Team Rebel Alliance Marches On...

[disney_mommy]

I have used Sparkpeople.com and found it easy to use. Right now I am using WW online, and I can use that on my cell phone which is great. Before that, I found that only logging online (on a computer) wasn't enough, so I bought a logbook from the bookstore to carry around with me. There are a ton of options out there, you might want to check at your local Barnes and Noble or Borders.

 

[wdwprncess77]

Good morning everyone!

No running yesterday. Walked to work in the a.m. (approx 3 miles) so that was nice. Hoping to get out later tonight for a run and tomorrow for a hip hop class.

For food tracking, I used to use WW online. I liked the ease and the fact i could use it on my cel phone as well. Now, I don't rechnically log my food, but I bought one of those points trackers from their website (i think they are around $20) and i carry that around with me to add up points that way. I don't write down the actual foods, but I'm certainly logging points. I also like it because it's quick to use in the food store when you are looking at new products and you want to find the one that works best for you.

I have also used calorieking as a guideline for foods to eat and now I have calorie counter by fat secret on my blackberry. I think that was a free app. That has a food diary, exercise diary, weight tracker and diet calendar on it. I don't use anywhere near it's potential, but it's definitely helpful.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[jwalker1]

Hi Rebels, I hope your Friday is going well!

Tomorrow is the end of week 11 of my half marathon training and next week is the half marathon. Well, it looks like the route this week is 12 miles, 10.5 of it is the actual race course. The good thing is that we are skipping the more hilly section. Plus, do to the fact that my left leg IT band is giving my fits due to over training or possibly from wrong type of shoe, I think I am going to take it easy and not worry about my performance.

I am thinking about using an older pair of shoes (semi retired) and take my shoes in question back to the running store. I have been struggling of late with finding shoes that can handle my higher weekly mileage without causing major blisters. They thought I needed a more neutral shoe to stop the blistering on my inner heel, but I am afraid that the shoe is not giving me the support I need from a stability shoe. So, maybe I did not over train after all.

Anyway, have a great weekend everyone!

 

[ghoulishgirl]

For food tracking, I use a $1 notebook that I got at Michael's. I just don't like to sit down and enter everything online. I also use a food scale. Not for everything, but for high calorie stuff like peanut butter, ice cream, cream cheese and salad dressing. Much of the stuff like mayo that I eat is already the "light" variety, but it is easy to use too much of the really yummy stuff.

Swimming 1750 yards today, more than a mile! I am trying really hard to swim as hard as I can because just like running, the only way to get faster is to swim fast. So 3 swims and 3 runs this week and will be taking the bike out tomorrow!

 

[wdwprncess77]

Hi everyone -

So I had to buy new sneakers today. Got new Saucony's. I've always had Nike's so this was new for me. WELL, tonight I took a minute off my pace out for my three miles. WOW! My feet feel great...it was such a great run. I'm pumped.

Ghoulishgirl - good luck with your swim.

Jwalker - glad to hear you didn't over train. I'm sure your half is going to be great.

Taking hip hop class in the a.m. and now I'm just stoked for my long run on Sunday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[jenanderson]

Jen: I actually started out a 2:1 and even did a run or two at a 1 1/2:1. The trick is to try a couple intervals on for size and find one that really works well for you.

I guess I will be looking into this a bit more because we decided that we are going to take the leap and register for the 1/2 marathon on June 6th. It is part of the Minneapolis Marathon series and the first part of the course is what we ran for our 7K.

To those of you that keep a food journal. How do you do it? Do you use something online? I need to start keeping track of what I eat. I am doing pretty good with exercise now, but have never been good at eating right. It seems like whenever I try I eat worse. But now I'm starting to get frustrated that I know I'm building muscles but I want to do something about that layer of fat around my middle that is hiding them. I just had a bowl of Lucky Charms and a chocolate chip cookie with a diet pepsi for breakfast.

I have tried several things. I have tried a computer journal, I have tried to use my WW online, I have used notebooks and right now I am having the most success with the paper journal that I can pick up at the WW meeting. I keep them in in an envelope so that I can look back at them. I know that I am not great at tracking right now and I need to really get back on track with it. I feel like I have been lazy for the past 2 weeks and I have really slowed on the weight loss. I am going to commit to have really good week this week and have already started writing up my plan. I am a planner - I have to have it written down to follow or I just go and do whatever.

Hi Rebels, I hope your Friday is going well!

Tomorrow is the end of week 11 of my half marathon training and next week is the half marathon. Well, it looks like the route this week is 12 miles, 10.5 of it is the actual race course. The good thing is that we are skipping the more hilly section. Plus, do to the fact that my left leg IT band is giving my fits due to over training or possibly from wrong type of shoe, I think I am going to take it easy and not worry about my performance.

I am thinking about using an older pair of shoes (semi retired) and take my shoes in question back to the running store. I have been struggling of late with finding shoes that can handle my higher weekly mileage without causing major blisters. They thought I needed a more neutral shoe to stop the blistering on my inner heel, but I am afraid that the shoe is not giving me the support I need from a stability shoe. So, maybe I did not over train after all.

Anyway, have a great weekend everyone!

James - Enjoy some lighter training days! I can't wait to hear about your 1/2 marathon experience!

How is the shoe situation at this point? What did you decided to do?

For food tracking, I use a $1 notebook that I got at Michael's. I just don't like to sit down and enter everything online. I also use a food scale. Not for everything, but for high calorie stuff like peanut butter, ice cream, cream cheese and salad dressing. Much of the stuff like mayo that I eat is already the "light" variety, but it is easy to use too much of the really yummy stuff.

Swimming 1750 yards today, more than a mile! I am trying really hard to swim as hard as I can because just like running, the only way to get faster is to swim fast. So 3 swims and 3 runs this week and will be taking the bike out tomorrow!

I don't like to sit down and enter online either. Even with it on my iPod, I still do not like it. I have really just gone back to the old fashion paper/pencil method.

Way to go on swimming so far today! I am so impressed every time I read about how you are training. How are your feet doing? Did you figure out how to fix the flipper situation?

Hi everyone -

So I had to buy new sneakers today. Got new Saucony's. I've always had Nike's so this was new for me. WELL, tonight I took a minute off my pace out for my three miles. WOW! My feet feel great...it was such a great run. I'm pumped.

Taking hip hop class in the a.m. and now I'm just stoked for my long run on Sunday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

New shoes! It sounds great! I have decided that over my spring break this upcoming week that I am going to try to get new shoes. I plan on still using the pair I have some but also starting to break in a new pair. I would love if I found a pair that was so great that it took time off my pace!

Enjoy your long run on Sunday!

AFM - I have been so off this week and have not done anything since Tuesday. I will be running both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. I will actually probably run a fair amount this week since I don't have to work. These past two weeks at school have been pretty stressful and I just kind of tried to not do anything too bad. It is time to get serious with both the diet and the exercise now though since I will have some extra time.

Have a great weekend!
Jen

 

[ghoulishgirl]

Way to go on swimming so far today! I am so impressed every time I read about how you are training. How are your feet doing? Did you figure out how to fix the flipper situation?

There's only a couple of spots that still hurt. Coach asked us to put the flippers on for our last set today and I asked him if I could pass on the flippers because Monday's class blistered my feet and he said it was no problem. I actually put my feet out of the water and showed everyone my feet and the 3 other people in my lane and coach Steve all went 'oooh, ouch!' So I was a lot slower than everyone without the flippers, but that's okay. I need to go check out the booties and see if the flippers will fit over them.

 

[K80K]

James: Maybe your answer to the blisters is to have a couple different pairs of shoes? Meaning a couple different pairs of neutral shoes. So that you aren't constantly being rubbed in the same places by running all your mileage in the same shoes? Just some food for thought.

I did some weight training last night. Today is my day before the long run rest day. I will be working. Woo woo...

 

[french lady]

Good morning team,
I am taking a 5 minutes break from work while it is quiet. I have started to run again and my right leg feels a lot better. It is a nice sunny cold day in Québec today. I was hoping to leave early from work to do a run in the afternoon but there is a demonstration on the your side of the border (I mean the Uniter States) and the boss don't want us to leave early in case the demonstraters (is that a word) decide to cross the border and comes in peaceful Canada . So will see.

Have a nice day
Diane

 

[cwnhokie]

Jen, when you do your food journal on paper, do you just list what you ate or do you keep track of calories and fat and stuff like that. Looking all that up is so frustrating and I do it for one or two meals and then quit. But I do really think that seeing all the bad stuff I eat laid out in black and white will help me a lot. Why am I working so hard with exercise and then sabatoging it all with eating junk.

Yesterday I did my long run. 5 miles in 68 mins. I was pretty proud of that. I did mostly 3:2 run/walk intervals. Today I plan to let Jillian torture me some more.

 

[jenanderson]

Tiffany - Glad you gave your feet a break and did not wear the flippers. I think you would rather be a bit slower then have the blister situation get worse.

Katie - Sounds like you are going to be well prepared for your 1/2 marathons! I need to get going on the weight training. Actually, I need to get going on all the cross training. I have not done any of it for a full week.

Hello Diane - I am glad that your right leg is feeling better. I hope you are able to get your run in and enjoy peaceful Canada!

cwnhokie - I list all the food I eat. Many times I also list the WW points value. I don't list calories, fat or anything like that. Since I pretty much eat almost the same thing all the time, I know most of the points without looking it up. I also keep a sheet with a lot of things that I eat on a regular basis close by so that I can easily look things up. Sometimes I will list everything for a day or two and then sit down and look it all up to see how I really did. Much of listing the food for me is just seeing what I eat. I also don't want to have to list when I eat something bad.

AFM - I did get up and run this morning. It felt so good in some ways to get back out there and run and in other ways it was just a crummy kind of run. I felt like we were going slow, I felt like I was breathing too hard, and I know I was stiff. We still managed to do a 5K in 33 minutes. I am also promising myself to do at least 20 minutes of cross training later today.

I started the day with oatmeal and plan on watching what I eat today so that I make smart choices and don't cheat on the diet part today.

Have a great day!
Jen

 

[grstink]

Hi Teammates.
Wow, there is a lot going on here. Everyone is doing so well. Sorry I haven't been on in a while but life has been very busy this March. I have been continuing to walk every day at least 4m and watching staying with the diet as well. You all have such wonderful ideas, I hope you don't mind my using them as well.
I will be leaving this evening for Las Vegas. It is going to be an all girls trip. My two best friends and I are all celebrating our birthdays by spending some quality girl-time. I am so looking forward to it. I only hope that I can continue to keep walking and sticking with healthy food choices.
Will see you all back here April 1. Until then, great job everyone and keep up the good work!

 

[disney_mommy]

Have an amazing time, Gretchen!

 

[jenanderson]

Gretchen - HAVE FUN!

Well everyone...I DID IT....I registered for the 1/2 marathon on June 6th! It is the Minneapolis Marathon but we are only going to do the 1/2 marathon portion of it. I will admit that I am freaking out a bit over this. I stopped and thought about how in January I would almost feel like crying after running only 60 seconds - I am not sure how I got to this point!

To celebrate our silly decision...DH and I went and bought new running shoes. I am really excited because my new shoes are so comfortable. I am excited for DH because he has been running with me in just some regular tennis shoes and he loves his new shoes. I also bought a new pair of striped knee highs! I will be buying some new running skirts this week because my old ones are getting way to big.

Speaking of this...I have a skirt from Running Skirts that is WAY too big for me now. If anyone here wears a skirt and a size 14 would fit, let me know and I will send it to you. I only wore it 2 times. I will also be offering it on the BL thread - I just hate to buy running gear and have it sit there.

 

[ghoulishgirl]

Gretchen Have a great time, girls only trips are the BEST!

 

[disney_mommy]

Tomorrow is the end of week 11 of my half marathon training and next week is the half marathon. Well, it looks like the route this week is 12 miles, 10.5 of it is the actual race course. The good thing is that we are skipping the more hilly section. Plus, do to the fact that my left leg IT band is giving my fits due to over training or possibly from wrong type of shoe, I think I am going to take it easy and not worry about my performance.

I am thinking about using an older pair of shoes (semi retired) and take my shoes in question back to the running store. I have been struggling of late with finding shoes that can handle my higher weekly mileage without causing major blisters. They thought I needed a more neutral shoe to stop the blistering on my inner heel, but I am afraid that the shoe is not giving me the support I need from a stability shoe. So, maybe I did not over train after all.

Anyway, have a great weekend everyone!

Good luck, James on your half! Make sure you come back here and tell us all the details! I hope your IT band doesn't act up during the race.

I second K80K's suggestion (posted later) that you rotate shoes. That way you don't have the same spot rubbing every time you go out. That might help prevent the blisters.

Hi everyone -

So I had to buy new sneakers today. Got new Saucony's. I've always had Nike's so this was new for me. WELL, tonight I took a minute off my pace out for my three miles. WOW! My feet feel great...it was such a great run. I'm pumped.

Taking hip hop class in the a.m. and now I'm just stoked for my long run on Sunday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I've never tried Saucony's before, though I've heard good things. For some reason, I tend to go for the Asics. Maybe for my nest pair I should give those a try...

So, how did your long run go?

Good morning team,
I am taking a 5 minutes break from work while it is quiet. I have started to run again and my right leg feels a lot better. It is a nice sunny cold day in Québec today. I was hoping to leave early from work to do a run in the afternoon but there is a demonstration on the your side of the border (I mean the Uniter States) and the boss don't want us to leave early in case the demonstraters (is that a word) decide to cross the border and comes in peaceful Canada . So will see.

Have a nice day
Diane

So glad your leg is feeling better, Diane. That break must have been just what you needed.

So, did we come into your peaceful Canada?

 

[disney_mommy]

I guess I will be looking into this a bit more because we decided that we are going to take the leap and register for the 1/2 marathon on June 6th. It is part of the Minneapolis Marathon series and the first part of the course is what we ran for our 7K.

I have tried several things. I have tried a computer journal, I have tried to use my WW online, I have used notebooks and right now I am having the most success with the paper journal that I can pick up at the WW meeting. I keep them in in an envelope so that I can look back at them. I know that I am not great at tracking right now and I need to really get back on track with it. I feel like I have been lazy for the past 2 weeks and I have really slowed on the weight loss. I am going to commit to have really good week this week and have already started writing up my plan. I am a planner - I have to have it written down to follow or I just go and do whatever.

AFM - I have been so off this week and have not done anything since Tuesday. I will be running both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. I will actually probably run a fair amount this week since I don't have to work. These past two weeks at school have been pretty stressful and I just kind of tried to not do anything too bad. It is time to get serious with both the diet and the exercise now though since I will have some extra time.

Have a great weekend!
Jen

So Jen, you signed up for the half with your friends? That's great! You will have so much fun. Did you get your runs in over the weekend?

There's only a couple of spots that still hurt. Coach asked us to put the flippers on for our last set today and I asked him if I could pass on the flippers because Monday's class blistered my feet and he said it was no problem. I actually put my feet out of the water and showed everyone my feet and the 3 other people in my lane and coach Steve all went 'oooh, ouch!' So I was a lot slower than everyone without the flippers, but that's okay. I need to go check out the booties and see if the flippers will fit over them.

You have war wounds! That just shows how dedicated you are to your sport. I bet they were all impressed.

Jen, when you do your food journal on paper, do you just list what you ate or do you keep track of calories and fat and stuff like that. Looking all that up is so frustrating and I do it for one or two meals and then quit. But I do really think that seeing all the bad stuff I eat laid out in black and white will help me a lot. Why am I working so hard with exercise and then sabatoging it all with eating junk.

I think if you are trying to keep under a certain level of calories or fat or whatever, then keeping track of those will help. But if you're just trying to get a handle on what you eat and really be accountable, then you only need to write down the foods and portions. If you're not going to do anything with the stats (cals, fat, etc.), then there's no reason to track them. And why set yourself up for failure, if you know you hate doing it?

 

[disney_mommy]

Good morning, Rebels. How did everyone's weekend go?

Mine was much better than last, that's for sure. I took my son to see How to Train Your Dragon and Diary of a Wimpy Kid over the weekend. He loved it, it made him feel special to get to do 2 movies. Usually, we can only manage 1. My mom and I went and saw the ventriloquist Jeff Dunham on Saturday. He was hilarious as usual. And I managed to do some laundry and cleaning. Actually a pretty productive weekend, which is nice.

I weighed myself this morning, and I've lost 5 pounds! I am so excited!! That makes me feel like I'm going in the right direction, like I really am making progress, even though it doesn't feel like it every day.

 

[disney_mommy]

Just FYI, I noticed several people using one of the logos, so I went ahead and resized it so there are 3 size choices, just in case. The post is here.

 

[jwalker1]

Hi Rebels, I hope you had a great weekend!

All done with my half marathon training and the big day is this Saturday. I ended up doing 12.21 miles at 3:00:08 (14:45 average) this last Saturday. I took it easy and had a lot left in my tank when I finished. The last full mile I did in 13:37 and was so glad to see my speed coming back, woohoo. My IT band did give me trouble the first mile, but after that, I only felt it again on a steep down hill on mile ten. I did not feel it the rest of the way after that.

Looking forward to a good race this weekend and will do a race report on my adventure.

------

Jen – I will keep you posted on my shoe dilemma. I have a set of racing flat that I use for the racing events and they are awesome. So luckily, I do not have to worry about my shoe choice for the half marathon. BTW, good luck on your training for the half marathon, you will do great.

K80K – Thanks for the sound advice. Yes, I have been trying to avoid buying new shoes because the race budget has been pretty rough after signing up for the Goofy challenge. Your advice has definitely made me rethink my shoe strategy.

Andrea – Thanks and I will be taking K80K advice. Plus, thanks for all the work you did on the logos, they are great.