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Serving: 1
WW Points Plus: 7   (deduct 3 points if you don't have the mozzarella cheese)

Put tilapia in small glass baking dish and add diced tomatoes (with juice). Add zucchini, onion, and artichoke hearts. Add seasonings and drizzle olive oil on top. Bake in oven on 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes and broil on high for approximately 10 minutes. Add mozzarella cheese and broil until melted and browned.

This is a very filling and satisfying dish. No additional sides are needed!

Ready to go in oven...

Ready to eat! You can't even see the tilapia at the
bottom but it comes out so nice and flaky, it just
falls apart when you eat it. All the flavors
are fabulous together.

Starting over, again.

Today I did what I've been needing to do for awhile. There was no more denying my clothes not fitting like they used to, or my inability to control my appetite and how much I was eating. I needed something to keep me line since I can't seem to do it myself. I went back to Weight Watchers.

There is nothing like getting on the scale knowing it's going to read a number that is higher than you want it to be. Finding out just how high it is is even worse. I am all about being open and honest here on my blog, but for now, I don't want to admit what I weighed in at. It's higher than I've been in many many years and I don't like it. Not. One. Bit.

It's that kind of anger and frustration that I need to get me off my butt and do something about it. And I am the only one who can do it. I am excited about following the new PointsPlus program and see what all it has to offer. I am excited to plan my meals and have that structure that I need to stay on point.

I didn't stop going to Weight Watchers because I wanted to. I stopped going because when I got busy at work and needed every minute I could to do what I needed to and was bringing work home to do in the evenings, the easiest thing to give up to make time for that was my time at WW and working out. All of a sudden, my Friday mornings were spent wherever I had surveys or permitting or customer meetings, so I wasn't able to go to my WW meeting. When I would get home from work, instead of putting on my running shoes the minute I got home and running out the door, I was sitting down at my dining room table to continue to work on whatever I brought home with me. I was also eating whatever was quick and easy. All of this added up to extra pounds for me. Nobody's fault but mine. I didn't like it but I was doing what had to be done. This is where I need to find balance. I work to hard at work to keep things busy and I can't let being busy control my every minute and affect my wellness.

A good friend is doing WW too. I look forward to sharing recipes, thoughts, motivation, and more with her. I also just last night read a post on Colleen Bee Fit's blog about how she just reached her Lifetime weight goal. What an inspiration she is! Her before and after photos are incredible and she is so amazing. I guarantee you when I walked back in to Weight Watchers this morning, I was thinking about her meeting her goal. I want to again feel that excitement of getting to my goal weight and I want to br proud of myself for working my butt off.

It won't be easy. Lord knows my body doesn't respond like it used to. But nothing worth having is easy. It'll be hard to not eat everything in site and have to really limit those glasses of wine I so enjoy. On the flipside, I will enjoy foods that I love and I will be taking better care of myself. In return, I look forward to feeling better not only about how I look, but also about how I feel. I don't like being achy and sore all the time. My body is telling me something. And finally, I am listening. That is a very empowering thing.

I hope you'll follow me on my journey. Any support I can get is important to me and will motivate me to keep plugging away at this, one pound at a time, however long it takes.

I did what?!

I tried something tonight I SWORE I would never try. I went to a Zumba class. There was a free class on the rec center near by my house and my sister asked if I wanted to go. I momentarily thought, "HA! No way. Not gonna happen."

But then I realized there was no reason to not try it. If she was game, well then WHY NOT?

The reason I've never been interested in taking it is because I have two left feet, I am not coordinated at all, and I am the whitest person ever. This girl does not dance. There is no way I could even try it.

Despite my fear of going, it was SO MUCH FUN. Who knew? I couldn't do half of the moves but the music was great and I was shakin' my butt like there is no tomorrow. I  was drenched in sweat after the hour was up and it was great.

I always resist change. I swear I don't want to do something because I won't be good at it. It didn't matter tonight. There were kids there all the way up to senior citizens. And not one of them cared if they could do every move perfectly. Everyone was just having fun. And to call it a workout was a bonus.

So, you can bet our butt's we'll be signing up to take the class every Monday. And for the heck of it, we're crazy enough to want to take the 2 1/2 hour Zumba Bash in two weeks. WHY NOT?


Note to self: Remember this feeling. Remember that despite your fear of trying Zumba, you did it and you enjoyed it. Don't be afraid to try new things. Life is too short. Remember 2012 is your year, make the most of it.

The wonders of a walk

A walk doesn't have to be about fitness, or beating a previous time or distance. If doesn't have to be about rushing to get it done. Sometimes it's nice to take your time and enjoy the scenery and that's exactly what I did today.

I got home early and decided it was the perfect time to take Blue and Ozzie to the park after being cooped up all week. I put their leashes on and and off we went, in no hurry to get home. We walked to our beautiful park, Eagle Lake park, which we are so fortunate to have right across the street. We walked the entire length of the park, north to south and back. We stopped to take pictures, even sat down in the grass which Blue and Ozzie loved.

It was a nice way to end the week and I'm so glad we went!

Do we really get to walk the WHOLE park?

So happy to be at the park!

Enjoying a break!

Can we have a treat?!

What a view!

So lucky to live across the street.

Not much of a breeze today, but look at that blue sky.

Yay for walks!

Me and my happy boys!

We love you, mommy!

Aren't I incredible handsome, mommy?

You know you want to give me a treat!

Love my shoes.

Walking buddies, love to be together.