Becoming Lean, Mean, Endurace Event Machines in 2008

[princessrunner]

Mike: Oh yuck. If I put a gel in my water and there was any "snot" swallowed, there would be a spill but it would not involve protein or carbs!!

I can do a gel and I have done them during the experimentation phase. I have to say the only way I can get them down it to get the whole gel in my mouth, swallow it and then follow with a really big drink of water. Vic, Bill and Panda...well you know what you were thinking and cut it out!!! The beans and blocks are easier for me to pop while running. My issue is getting my darned water bottle out, holding everything and continuing running. Still in the experimental phase on that one!!!!

 

[windwalker]

Mike: Oh yuck. If I put a gel in my water and there was any "snot" swallowed, there would be a spill but it would not involve protein or carbs!!

I can do a gel and I have done them during the experimentation phase. I have to say the only way I can get them down it to get the whole gel in my mouth, swallow it and then follow with a really big drink of water. Vic, Bill and Panda...well you know what you were thinking and cut it out!!! The beans and blocks are easier for me to pop while running. My issue is getting my darned water bottle out, holding everything and continuing running. Still in the experimental phase on that one!!!!

We are thinking nothing but love for our pretty princesses Lisa.

I agree that Lily is a wonderfull role model for everyone. She is one of the people who makes this such an awesome place to come visit. I also admire Ted, her hubby, for treating his lady like a princess. I think that is so manly to pamper the lady you choose to be your life mate.

My weight seems to have leveled out at 177, not as much as I had hoped to lose but that was 5.8 lbs that I'm glad is gone. My eating is better since I can't eat a lot of my abused food like nuts, which are good for you but I tend to over indulge, and chips and salsa at the Mex restraunt.

Ok off to the gym to serve notice to the fat cells.

Have an awesome day y'all.

Walking Panda

 

[Creativebeth]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts. It was a really hard weekend with the viewing and funeral service. The funeral home had a montage of picture of my df, and it was really touching. I cried way more than I thought humenly possible. It is hard to understand why those 3 little kids had to lose their father so early. But the service was beautiful, and he had SO many friends. He lived a wonderful life. Thanks again for all the good thoughts.

So, I didn't eat perfect this weekend, but I did what I could. That's all I can say! I was really lucky that I spent the last 2 months losing 16 pounds though......the one dress I have to wear for a funeral fit like a glove. That's a celebration. Two month ago, that dress would have never fit!!!!!

Lisa: You have been doing a great job, getting those miles in despite the crummy weather!

Stacie: You will love your Garmin! Mine rocks!

Everyone else, have a good week!

Beth

 

[lenshanem]

Congrats on your run Lisa! Very good time!

I use the Bloks. I have some of the beans, but there are so many of them to eat! The Bloks I eat three. I put them in a snack size ziploc baggie before I leave and eat them while I run, but then I walk while I drink my water after it. Seems to be working...


Woke up and lost another pound! I'm now done three of the five pounds I gained over the holidays. I so hope I can lose two more before spring break! (Cause after being at WDW for seven nights I'll probably gain them all back and have to start at square one again. )

 

[lenshanem]

Beth,

 

[princessrunner]

Beth: Yay for fitting in your dress and , I think you need more!!

Shan: Yay for more poundage gone!! You are really moving now! My last WDW jaunt, I managed not to gain any weight. Of course that was the half but, I was able to find reasonable things to eat, even in the hotel food court (CBR). After the half, I treated myself to a chocolate cheesecake at the Boardwalk Bakery, yummy and I figured I burned enough calories to justify it!! Okay, okay, I was celebrating the fact that I completed my first half but the justification made it sound better. There are lots of good places to eat and better choices offered now in the world than years past. You will do fine!!!!

 

[Creativebeth]

Talking about fueling......when I was training for my marathon last year, I used fig newtons for food fuel. I don't like the taste and consistency of gels, so I used the fig newtons at 1/2 way and 3/4 of my training runs. I used 1/2 strength gatarade for hydration. The bars and gels just don't do it for me, and I wanted something portable. It worked for me!

Beth

 

[JustSmile]

Hi all.
We planned to go to the lake this week-end, but when my 7 year old woke up on Friday and couldn't walk, I went into freak out mode. After a frantic trip to the Dr., who said the virus went into his muscles causing myalgia, I felt much better. And as kids are, by Saturday morning the high fever broke and he was running around. So we stayed home and did lots of yard work.
Beth...so very sorry to hear about your friend.
Shan..WTG on the weight loss!
Lisa...Running in the snow! You're amazing and definitely deserve athlete of the week.
Stacie..You lucky dog! My 14 year old has the 305...I keep threatening to "borrow" it. And the note from your DH...very sweet.
Lily...Thanks for the recipe link. Staying on track is so hard, little week-end treats keep me sane.
Mike, Vic, Panda, Bill, Liz, Maria,Cindy, Debra...Hey there!
Have a great day everyone. It's cold and rainy here so it's a TM day.

 

[jeanneg]

Hello everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted much, but have been busy lately. I expect life to resume back to normal in about a week.

Just a few quick comments.....

Beth: so sorry for the loss of your friend. It is all so very sad for the family.

Stacie: Congrats on receiving the garmin. Your hubby sounds like a sweetie.
And you CAN do this. January is still over 9 months away and you will continue to go faster and longer with each passing month. Just stick to it and you will be in super shape come marathon day.

 

[twoWDWfools]

Good afternoon Lean Meaners!

Mike - I'm southwest of the city and he was at Museum of Science & Industry as part of the 75th anniversary year. It sold out in 2 hours when tickets went on sale back in December.

Shan - congrats on shedding another pound!

Stacie - Yay on the Garmin! I love mine - still new to me so figuring out all it can do.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend and are doing fine this Monday.

As for me - Sunday I managed to get in 5 miles on the TM however at an absolutely awful pace. I know I walk faster outside but it is still discouraging. I signed up for the Minnie and while walking started thinking "Well this was a mistake. I'll never get my pace up in time!" Almost stopped but checked and saw I had done 3 miles. So kept going - was feeling good just slow. Was able to pick up the pace a little but considering I think I've just figured out what's causing the shin pain didn't want to push it. I'll just keep it up and do the best I can in training and the Minnie.

 

[lenshanem]

Liz, you'll do great at the Minnie.

 

[deekaypee]

Vic: Seeing as how yard work seems to work for you, and you for it, would you like to come do mine?

Mike: DOOD (my DH) is a recent Cytomax convert for his LRs and evens. Me, I'm much more of a real food kind of gal, probably because I'm so slow I should pack a picnic lunch, so I like the PB. Your shake sounds tasty, though, and well worth a try. P.S. "Lolling around" is a fun phrase. Love it!

Lisa: Great run! That you managed the hills & at that pace impresses the heck out of me. And let's not even mention the snow. Thanks for the reminder about hydration--it continues to be a challenge for me on most days, and LR workouts especially. I don't know if I made the connection with being chilly before you brought it up, though. Oh, and I'm envious that you have a running support/connection with your MIL; mine has actually lamented that I've started running because a) I'm supporting DOOD's desire to do endurance events (which she doesn't approve of) and b) my participation means I'm no longer available to transport them to various spectator points at any given race.

Lily: I understand the challenges of the weekend, though, and celebrated St. Patrick's Day in my own, no-corned beef way. But you, you got right back on track with the walking. That's wonderful news on your 60 minute walk & Minnie pace. You've got to be so happy.

Stacie: Yay for the Garmin and for persevering with the 4 miles. I'm sure it will become an even more helpful tool as you get more familiar with it. It sounds like the wind was enough to frustrate anyone. Don't you just hate days like that, where you question your abilities, your motivation, and even your sanity??? But I just have to congratulate you on your analysis of what you need to do differently regarding fueling (beans for me, blocks in a pinch) & using the elliptical (which I love to use as XT for the reasons you mention, btw). I totally think you're capable of doing this endurance thing!

Dave: Woo Hoo on the loss! When I crave salt, I also overindulge in the chips & salsa, especially if I'm at a good Mexican restaurant. (Luckily, Pgh doesn't seem to have any of those.) I hope your WO at the gym went well--I know I'd cower from the mighty Panda if I were a fat cell.

Beth: I hope the funeral was comforting insomuch as it sounds like your DF was much loved and that you could all be together, remembering all that he contributed to your lives.

On a lighter note, I'm glad you were able to fit into your dress. That's worth celebrating.

Shan: Congratulations on the lost pound. You're over halfway there! I have similar concerns with my upcoming trip. It's only 4 days, but they're my b-day 4 days! I'm sure that you and I will be fine, though, because we know how hard it is to lose that weight once it's revisited. Like bad houseguests.

Tracey: Oh, I'm glad to hear your DS is all right. That whole episode would have terrified me.

Jeanne: It's good to see you. I hope the LTO is nothing too serious.

Liz: I have every confidence that you'll be fine at the Minnie. Like you said, you go faster outside. And you were being extra careful because of the shins so you can get to the start injury-free. You can do it!

As for me: First the not-great news. Zero pounds lost this week. I expected it, as I've been losing 1 to 1-.5 pounds every other week. Plus, the past few days have been high calorie days for me. Then, DOOD and I spent the day with H & R block figuring out our taxes. Normally we do them ourselves, but this year we had several big changes--relocation across country, getting married, etc.--so we wanted a professional to guide us. It wasn't too bad, just time-consuming & headache-inducing...like every year.

Now the good news. I had an absolutely fabulous WO today, which included my first official post C25K run. I was a little worried about it because I wasn't feeling great Saturday night/Sunday morning: tired and even lethargic, constantly hungry, etc. But today felt good for the entire WO, & even my little blisters can't get me down!

So of course I'm trying to figure out the magic formula to make it happen again. There seems to be four things that might have affected my WO: 1) No yoga on Sunday (I overslept); 2) lots of sleep Sunday a.m. and night; 3) more calories than I've been used to having for two days previous; and 4) more protein than I've been consuming for the two days previous.

I'm going to discount #1, although I know I feel sore after yoga--I think yoga is good for me in the long run. (hah! a pun!) #2 contributes to my overall feeling of wellness, I think, but doesn't quite get at the energy I felt. That leaves me with #3 and #4, as they go hand in hand. So for the next couple of days I'm going to try to keep my calorie intake higher than normal, especially in terms of protein; I tend to be on the low end of what's recommended by SP, so I'll try to bump myself to the high end. What do you all think? Am I just crazy?

 

[laxdef69]

Liz, I'm in Downers Grove, I don't know what you consider south. Of course we are MEMBERS of MSI, and I didn't see anything about it...

Debra: congrats on the great workout! I am ready to get back in the gym, and spend time on the elliptical tomorrow, since it is 30 and snowing...and a bit dangerous to ride the bike.

I did some rough calculations on the shake and peanut butter and bagel recovery nutrition, and have pasted it below if anyone is interested.

The values are in grams...

Protein 35.84
Carbs 146.84
Fat 33.77
Sugars 64

It might be a bit high in sugar, but most of that comes from the banana, strawberrys and yogurt...also, I never add sugar to anything I eat, so i'm not going to sweat that....it likely helps promote an insulin spike, which should help the protein get into the muscles to start repair work.

Weather like this makes me wish I was in Princeville, Kauai!

Mike

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Stacie, I missed that post on the weekly. That is so sweet. Your DH is definitely a keeper! You will LOVE your new toy. I just know it. I'm also so glad that you have great support at home.

Everyone, you are so kind to me. Thank you. I love you all!


Debra, you did a great recap. I can't add much to that. Everyone, what she said!

I think that your #1 and #2 (R&R) gave you the break you needed to get yourself going again. #3 and #4 could also account for proper fueling your w/o needs. Just be careful to not over fuel or you'll be going in the wrong directoin. Seems like you've got a great handle on that whole thing.

I manage to digest the Gu ok, I just don't enjoy the eating it part. I manage half a pack with water then about another mile in, I get in the other half pack. Seems to work ok for me, just a bit messy holding that half eaten pack. The other stuff is ok, I just don't seem to digest as quickly I think.

I read somewhere that diluting the sports drink is not recommended b/c it is designed to be absorbed in the strength it is. Anyone else hear this ever? I will dilute sometimes, just not often. I've also learned about endurolyte tablets and found them to be the saving thing for me and energy. I used them the last Goofy and found myself totally together through the hardest part of the event. I am definitely liking them.

My good news: I've LOST 2 pounds last week. You know I'm at home and so worried about not doing enough and gaining. Things are going in the right direction for me. I've lost 7 pounds since surgery and I'm eating healthy. I'm recording everything on SP and doing my best to break up the things I eat into more times so I eat more frequently, just not more. It has been working so far. Here's WISHing I can keep going for 16 more pounds. I usually find I stall for those last 10 and have given up and start to add poundage. This time, right now, I think I'm connected to this whole thing. (insert hopeful looking smilie)

I also wonder if it has to do with the fact I'm not doing the same w/o intensity as pre surgery. I'll know as soon as I'm allowed to kick it in a notch or two when doc says ok.

 

[twoWDWfools]

Lily - so glad you are doing well and way to go on losing another 2 pounds! Sounds like you've got it figured out this time and I have no doubt you can tackle the rest. Now if I can just get it figured out....

Mike - I'm in Romeoville so not that far from you. We used to be members of MSI, too but let it go a couple years ago. Odd they didn't advance notify members like usual. Oh and wasn't this afternoon's weather just marvelous

 

[laxdef69]

Lily - so glad you are doing well and way to go on losing another 2 pounds! Sounds like you've got it figured out this time and I have no doubt you can tackle the rest. Now if I can just get it figured out....

Mike - I'm in Romeoville so not that far from you. We used to be members of MSI, too but let it go a couple years ago. Odd they didn't advance notify members like usual. Oh and wasn't this afternoon's weather just marvelous

Oh YES the weather was wonderful!!! Just completed 60 minutes on the elliptical, since it's too cold/wet to ride outside.

I used to live in Romeoville as well, in Weslake, about 3/4 mile west of Weber on Taylor.

 

[princessrunner]

Good morning all you lean mean moving weight losing machines!!!

Lily: YAY for the lost pounds. See, it will all come around as you get moving more.

Debra: When I was in my vegetarian period (before raising our own "safe" beef) I never ate enough protein. My workouts definitely suffered. This was also during my bodybuilding so I ended up having to take in a lot of artificial protein in the forms of supplements which do not ever work as well. If you have found the secret formula, please share with the rest of us so we can try it too!!!!

Mike/Lily: I am going to look for some Cytomax and add that in at least post run to see how it works for me. I am also going to look at the Endurolytes as tablets I can do but that whole chewing and running and drinking thing is just an accident waiting to happen for me. The other thing I did figure out during the half was at every other station, I took a water and a Powerade and the dilution of the Powerade helped me not to get heartburn from it. I think it also helps with the absorption the longer you are stressing your system.

Everyone else: A bit Lean Mean howdy to everyone. I hope your workouts are awesome, you eating is pristine and your work life absolutely nonstressful (is that a word??). Ahhh, the perfect world......

Today, I feel far more hydrated and gained back a half pound which is actually a good thing. It is 40 and sunny and beautiful here today so outside for a 50 minute run later after I get done all this typing (my actual job not DISing). Tomorrow is more rain/snow mix crap....will this NEVER end....and no vacation in sight.....

 

[JustSmile]

When it rains, it pours. Literally and figuratively around here. What a yucky day it is today, rainy and cold. And yesterday, my 7 year old had to go to the Dr. to get a gash on his head stapled shut. I swear it's like Wrestlemania over here. His two older brothers felt really guilty and while we were at the Dr.'s they dusted, vacuumed, and wiped down the bathrooms. Apparently, the 7 year old didn't trip over his own feet as they tried to tell me. Truly, my kids are really well mannered, kind, good boys, but you get 4 boys and it's chaos most of the time.
So needless to say, I did not get on the TM yesterday. But, today I'll do my 5 miles while I look out at the pouring rain. I know, I said I was ready for Spring....I forgot how much rain comes with it.
Have a great day all.

 

[princessrunner]

Tracey: Boys, gotta love em! Mine says it was "on accident" but then he and his sister tend to do the same spontaneous clean up. Maybe that is on accident too???

And, rain, I would take just rain, I would run in just rain, GoreTex shoes and all.....this rain/snow cold wet garbage is getting old. The other thing that is getting old, my day off, every week, and yes, it storms yucky blucky can't ski, can't snowmobile, can't run, just clean the house Lisa........

 

[Creativebeth]

Good morning Lean Meaners......I am ready for Spring!!!! My run on our Rail Trail yesterday was really nice (((other than the ten miles I had to cover)))) and I enjoyed being outside again. Today is another story, it's supposed to rain the rest of the week here.......sigh......

I am back into the groove with my eating. Last weekend was so hard, I just had to give myself a break. Life hands us some difficult times, and I have found as I get older, I can lighten up a little. In my 20's, I couldn't do that. I was "all or nothing" with dieting. I was either perfect, or totally off the deep end. Now, in my 40's, I am easier on myself. If I don't meet my weight loss goals this month......I will next month! I don't see myself eating perfect for the rest of my life. So, I will just commit myself to doing my best!

Beth