C25K W6D2

Quick post as we are headed to lake house early this afternoon. AND... I go to pick up our daughter from camp in the morning! No, I haven't heard from her since Sunday, but I have seen photos every day and she looks like she's having a wonderful time. (And, no sunburn! )

I ran Week 6 Day 1 of Couch to 5K today. You are supposed to do two 10 minute runs. I ran at the park so I could watch the 1/4 miles. During the first run, I hit 1/2 mile at 8 mins 16 secs. If I could keep up that pace, it'd be a lot better than my mile last week - 17 min 50 secs. (To do the math, it'd be 16 mins 31 secs.)

For the second run, I picked up the speed near the end. At the 1/2 mile mark, I was closer to 8.5 mins - don't remember exactly. BUT... I still had energy and so I pushed on!!! I wanted to get to the 3/4 mile mark, and I did it! I ran 3/4 miles in 12 mins 20 secs. That would be a mile in 16 mins 6 secs or so. On my next run (25 minutes!!!), I hope to get a mile in under 16 mins. Or, maybe I hope to just survive for 25 minutes!

Rough Day Turned GREAT!

I have ended up having a wonderful day after the rough start. (See post this morning.) I got my physical. I was feeling pretty nauseous by the time it was over - I didn't get to eat until 10:20. But, I'm so glad to have that over with!

After my appointment, I went to Target and got some major shopping done. Then, off to the mall! (If you remember, my daughter is at camp so it was a rare opportunity to shop by myself.)

Well, I tried on a size smaller clothes - and EVERYTHING I tried on FIT!! It was so nice! And, I thought I looked really nice and could live without losing another pound! But, I still plan on losing more. It was just fun to keep trying on clothes and they looked nice and fit!

Then, I got a spur of the moment hair cut! (I'll try to post a photo tomorrow.) I just went and let the hairstylist do what she wanted. It turned out really cute!

After the mall, I went home and laid on the couch and read awhile. Then, my hubby called and said he was coming home to take me out to dinner to celebrate what happened at work today. It was a "big thing" that's been in the works for months, and it became official today! So, we went out to a fancy place - me with my new clothes and haircut - and had a wonderful dinner. I did really good, except I had a soda. It's my first in 2 months (I think) and it just wasn't worth it. I wish I wouldn't have, ordered it, but I did! (The water didn't have ice in it and wasn't refreshing.)

So, that's how my day turned around! Now I have one more busy day before I pick my daughter up from camp. I can't wait to see her!

Rough Morning!

I'm having kind of a rough morning. For one thing, I have a physical at 9:15 and can't eat until after that. My tummy is growling and it isn't quite 8 am. Ugh!

On a positive note: I'm getting a physical! I'm 40, and I hate to admit it, but I have never had my cholesterol checked. And, I started working out without getting a physical. So, I'm proud of myself for doing this today!

Another negative: I decided not to workout this morning because it'd make me hungrier. These days, I feel better when I start the day with a workout.

Positive note: I'll work out later today! I have my one hour upper body workout scheduled and might do some Wii as my gym is closed today.

Another negative: I'm still at weight plateau. I hit 8 weeks of my new 'diet'/exercise yesterday and have been stuck between 151-152 (7-8 pounds lost) for 2 weeks now.

Positive note: The scale will start moving soon, right? And, I am definitely losing inches. I was amazed at how much I had to tighten my belt yesterday.

Another negative: I met a new trainer and scheduled a workout for Friday. Last night I decided I really didn't want to do that - I like my current trainer and I want to run Friday morning. So, I cancelled last night. I feel really bad about this - I like to stick to my commitments. And, the reply I got this morning was short and ... well, I just hate doing that to someone and wish I'd just think before I make a commitment and then that I'd stick with my schedule once I've made it.

Positive note: I get to run tomorrow morning!

Ok... shower time so I can make it to the doctor's! Have a healthy day!

C25K W6D1

I completed C25K (Couch to 5K) W6D1 (week 6 day 1) today. I actually swam for 500 yards first as morning was the only time I could fit it in today. I did take about a 30 minute break before running.

It went really well! W6D1 has three runs: 5 minutes, 8 minutes, and 5 minutes. I ran really slow (like a turtle!) the first 5 and 8 minute runs. But, I decided to pick up the pace for the last run. And, I ended up running 7 minutes instead of 5 for the last one! I love that I'm actually having EXTRA energy and not being wiped out by these days!

In the 8 minute "slow" run, I went .48 miles. But, in the 7 minutes "faster" run, I went .44 miles! I'm guessing the first pace is about 16.5 and the second if less than 15. Yeah! I had been disappointed last week when I did W5D3 and it took 17 min 40 sec to go one mile. Would love to be running around 15 or 16 minute miles instead. Though I know it isn't about speed right now!

I'm ready for day 2! I plan on running the first 10 minutes slowly and picking up speed for the second 10. I'm loving this!

Photo of Daughter - Happy at Camp!

Thank you, my friends, again for praying for my daughter (and me) while she is away at camp. I was specifically praying that I'd see a photo of her on the nightly posts that would show me she is making friends and having a good time. I didn't see the post until this morning as they post them pretty late. And, at first I didn't see her picture. I had to open about 70 photos one at a time. But, almost at the end, there was this beautiful photo! Doesn't she look happy? (And, thank you, Lord, for showing me a photo this early in the week!)

I've been crying "silly mommy tears" (as my dh lovingly called them) for the past 10 minutes. I'm praising God that she's having a good time and for answering my prayer so specifically. Thank you again for your prayers and notes of encouragement! My mind is at peace, though I'm still praying for her safety and fun and learning and spiritual growth!

C25K W5D3...Accomplished!!!

I did it! I just completed Day 3 and ran my first 20 minutes!!! It really wasn't that hard, either. My breathing never got heavy and I could have kept running. However, I was running like a turtle! It leaves plenty of room for new personal records, though. (For the record, I ran the first mile in 17 min 40 sec!)

I actually feel a bit let down. I thought I'd feel more accomplished. But, I also thought I'd run a mile in about 16 minutes, so maybe that's the problem. Anyway, I think that might be another reason we drop back in time next week - so we can work a little on speed.

Anyway, I'll stick with this group for the next few days as I want to celebrate with you all, but I'm headed to week 6... WooHoo!!!

Summer Camp!

I just dropped Alex off for her first week-long camp! Oh, this is hard! But, I know she'll have fun. I actually didn't take any photos... she didn't want me to. But, here is Alex at the same camp back in November when we did mother/daughter camp. (We actually stayed in a boys' cabin that time, so hers looks a little different.) 

She is really excited, but also a little nervous. I would appreciate prayers for both Alex and myself... especially tonight and tomorrow. I think these will be the hardes 24 hours! Alex only knows one girl at camp, one of the girls from mother/daughter camp. But, we haven't seen her since November AND that girl is with a lot of friends from church. So, I'm praying that Alex makes some friends (or a great friend) quickly and that she really feels like she belongs. I'm praying for friendship and safety and that she will learn and grow. I'd appreciate my blogging friends' prayers, too! I think this will be a hard few days! (Oh... and this is a another picture from mother/daughter camp where her arm is in a sling... because she fell off the bunk and broke her wrist! Yep!)

Trigger Foods

I guess I've always known that there are some foods that make me want MORE instead of leaving me feeling satisfied. Potato chips are like that. You know, "you can't eat just one!" Cheetos, too. My mom and I were in college together and she could go through half a bag studying the night before the test.

But, tonight I realized there must be other foods besides chips that leave me wanting more instead of satisfying me.

I had bought a box of 100 calorie treats - a mix of Reeses wafers and Hershey's chocolate covered pretzels. I haven't really been eating many sweets the past 7 weeks, but the past few nights I've been having a Reeses wafer. Chocolate is something I often crave and this 100 calorie 'dessert' has been satisfying me.

Tonight I thought I'd try the pretzel. It really didn't sound that tempting, but I thought I'd give it a try. One little nibble and my body started shouting "more!" I thought I should eat something healthier, but my body shouted "more!" So, I thought I'd go ahead and eat it and have a half glass of milk. Well, after I was done, my body was still shouting "more!" It was really an odd feeling. I knew I "had to" give my body more chocolate!

I actually had over 200 calories that I could eat for the day, so I ended up grabbing a 100 calorie Reeses wafer. Even with the first bite, I felt myself calm down and knew that I'd be OK. This was satisfying me and not making me want more.

So, I will not be touching those pretzels again. And, I'm going to try to pay attention to my body and watch for other 'trigger foods' that leave me wanting more, instead of satisfying me.

What about you... do you have trigger foods? If so, what are they? And, how do you handle them?

C25K W5D1 & Jumping Rope

I completed C25K (couch to 5K) W5D1 today! It includes three 5 minute runs, but I changed the last 5 minutes into 8 minutes. I was amazed! It wasn't hard! I never started breathing hard and my HR only got up to 151! It's been getting up to 160-162 lately. But, I was going really slow. In fact, I wanted to ask another runner if I was actually running. It just felt so slow, so easy, so natural! Maybe I found my stride???

I mentioned on my feed yesterday that I played with a bosu, stability ball and jump rope with my daughter for almost an hour last night. Well, one thing I did was to jump rope for 5 minutes! Now, that's hard! My HR was up to 162. I think I'll be adding jumping rope to my exercise schedule. That was something I LOVED as a child (like riding a bike and swimming!) and I'll enjoy the exercise, though it is hard!

Working Out with a Personal Trainer

I was asked about personal trainers, so I thought I'd share my answer in a post!

This is my second time to have a personal trainer (PT). The two experiences have been pretty different.

Last time, I was at a gym where they train PTs. I didn't have a trainer assigned to me, though I was usually able to get the same guy. We worked out on the weight equipment 95% of the time. Things I enjoyed: him setting the machine for me (weights, seat, etc), pushing me harder than I would push myself, knowing when to increase weights and/or reps, being a 'buddy' while I worked out (so not boring!), having an appointment (that I'd paid for!) so I was determined to go, and being a wonderful cheerleader.

My current PT is quite a bit different. He is the manager of a small gym (part of a chain). At the other gym my workouts were 30 minutes, but with him (Kevin) they are 60 minutes. The cost is the same (per 30 mins), but this time I am paying each time I go instead of a huge sum up front.

With Kevin, we are probably using the machines only 25% of the time. He really mixes things up. He is also a great cheerleader and he pushes me, again, beyond what I'd push myself. But, I'm also really good at saying "that's enough!" when I really don't think I can go any further.

Kevin is really good at correcting my form. It's amazing how many times I need corrected when I think I'm doing it right! And, he's great at checking on how I'm doing. For example, we were doing pushups yesterday and he asked me how my wrists were and I told him one of them was hurting -that it often hurt. So, he got my some weight lifting gloves (I'm official now!!!) and it relieved the pain! I'll be using those when weight training now.

I made a deal with Kevin - he trains me one day a week (upper or lower - we always do core, too) and he plans a 2nd day for me to do at home. I told him what equipment I have available, and this way it costs me less and I don't have to drag my dd to the gym twice a week!

He also incorporates cardiovascular exercises to keep my HR up. He will make this harder as I get more fit.

Here's what we did yesterday:
1. modified pushups - 3 sets... 1st set of 15 was normal... 2nd set - afterwards I sprinted across the gym and did a "bear crawl" back... 3rd set - afterwards I did something I think he called a climber- it was HARD (hard to describe, too!)
2. jump roped 60 seconds
3 & 4. alternated crunches on ball and lat pull down (machine)
5 & 6. alternated chest press (free weights) and lewg raises (machine)
7. dumbbell fly (free weights on bench)
8. dumbbell deadlift... on Bosu!!! That was interesting!
9. cable bicep curl (machine)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! One questions might be cost. I suppose it might vary according to part of the country. At the first gym, I paid $25 per half hour and now I pay $50 for an hour. There is a PT in my neighborhood that works from her house who also charges $25 per half hour. At the YMCA, the cost varies according to how many session you pay for. And, you can also have 2 people per session and get it cheaper! Oh, and my sister-in-law lives in another state and pays $60 per hour, but hers includes some fancy body testing and nutrition.

Today's Early Run...5:30 am!

I got up at 5:15 am and was out the door by 5:30. I headed to the Y expecting to see a few cars. I think there were 50-60! Wow! There are a LOT of people who work out early!

They have an indoor track that is 1/13th of a mile long. I was running W4D3 where you have two 3 minute runs and two 5 minute runs. The first time I attempted this, I changed the second 5 mins to only 3. The second time, I didn't have a timer so I ran 1/4 mile runs instead. But, today, I DID IT!!! I ran both 3 minute runs and both 5 minute runs! Yeah for me!!!

And, I wasn't even dying! I could have kept runnning... at least a little longer.

I've done every other run 5 times, so I'm debating on whether to go on or stick with week 4. I think I'll probably stay to be safe, but I'm still deciding.

Oh, and I wore my HRM for the first time running. In 32 minutes, I burned 255 calories! Wow! I could burn over 500 calories if I could do this for an hour!

More Obstacles!

Well, my husband's schedule this week has thrown me a curve. To get in my workouts, I've been getting up at 6 to swim or run before he leaves at 7 or 7:15. Well, he said he has to leave by 6:30 every day this week - and not getting home until 10 or so. (Yes, it is a crazy week!)

We aren't comfortable with my running that early on my own. And, the pool is only open to us from 6:30-7:30. Too early to drag my dd out! (Besides my morning workout, I get another one in later in the day..)

So, what am I going to do???

Well, I can swim at home. It isn't as much fun and I don't have any buddies, but it can be done. I WILL swim at home this week.

Running? I have a friend I can ask. We could go at 6... maybe.We really have trouble getting together & have only ran twice together. Or I can have my dd run with me on the track at the Y, though she really doesn't like that very much. I can just run twice during the week and get my third run in on Saturday.

I'm not sure, but I'll just have to make it work, somehow! It won't be as easy as it has been, but I'll make it work. I'm really disappointed because I've been enjoying my morning workouts so much, but hubby's work comes first!

What a Morning!!!

It's Sunday morning and this is supposed to be my Rest Day, but I missed my run yesterday. So, I woke up at 6:20 to go running. And, even in the midst of things falling apart, I had a good start to my day!

It started when I got to the park and started my iPod. It is messed up! Something about running tests and "not connected." Grrr! So, I went back to the car to put it up and realized I didn't have my new HRM with me. And, I didn't have my timer (which I used to run with) or my watch. So, how was I going to keep track of the time?

The park path is marked out at 1/4 miles, so I decided to walk 1/4 mile then run 1/4 mile and repeat it 3 times. This sounded pretty hard to me... and it was! But, I pushed & pushed and I DID IT! WOOHOO! SparkPeople was on my mind as I thought about the fact that I'd either get to blog that I did it... or that I gave up.

Anyway, just as I was headed for the car, a bird "got me", if you know what I mean! It wasn't a direct hit... more like some splattered on me. What a way to end my run!

I got home and for once I was really hungry! I just got some new Lean Body shakes, which I love, and opened one and nothing would come out. I got a knife thinking the seal hadn't broke, and still nothing! I squeezed... and plop, plop... this semi-solid 'stuff' started plopping out! EWWW!!! So, I opened another one, and same thing! YUCK! So, I guess I'll be returning that case today and hope that there are no problems since I don't have a receipt!

I did enjoy some time praying and singing praises in my head today as I ran. And, I enjoyed listening to the birds and watching the squirrels... they come right towards you if you are walking! It's almost scary! And, I saw a bunny. So, it has really been a nice morning, just filled with a few minor inconveniences!

I can't wait for my next run! This does get easier, right???

Zumba!

My dd9 and I went to our first zumba class today. It was wonderful! I miss going to classes and was thrilled that my dd could join me for this one.

The Y that we joined last week offers two family zumba classes a week - one on Monday night (will try to make it this week!) and one on Saturday morning. There were about 60 people in the class including about 15 kids! It was wonderful. And, we all had so much fun "dancing" to the music. And, I burned over 400 calories! Yippee!

On the other hand, I broke my "C25K 3x per week" streak today. My dh had to get up at 5 to go somewhere, so I couldn't run in the morning. I decided I'd either go to the gym or run outside when he got home. Well, he didn't get home & settled in until 5:30 so we went to dinner. We got home at 6:30 and my husband reminded me that the Y closes early on Saturdays... at 7! So, I couldn't go there. I thought I'd wait an hour and run... and then the thunder & lightening started up. It went on for several hours and didn't quit until dark. So, I didn't get to run. It is really frustrating!

That also means I WILL run tomorrow, even though it is supposed to be my "rest day." I'll have to try to throw in a rest day during the week, though I know I won't unless I just can't find the time to exercise.

Anyway, I'm really frustrated, but trying to make the best of it! I did exercise for 445 minutes this week... that's over 7 hours! And, I burned over 2600 calories. I think both of those are records for me. Also, I upped my "weekly goal" to 2000 (still not enough?) and so I've been getting to eat more calories every day. That's nice!!!

OK. I'll try to look at the positives. And, It is 9:24, but I could still eat 200 more calories and I might just go and get half a glass of milk. Actually, I will get some milk and grab a book or magazine and go read!

Albuquerque Day 3: Museums, Old Town, and Cake!

I am going to try to finish blogging about our trip to New Mexico! It really was a wonderful trip.

On Day 3, we started by going to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. One of their temporary exhibits was on nature journals. I really enjoyed looking at these and would like to start working on mine more often.

Our favorite room had reptiles, amphibians, and fish in it. We spent most of our time here. In this sandbox, Alex & her cousin, Hunter, are making animal tracks.We actually didn't care much for the rest of the museum and went through it really quickly. It was primarily about evolution and space travel.

After lunch, we went to Old Town Albuequerque. We went through the small, but interesting, American International Rattlesnake Museum. We were proud of Nana for joining us - and she actually liked it! 

There are artists who set up to sale along the street. We were told that they get their assigned spot and time in a weekly lottery. There is a lot of jewelry and pottery are for sale, but we didn't buy anything.

This is the San Felipe de Neri Parish, the oldest Catholic parish in New Mexico. It was built in 1793 and is still used for services today. We saw nuns and monks both in the church and walking around Old Town. 

That night, one of my husband's cousins met us at the house for his 30th birthday. We made cupcakes and here is a photo of Hunter (who turned 2 in May) enjoying his dessert! He really enjoyed blowing out the candles and singing Happy Birthday, too.

Disappointing Run, but Today I Swam/Ran/Biked!

I had to run on a treadmill today. I really don't like running on a treadmill and this is the first time I've done it since starting C25K. Anyway, I forgot my iPod and the PodCast was supposed to help me find my pace.

I started walking. First of all, I was disappointed to see that my "warm up" was only a 20 min/mile! Then, when I started my 'run' (jog), I was only going a 16.5 min/mile. Yikes! I know it isn't about speed at this point, but I thought I was going about 13-14 min/mile.

Another disappointment: on week 4 you are supposed to run the following mins: 3-5-3-5. Monday was my first try and I made 3-5-3-3, so I changed the last 5 to a 3. Today? Hmmm... I ran 3-3-2. That was it! I turned off the treadmill after 22 minutes. I just couldn't (or wouldn't) do it.

Another thing was that I was wearing my HRM. My HR is supposed to stay between 134-150. Well, I don't know what is "dangerous" (I'll do some research), but at the 3 minute mark it was up to 162. Maybe that's fine... but I wasn't sure and didn't want to push it.

That being said, I have worked out hard all week long. And, I had already swam 30 minutes 3 hours before this (675 yards... including my first official 100 yards!). I did have some energy left, though, and got on my favorite stationary bike... the Expresso (virtual...kind of game like). I ended up riding a fairly flat course of 3.67 miles in 21 minutes! Not bad for me.

So, I kind of did my own tri today. I swam. I ran. I biked. (Though the swimming was at 6:30 and the running & biking were at 10:00.)

Tomorrow I plan on swimming in the morning and then trying my first 10 mile bike ride (on the Expresso). I'll be running again on Saturday - outside! - and hope to get back to some 5 minute runs!!! If not, though, I'll keep pushing myself and I'll get there eventually.

Books to Tri

I've been reading books about triathlons the past few weeks, and thought I'd share a little about them.

The first one I read was "Your First Triathlon" by Joe Friel. This is a great beginner's book that I'll be reading again as my tri gets closer. He discusses nutrition, support, and how to safely train in all 3 disciplines. It also has different plans for different people - for example, if you come from a running background or a background in none of the 3 sports (like me!). It also talks you through your first triathlon and how to prepare and what to expect. (My first tri isn't scheduled until April, so I have a lot of time!)

The second book I read was "Slow Fat Triathlete" by Jayne Williams. The best piece of advice I came away with from this book was that you shouldn't worry about how you look! Here's a quote: "Absolutely nothing good ever comes of worrying what other people think of you when you're doing something that you want to do, that's fun and legal, and that's actually good for you." I also really enjoyed reading her journal entries from after various events. Although I got some good information from this book, I was really turned off by her language. I probably wouldn't have bought her 2nd book (because of the language) if I hadn't bought them both at the same time.

The third book is a book I borrowed from the library and finished today. I plan on buying this one! It is called "Triathlon 101: Essentials for Multisport Success" by John Mora. This is a great book that discusses tris from many angles. The book is divided into the following sections: "getting ready to tri", "traithlon training basics", and "tri-ing your best." The book is filled with lots of great information for someone new to the sport!
The fourth, and last, book I've been reading is "Shape Up with the Slow Fat Triathlete" by Jayne Williams. As I mentioined in her other book, I'm really disappointed (and bothered) by her language. UPDATE: I read a few more minutes of this book and just had to put it down. I will NOT be reading this book. The language is just unacceptable to me. I would not recommend this book.

Do you have a favorite tri book? Or a book about swimming, running, or cycling? I'd love to hear about it!

Why You Might Want a HRM (Heart Rate Monitor)

I got my HRM yesterday and got to use it for the first time today. First of all, I had a hard time getting it to work, but I finally placed it up higher (really under the base of my sports bra) and it worked! And, boy was I in for some surprises!

First of all, I did 8 minutes on the elliptical for warm up for my personal trainer, which is what I usually do. I burned 51 calories. The last two times I've done this warmup, the elliptical told me I burned 81 calories. (The HRM is programmed with my age, weight, and height.)

My other surprise was during my swim. I've been unsure how to log it. When I've logged a 25 minute swim under "general", it shows I burn 168 calories. When I've logged a 25 minute swim under "crawl" (just once), it shows I burn 308 calories. Well, I only did a 13 minute swim tonight (long day!), and the HRM showed I burned only 72 calories! If I would have went for 25 minutes, it would have showed around 140 calories. So, I guess "general" is close, but "crawl" is way off. (By the way, my swim is 25 yards at a time, which takes about 33 seconds, followed with about a 30 second breather. I guess when you are logging "crawl" they might expect that you are CONSTANTLY moving.)

I got a pleasant surprise during my weight training. (Of course, I didn't know how many calories I was burning before.) I burned 271 calories in 1 hour!

I can't wait to see how my run shows tomorrow. It's going to be on an treadmill, though, because that is just how this week is working out. I really don't like running on the elliptical, but maybe with my podcast I'll be able to find the right rhytym.

Oh! In case you're wondering...I bought a Polar Women's F6 (in pink) from Amazon. It cost about $85 and shows calories burned, has a fitness "diary" (which I haven't figured out yet), and you can sync it with your computer (ditto - don't know how yet). It also shows where your HR should be and how many minutes you were in the target range. It is waterproof (thus I swam in it) and seems to be just what I needed!

Weigh In, Cancelled Plans, & Breathing While Swimming

First of all, I had my weekly weigh in this morning. I'm glad the scale is still moving, but I only lost 1/2 pound this week. (Total lost: 6.5 pounds in 6 weeks.) Kind of disappointing, but hopefully next week will be more.

As far as workouts today, I had 2 planned: swimming with my friends and workout with trainer. Well, the first got cancelled because my hubby needed to go into work early. So, I swam in the backyard. The second is cancelled because my daughter is sick... or maybe she ate something bad. Either way, we need to stay home today as she was vomitting last night. She doesn't have a fever, so I hope she's fine tomorrow. (She's supposed to be in camp all week.) So, I'll be using Wii Boxing, I think.

As far as the breathing, I learned something from a book I'm reading! I've been swimming my first 25 yards with only about 3 breaths because it is so nice and relaxing. Then, on the 2nd 25 yards, I'm really wearing out and having to breathe a lot... and then I have to stop and catch my breath.

Well, in this book (I'll look up name), it said that to swim distances you need to breathe every 2nd or 3rd breath. I tried both today, and prefer every 3rd. So, I tried that today and it helps SO MUCH! I was able to swim 100 yards twice!!! Well, actually, I'm swimming 96 yards since my pool is 12 yards across. So, I swim 8 times across (instead of the normal 4 you'd do in a "real" pool), and that is my "100." I'm not counting this as a "goal met" (my goal was to swim100 yards) until I do it in the big pool and feel like it is official, but I'm sure I can do it!

Summer Critters in the Healthy Habitat

While Alex was at camp at our co-op 2 weeks ago, I walked around and took some photos of the summer critters in our Healthy Habitat.

Gulf Fritilary on Turk's Cap - we also found some caterpillars on a passion vine, but my camera's battery was dying

a cool grub! you can see its hairs and spiracles. i also saw 6 legs. and, this is his tail end... he proved it to me

a female robber fly - you can tell it's a she by her ovipositor that looks like a stineger

this was very tiny, but i'm pretty sure it is some kind of wasp

a beautiful caterpillar i found on the porch ceiling in the front yard - i just used "what's that bug?" to identify this as a White Marked Tussock Moth.

Here is a description by bug guide: “Caterpillars are recognized by the bright red head and broad black stripe along the back flanked by a yellow stripe each side. Two red glands on sixth and seventh abdominal segments, and four tufts of hairs (which may be white, gray or yellowish) on the first four abdominal segments are common to several members of the genus. CAUTION: Contact with hairs may cause an allergic reaction."

GPS Camp

First of all, thanks again to everyone who is sticking with me through the summer! I really am still having trouble getting motivated to post. And, I'm working out HARD! I'm working towards a 5K in October and a sprint triathlon in April and putting in lots of hours training. I am learning to "run" (jog) and made a new personal best yesterday - I ran for 5 minutes straight! I'm also swimming, cycling, lifting weights, and other types of activities. I'm really feeling great!

Ok... back to the blog! Alex is in a GPS camp at our co-op this week. Well, actually she's home sick today, but we hope she'll be ready to go back tomorrow. (She was vomiting last night, but no fever or other symptoms.) Anyway, yesterday they learned some of the fundamentals regarding longitude and lattitude and satellites. At lunch, he explained to me (and others) some basics about GPS and satellites. Here is some of what I learned:

• 
  
  satellites were originally intended for military applications and first launched in 1978
• 
  
  there are 30 satellites which each circle the globe every 12 hours
• 
  
  GPS receivers compare when a signal was received to when it was sent to determine how far the receiver is from the satellite
• 
  
  each satellite has a unique "sound"
• 
  
  each satellite is built to last about 10 years, but the oldest currently up is almost 20 years old

Alex's camp lasts 2.5 hours a day. After learning about the GPS systems, they went out on our property (I think it is 4+ acres) to find a site the teacher had programmed. Then, the 3 groups of 3 each were to find a different location where the teacher had hidden a box.

I helped Alex's group and we found this box of goodies. There were instructions telling us how to trail blaze. There were specific instructions, but we basically to use the materials in the box to make a trail (300 paces long!) that the other teams could follow. This proved to be pretty hard for us! One boy on Alex's team led the way and he was out of all of our rocks pretty quickly. We then decided we needed to pick up our rocks and use them more sparingly and mark our team number on them (as other teams would be crossing our path, too). Well, time ran out and we never finished, but we learned a lot! We are both disappointed to be missing today's camp. 

I think today we will watch the following brainpop videos: GPS, satellite, and longitude and latitude. I also borrowed a book from the teacher titled "Let's Go Geocaching" by John McKinney (a DK Reader).

The Weekend

I've had a pretty good weekend. It started with my early morning run on Saturday when I surprised myself by running two 4 minute runs... without passing out! No, really... they were much easier than I expected.

Later that morning, my dd9 and I went to the Y. We did 10 minutes on an elliptical and then went to the Expresso bikes where you can view the virtual trail you are riding on. I rode 18 minutes to complete a 3 mile trail. We then went to something similar to an elliptical - I'll have to get its name next time. You can either use it like an elliptical or kind of jog on it. Anyway, I just cooled down on it for 5 minutes.

After that, we had a snack (fiber bar!) and went to the outdoor pool. We spent some time on the waterslides.

We've eaten out 3 times this week. We eat out a lot on the weekends, and I need to work on that. Anyway, I've been doing really good when we go out, but this time I didn't do as well. I even had blueberry pancakes for dinner tonight! But, I stayed well within my range today! (I was really near the top yesterday, but still was in range!)

I'm ready for my early morning run tomorrow as I move on to week 4 and some 5 minute runs! On Tuesday, I will try to swim 100 yards in the pool - by switching strokes. So, I hope to meet two of my posted goals in the next 2 days. We'll see!

Goodbye Week 3 of C25K!!!

I am slowly working my way through C25K as I work on my goal to run a 5K. I honestly don't know how so many people do it on schedule, but I know I need to take it at my own pace.

I spent 5 weeks on weeks 1, 2, and 3. Today was my 5th day at week 3 and I just wasn't ready to try a 5 minute run. If you aren't familiar with C25K, week 3 has you doing two 90 second runs and two 3 minute runs. Week 4 has you doing two 3 minute runs and two 5 minute runs.

Anyway, today I was feeling really good and decided to try a 4 minute run. Well, I turned both 3 minute runs into 4 minute runs and I KNOW I could have done 5 minutes. WooHoo! This feels like such an accomplishment! This IS such an accomplishment!

I can't wait for next week! Bring on the 5 minute runs!!! I CAN DO IT!

Reviving the Dream

I first had the desire to do a triathlon back in 2003. In fact, that is when I first heard about sprint triathlons! I had a new friend who was also my spin instructor who was doing a sprint tri.

I started running on a treadmill, doing spin classes (with my friend as instructor), and took semi-private swim lessons with a friend (from spin class) for 8 weeks. I ended up doing two 5Ks with my brother, but I had never even tried running outside. I had times of 49 mins and 46.5 mins.

"Life" got in the way. So, I gave up my dream.

About 6 weeks ago my sil came to visit. She had started running and lost a lot of weight. I was impressed! And, she was going on a 25 mile bike ride the following weekend. It really inspired me.

I started by dieting about 5.5 weeks ago... and then I started the C25K program a few days later. I have a pool and started swimming laps and I realized I could train for a tri! I went on my first bike ride (in over 2 decades!) a week or 2 later while visiting my sil. We did 2 rides in the foothills of an incredible mountain: 4 miles and 7.4 miles.

So, here I am! I have signed up for three 5Ks. I expect to walk a lot of the first two (in Aug & Sept), but run most/all of the third (Oct). I also found a sprint tri near my moms that has the swim in a community center we actually go to. So, that's my goal and it is in late April.

My current training schedule:

run 3x per week (C25K - I'm going slowly and currently on Week 3, but plan on moving up to Week 4 after one more run tomorrow)

swim 3x per week (30 mins with group at neighborhood pool - I swim 500+ yards)

weight train 2x per week (1 with personal trainer/1 according to the plan he writes for me)

misc - some Wii, some videos, some other cardio machines, and hopefully some group classes since we just joined the Y

I'd like to start cycling (on stationary bike or spinning) 2x per week, but we'll see! I don't plan on actually starting on my bike (which I don't have yet) until January.

So, that's the beginning of my story! I am determined. I WILL TRI!

2 Workouts Today

I had 2 long workouts today.

The first was at the Y with my daughter for the first time. I was amazed that she kept up with me as I did C25K W3D4! I walked & ran about 1.5 miles. (I need to figure out how to keep track of how many laps I've done.) She could do a quick walk and keep up with my running. Oh, well! I am getting better. The 3 minutes weren't too bad and now I'm trying to decide if I should move on to week 4 or do one more week 3. I'm also thinking about making my own workout - maybe run 3, walk 2 and repeat that 4 times.

After our walk/jog/run, we went to the cardio room. We did the stair climber. I did 5 minutes and she did 3. Then we went to the bicycles. They really are kind of like a video game! I choose a 2 mile loop around a college campus and we raced each other! (She only made it a mile, but I'm still very proud of her.) Anyway, you can actually shift gears and 'feel' the hills, etc! Very neat! I think I'll spend a lot of time here. They also have 'spin' bikes with computerized spin classes! I've got to try that out, too!

We did the Y in the morning. Before dinner, I did my lower body workout that my trainer prepared. It took 51 minutes and it was HARD! So, I'm pretty wiped out.

It was nice to sleep in, though, as I've been getting up at 6 & 6:15 lately so I can exercise before my hubby leaves for work. I got to sleep in until 6:30 and then didn't have to jump into my exercise right away.

Tomorrow's schedule: 30 minute lap swim in morning and my daughter and I might try a cardio class tomorrow afternoon!

Picking a Gym...Daughter Can Workout, Too!

It is supposed to rain tomorrow. A lot. So, I was fretting about how to get in my run. I decided I really needed to go ahead and join a gym.

I've been doing a lot of research on gym memberships. I've belonged to 4 different ones over the past 9 years. What I wanted was as follows:
- an indoor track to run on when the weather isn't great (I don't really like treadmills)
- an indoor track to run on when it is dark out in the am - for safety
- an indoor pool to swim at year round
- spinning classes
- early classes - so I can go before my dh leaves for work and I don't have to worry about my dd
- exercise bikes - so I can 'bike' anytime, not just when there are spin classes

So, after doing a lot of research on a lot of places, I decided the local YMCA was the place for me. (And, yes, this is one of the places I was a member! In fact, it was my first gym here... about 9 years ago when my dd was a toddler.)

Well, I went today and signed up. And, it is better than I even thought! I'm so excited!

1. There are 2 aerobics classes my dd can do with me - a zumba (which I don't know much about, but I've heard is an exciting new class) and an NIA (which looks like it is a mix of things). Yeah! She's excited, too.
2. Since she is 9 (it starts at 8), she can do the cardio machines with me! She's excited and can't wait to go... in the morning. The rules are that she has to stay on a machine right next to me, but that will work! She REALLY does NOT want to go to childcare anymore.
3. She can run on the track with me! And, she doesn't have to stay right next to me. We can each go at our own pace. So, we are doing that in the morning and she's excited. She'll have her iPod with her, and hopefully she'll enjoy it.
4. She can swim laps with me! This will be wonderful after this summer. She does need to get "tested", but she's been on a swim team for 4 years, so I'm assuming she'll be fine.
5. All of the cardio machines have TVs... a big plus for my dd!
6. They have these NEAT new bikes in the cardio room that have video screens. You can have a virtual outdoors ride AND you can race the person on the bike next to you! My dd is really excited about this one. (Me, too!)
7. They have 2 stair machines... one of my favorites. (As I mentioned, I really don't care for the treadmil, though I do like ellipticals.)
8. They have some spin bikes in the cardio room. Hmmm... not sure how I'd manage this with dd, though. I'm sure they are too big for her. But, they are right next to the cool bikes, so maybe that will work?
9. They offer 2 classes each morning (usually 5:45 and 6:00) that I could go to before my dh goes to work. They are a variety of classes and I love doing group classes. I'm not planning on adding any in right away, but I'm excited about trying some at some point!

So, my dd and I are thrilled with all of the things we'll be able to do. And, I'm excited that I will be able to get in my 2nd run of the week tomorrow! **sigh** Things are really looking great. I CAN do this!!!

Albuquerque Day 2 - Explora Museum

On Day 2, we went to an amazing children's museum - Explora. As we were pulling up, I saw this road runner! My first! And, he had a lizard in his mouth! I pulled over quickly and grabbed my camera. Unfortuantely, he was running away so this is the quality of my photo. But, I was thrilled to see this road runner! 

This was my nephew's (Hunter) favorite part of the museum. It was a water feature where you could press and release buttons and make the water shoot out in different ways. We spent a lot of time here, and we all enjoyed it.

Here Alex is creating a stop-action movie! I love how it was set up to make this really easy.

This shows heat. They had an ice bag and we rubbed it on our hands and they turned black. Fun!

This is the largest elevator we've ever seen. It had several chairs, a couch and a table. In fact, we weren't even sure it was really an elevator, but it was!

Hunter LOVED playing with the water. There was a whole area of the museum devoted to water and he loved it.

Here's Alex in the "wind" area building a car. Then, you put the car in front of a fan and see how far and fast it will go. Her car was a lot better than mine!

That night, I went jogging in the park a few blocks from our house while Nana, Alex, and Hunter went for a walk. Alex shot this photo. I am in the white shirt and gray shorts near the left corner. Isn't this a beautiful place? And, as I mentioned, I'm really getting into exercise right now. This week I ran 3 times, swam 2 times, worked out with weights 4 times, did 1 exercise video, and more! I've now lost 5 pounds and I'm feeling great!

Week in Review

Here's what I accomplished this week:

C25K walk/run - 3 days (1 day of week 2 and 2 days of week 3. Started 3 minute runs.)

strenght with personal trainer - 4 days (This won't happen again. I was being trained on new equipment at gym. Two days were really light and two days were really tough.)

swimming - 2 days of 500 yards each (would have been 3, but it rained one morning)

aerobics - 23 minutes (part of Biggest Loser video - 5 mins was warmup and 4 mins was yoga cooldown)

warmups - 4 days for 8 minutes each (3 on elliptical and 1 on stationary bike)

Total minutes for week: 327

Rain & 3 Minute Runs

I started C25K W3 on Thursday. This is the start of 3 minute running. During the workout, you do two 90 second runs and two 3 minute runs.

On Thursday, I ran this with a friend and pushed myself... and made it! It felt SO good, but it was really hard.

Last night my daughter had a slumber party that another mother and myself supervised. We stayed up late and didn't get a lot of sleep so I took a nap when I got home. At about 10:30, despite the heat and really high humidity, I went running.

I did my first run in the rain! It was kind of fun and it made me feel more like a runner. It actually felt good as it was really hot out.

Also, I realized that the 90 second runs actually seem pretty easy now! When I first was running the 60 second runs, they seemed SO LONG. But, I was surprised at how easy it was today.

The 3 minute runs, on the other hand, are VERY hard. Both times I didn't think I could do it, but I did! I know they'll get easier. I'm actually doing every "week" 4 times (so it takes more than a week) as I'm really new to this and I feel this is still really pushing myself.

One question... when you get a stitch in your side while running, what should you do? Stop? Push through it? Stretch? Drink more water? I had one on my 2nd 90 seconds and I had to walk and drank more water. I was fine the rest of the run. I guess I'll do some research, but would also appreciate any input!

Tomorrow's my rest day... yeah!

Albuquerque Day 1 - the house, biking, and prairie dogs

First of all, it is just hard to blog this summer so sorry for not doing much! Also, I have been working out a LOT and keeping a blog at SparkPeople about my exercise, diet, etc. So, that has taken over most of my computer time lately.

While in New Mexico, we spent the week at a house my sister-in-law was renting while she taught there. She bought a fairly big, blow up pool to use. The first day we were there, Alex, her cousin Hunter, and my sil went 'swimming.' The pool was in the shade and since it gets pretty cool in NW at night, the water was cold! But, they had fun.

There was an apricot tree in the backyard. They looked ripe, but were very hard. Too bad!

Alex and her Nana made dinner that night.

That evening, my sil taught me how to ride a bike... as a grown up. This is not the same as the 5 speed I rode as a teen. And, I've only been on a bike once in the past 20+ years! We went riding 4 miles this day. The scenery was beautiful - we were at the base of a mountain and we were overlooking Albuquerque with some extinct volcanos in the distance. We rode at sunset and I wish I would have had a camera with me on the ride!

While we were riding, Alex and her cousin and Nana fed the prairie dogs! They were so cute! Alex actually had them eating out of her hand, though I didn't catch it on 'film.' They were full, I guess, by the time we got back.

There were quite a few babies and we watched this mom nursing 2 babies! I thought it was pretty funny when she had a piece of our food, though. She was eating it and the babies were trying to get it and she'd just push them away with one hand while eating with the other!

My mil had done some research that said fruit was what we should feed them. This was my best photo and he/she has some kind of fruit. Aren't they cute?

And, here is a photo of one of the mountains. Oh, how I miss New Mexico!

A Productive Morning

I've had a great morning.

First of all, I got up and did about 10 minutes of yoga using the Wii. It felt good just to stretch and hold (though I don't hold to the yoga philosophy, I do think they are great stretches and really like how Wii does it.)

Then, I met up with my friend and our girls played together while we went on our "run." We did W3D1! This is the week you jump to a 3 minute run, and I was worried about it. Two minute runs have ben hard. Well, we both did our 3 minute runs... twice! That met one of my first goals - to be able to run 2.5 minutes! I am really proud of myself. This seemed so impossible a month ago. Yeah, me!

Next, I got ready and took my daughter to camp and then went to work out with my personal trainer. We worked on upper body for about 45 minutes. My dh and I decided that I won't stick with the trainer, but I enjoyed my workout today and will do one tomorrow, also. He is also helping me just plan my goals for the next few months. I might be back to him when I get closer to my April triathlon.

After that, I went to Nutrition Depot to get some liquid vitamins my trainer recommended. I stayed about 45 minutes there and got a lot of information. I also ended up buying some fish oil. Hopefully I can swallow it! And, he made me my lunch - 4 or 5 egg whites mixed with some protein. It was actually quite good! It tasted like cake batter, but very healthy!

Next I went to the YMCA that is by my daughter's classes. I am thinking about joining the Y as I re-evalutated 'why' I wanted a gym membership. The main reasons are that I want a safe (and dry! and cool!) place to run, swim, and cycle. Well, this small gym doesn't fit that description, but the Y does. And, it is a very nice place. I was also thrilled to learn that when my dd turns 10 this fall, she can join me on the cardio equipment! (but no weights) I'm wondering if she can join me for aerobic classes, too, but I forgot to ask. Anyway, this will help a LOT!

I might do some Wii tonight and I have a swim scheduled in the morning - weather permitting! Have a healthy day!