In Search of My Body....Not the One I ATE! Vol. 5: Goddesses are Always on Top!

[AKASnowWhite]

I went and did that "Happy Weight" thingy. 146.2 is what mine is. Not far off from what my goal is. I'm shooting for 145.

However, today is day 3 in a row with no exercise SO not like me Saturday & Sunday were planned days off. Even 2 days in a row is highly unusual for me. But, I felt I needed the rest (LisaV, I was thinking about you ). Today, well, that was just a monkey-wrench thrown into my system.

Tomorrow morning bright and early I have a training session. Could be awesome since I'm so well rested. Could really suck since, well, I've been doing nothing but resting

 

[AKASnowWhite]

HAHA! No. The Trumpet.

Oh, Thank GOD! I woulda felt bad for laughing at you.

 

[RodK1975]

Oh, Thank GOD! I woulda felt bad for laughing at you.

You would have laughed at me if I had said I played the flute?

Gasp!

Well, I'll just say. If you'd laughed at me for saying I played the flute. I'd have told you that, if yall there in Amish-tropolis were unaware, woodwind instruments (the flute being one) are rarely made out of wood anymore.

But, you didn't laugh at me so I won't tell you that.

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Nancy, thank you.

And on a very serious note:

Liz, I just wanted to say that your post really moved me. I'm so sorry for the crap your mom and you are having to deal with. I can identify with what you're dealing with. Not from the exact same perspective, but a similar one. It's a long drawn out sad story and that's for another time. I know it doesn't fix things, but I want you to know you and your mother are in my thoughts and prayers. Keep taking care of yourself so you can keep taking care of your mom!

Thank you, Roddy.

 

[RodK1975]

Thank you, Roddy.

You're so very welcome, Liz.

 

[goofyfan-12]

Hi all...

Ugh - what a day. It is 9:00 and I just got home about 20 minutes ago and scarfed down dinner (JC lasagna with some sliced cucumbers and vinegar). I am on the fence as to whether or not I should head out to the gym for my cardio workout or take my rest day today and work do my cardio on Wednesday (I train tomorrow night). I think I am leaning towards resting tonight since I am mentally wiped out at the moment (and it is 9:00 so by the time I get there it will be pushing 9:30 and then they will rush me out of there to close at 10:00). The sad part is that I drove right past the gym on my way home from my meeting. I could have swung right in if I had the foresight to actually pack my gym bag this morning. I am so throwing a set of clothes and my older sneakers in my trunk so that I am not stuck like that again. I don't need my best sneakers to ride a stationary bike so my older ones will certainly do the trick.

So went to JC totally expecting to have gained two pounds this week. The scale showed a loss of .25 pounds. I totally busted out the happy dance for that!!!! Still can't freakin believe it, but I am totally celebrating it.

Nancy - so happy you made it out and home safely. Good luck with the training in the morning.

Roddy - fellow ostracized band members unite!!! I played clarinet and saxaphone (and no, not at the same time) in my school's band. We were a competition marching band and were one of the few teams that had a winning record. So we were kind of cool in a minute sort of way...

I am off to grab a book and enjoy my rest time before I fall asleep.

Talk to you later,
Paula

 

[Ronda93]

I posted this on the TripleD thread, too, but think there could be answers here.

I need some beginner running advice. I am currently about 50 pounds over my ideal weight. I am about 60 pounds lighter than I was seven years ago. The losses come during fits of diligent calorie counting. I am able to maintain the loss though and that feels great. Instead of going through life with a fourth grader on my back, I’m down to a kindergartener ; ) Over that time I’ve become more active - walking for exercise and walking an insistent dog.

I am in week four of C25K. I started W4 last Monday and couldn’t finish the second five minute run (for the uninitiated 3 minutes, 90 seconds walk, 5 minutes, 2 ½ min walk). Both my lung and legs were burning. For days 2 and 3 I made sure to grab a few calories before I drove to work – half a poisoned peanut Clif Bar. I also slowed down. I had been doing the run portions at 5.5 mph. I slowed gradually to 5.0 and was able to finish. I am on the treadmill and listening to the podcast. There’s no opportunity to do a talk test, but I doubt I could form a complete sentence.

Yesterday, with snow on the ground, we picked up a 14 day trial at the Y – truly considering joining – and used the treadmill there (office gym is closed Sunday). The TM at the Y had the heart rate monitor handles. I grabbed them after my first 3 minute run and it said 185. YIKES! Given my age/sex, the max is supposed to be 181. I know that is a very rough estimate, but I backed off. Further attempts to use the handles either gave me no reading or something in the 160s and 170s.

I have ordered a Polar HRM and it should be here within a week. I understand my best results for weight loss, and training in general, should keep the number between 110 and 145 (45 yo female). Lower and I don’t burn calories, higher and I go anerobic, right?

The question is coming… should I stay in week 4 and shoot for cardiovascular improvement or slow WAY down and continue through the weeks? 5mph feels comically slow, at least on the TM it does. I am pain free.

My goal is a local 5K at the end of April (run/walk whatever it takes) and the WDW half next January (already registered).

What would a goddess do?
Ronda

 

[SeptemberGirl]

So I'd like to say how much this support really means to me, and to my mom, but it will just make me cry...

and Good God, where are you all??? Are you all watching the last Bachelor episode? Or is that just me?

Hello? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Paula - that is super awesome!!! Whee!!!! No gain!

Ronda. Ooooh, let's get the experts in here. I have no idea, girlfriend. Useless!

 

[goofyfan-12]

Ronda - wish I could help, but I am deferring this question to the resident experts.

Liz - I am here, but will be on and off for the better part of the night. Enjoy the Bachelor...

 

[adsrtw]

Ok, finally have time for a proper post!

Snow day. Shocker, I know.


EE--why do you have dress up and dress down days? Do you actually have clients come in to the office?


Ok, snow day or not, when you work online like I do, you still have to work. Back later.

Snow days bite! Hope it's too bad.

As far as dress up/down days ~ we are owned by a bank, so they dictate our dress. We are business casual most of the time except for Fridays and special days. One special day is the first Monday of every month. If we make a donation to the food bank, we get to dress casual. We also have lots of contests surrounding casual days. When clients come in (banks and credit unions), we have to dress up a bit. The amazing new VP over my area is trying to change that for us.

 

[Ronda93]

princess runner - This is a stretch, but one of my body idols is Linda Hamilton. Her physique in The Terminator was amazing. She saved the WORLD. I also love the way Angela Bassett looked in What's Love Got to do With It. She saved herself. It's not necessarily athletics, but I'll bet neither of them throw like girls (sorry Kat).

It sounds like you have a well balanced daughter. That she hasn't yet shied away from showing her abilities is a great sign.

I was cool among the band kids, but it was a small school. Graduating class around 100.

Notes to younger self:
1. do not marry him.
2. need <> love
3. losing that job is a very good thing.
4. you will be the happiest 45 year old you know, honest.

Our biggest snowfall of the year was over the weekend and was a little over five inches. I will not complain about snow ever again.

Ronda

 

[3DisneyKids]

Paula--AWESOME! Rock star!

Ronda--I have lots to say about this. Natch. But I will tell you right off that LisaPR and I will likely disagree on this. And that is fine. There is never one right way for any of this. Diet, exercise, etc. This thread is living proof that we all need different methods to find success.

I pay NO attention to my heart rate at all (unless it is really racing or for some reason is scaring me, which never happens). Many runners just use "perceived exertion." Which basically just means that you concentrate on how you are feeling and adjust accordingly. If you are working way too hard, slow it down. If you aren't working enough, kick it up a notch. And while I may be somewhat of a seasoned runner now, I have always used this method, right from day one. I really think one of the best things for a beginner is to learn to recognize your body signs. So that is why I advocate this method.

I have done tons of reading on this subject, and am currently half way through Hal Hidgeon's (a major running guru) book on running and speed. And there really isn't anything wrong with being in an anaerobic state. It just means that you are hitting your lactic threshold.

Basically, what you are doing by going anaerobic during the run part and then coming down during the walking is you are in a fartlek pattern. (Yes, that is a real word.) And listen, runners SHOULD fartlek. It is part of most training plans.

But on the other side of this, it also may mean that your running pace is too quick for these early stages. I don't think you need to go all the way down to 5.0. If that "feels" too slow, then it probably is. Try for middle ground...5.3 or 5.4 maybe. The fact that you are not able to finish your run tells me that you are running too fast more than what your heart rate is.

Since you are new to this, you want to build your endurance first. Long, slow, steady runs. Then, once you have your 5k distance down, you start to build speed. But right now should be all about endurance.

Finally, be wary of heart rate in general in that it cannot be an absolute. Some people, for example, just have a higher resting heart rate. And this can be athletes as well as those who are sedentary. So their heart rate rages are going to be different than what is on the charts anyway.

I guess this is a very long-winded way of saying that I think you should slow down just a little bit and just for now. Build your base. Pay attention to how you feel.

And always ask questions.

 

[adsrtw]

Hi gang,

It is Monday and while I know many of you are dealing with this latest snowstorm, I am thankful that I am not (for once). Now this could certainly come back to bite me as we have been known to get snow storms as late as mid May around here so I am ready for my payback. (Hope you got your snow day Kat).

I am feeling much better about things today than I did last week. I was snacking in a totally out of control way and my sweet tooth was on overdrive thanks to TOM. I am picking myself up and starting again by tracking food this week to get a handle on things. The scale will be what it will be tonight and I am done stressing about it. It is a new week and a new start right?

I was talking to my sister last night about my training session and realized that my trainer paid me a big compliment yesterday. Our conversations have been rather interesting lately. Yeah, they deal a lot with his relationship issues as he is getting over some rejection and as he puts it – he loves having an adult to talk to about this stuff (that makes me feel old just thinking about it), but yesterday was a bit different. From what I gathered, I am one of his few clients that are probably over the age of 30 and I am pretty sure I am the only one with a major amount of weight to lose. He mentioned that he didn’t want to take on any obese clients and when I added the “except for me” part, he quickly jumped in and said that he doesn’t consider me to be obese because I am so active. Now, I joked about the BMI scales that are out there and he laughed and said that those scales are truly unrealistic. In fact, the chart would list him as obese right now when that is certainly not the case. Thinking back, I didn’t grasp what he said until my sister pointed it out to me and then the light coming from the light bulb that just flicked on was blinding. I am an active person. I am working my bummocks off and I am seeing results. So I am not going to let one off week derail everything. It is one off week. I can overcome that right.

I have mentioned this in the past, but this is more of a mental battle than a physical one at times so grasping these types of concepts is huge for me. I know that I hear this from my extremely supportive friends (like you all) and family (love you all for that), but having an outsider say the same thing can be just the validation you need from time to time to keep you going.

I thought I would share a link to an article I read about finding out what your ideal weight is. It was interesting to see what influences our thought processes about our weight. Here is the link if anyone is interested:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/heal...t-5-tips-for-finding-your-happy-weight-393032

I think I have blabbered on enough for this morning. I’m sure I’ll check in at some point along the day and will definitely check in later tonight after my weigh in and cardio workout. Treated myself to some new music and set a new playlist on my ipod so I am excited about my cardio workouts this week.

Lyz - sending you hugs for tonght. I agree with Nancy, celebrate the life of the loved one you lost by sharing the stories and the memories with the people who will be there.

Later,
Paula

Your post gave me goosebumps. I am so happy for you that you are getting through that mental block! And on a side note, Jesse rocks!

 

[3DisneyKids]

Ronda--you were married? For how long? How'd you get out of it?

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Okay, I have to chime in here about heart rate. I have a HRM. I have done my true resting and my personal calculations, and all that. BUT, I don't wear it when I run. Because, like Erika said, I know how hard I'm working.

I run until it's too much, and then I slow down. This is super unscientific, but it's true. Sometimes I play a game - run to the end of the song, or until mile X or for X number of minutes.

I use my HRM for spin, where I can slack off, or step class. Things like that. Not for running. I just listen to my body. If I was walking, I'd use it to keep me in the zone, but only if it was an outside, nature filled, distracting walk that
I needed to stay focused on. Otherwise, nope.

 

[goofyfan-12]

Your post gave me goosebumps. I am so happy for you that you are getting through that mental block! And on a side note, Jesse rocks!

Amiee - thanks for saying that. The mental part of this is the biggest hurdle I think. And you are right - Jesse totally rocks.

So, when does your mechanic come back from Daytona?

 

[AKASnowWhite]

You would have laughed at me if I had said I played the flute?

No, not exactly at you (God, I'm digging a hole here Somebody throw me a life line ) Just that there was this guy, when I was in High School. Played the piccolo. He was, well, interesting is all

I am off to grab a book and enjoy my rest time before I fall asleep.

Awesome job at JC tonight, Paula. Glad to see you chose the rest. Enjoy your book - you deserve an evening with your feet up!

I need some beginner running advice. I

I will not claim to be an expert - just someone who has tried a lot of things!

First, I must tell you that I am totally addicted to my Polar HR monitor. Love, love, love it. I find it to be a fabulous tool for monitoring my workouts. As for HR zones - they are guidelines. The range you have given is a great way to start to figure out where your own body feels comfortable during exercise. Too low, and you are not going to see the benefits you want. Too high, and yes you are working anerobically - but that's not always a bad thing. Right in your zone? You'll be burning more fat.


I've never done the C25K (didn't know it existed when I started running years ago). But, I will say that when I started it was painfully slow. My pace was hardly more than some people's walking pace. It takes time for your body to build the strength and stamina it needs for running, as running is, IMO, a much more physically demanding form of cardio than things like cycling, elliptical, etc. (not to say that those aren't valuable forms of cardio. they are. just different is all)

I would simply slow down. Do you have a race scheduled that you are training for? Or are you simply working the C25K plan as you build your fitness? If you are just working on the fitness part - I'd probably slow down, keep building the weeks - but every now and again I'd throw in an earlier weeks workout and try to do that at a faster pace. Does that make sense? Building endurance for me, takes a slower pace. As my endurance improves, I can run shorter distances faster.

Wow. I feel like I'm starting to talk in circles.


I don't know if that helped or confused!

and Good God, where are you all??? Are you all watching the last Bachelor episode? Or is that just me?

Hello? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

I was sewing, of course. And watching the Secret Life of the American Teen. Have you guys seen that at all? DD watches it. It's good and disturbing at the same time - she's a 15y.o. who is pregnant (on the show - not my DD ) Stars Molly Ringwald as her mom- so not the 16 Candles image!

 

[3DisneyKids]

Amy/Nancy/LisaPR--so I did speed drills today. I am super wiped out from them and will even be heading to bed early (which I never do). But anyway, I thought I would share my progress with you.

Before I did any running, I rode 9 miles on the bike. So there was already some fatigue. Not much, but I did some good hill intervals.

I ran my first mile at a 10:20 pace. (I have been averaging 10:30-ish for a while now, so this was just a tiny bit faster than what I am used to, so I didn't really feel it much).
I ran my second mile at a 9:30 pace. I felt this, for sure, but also felt like I could keep it up for 2 miles if I needed to.
I ran the next (and last) half mile at a 9:10 pace.

Only a 2.5 mile run, but a good speed workout, so I am pleased.

Like Amy, now that I have a solid distance base, I am going to work on speed. My first goal is my 5k speed, then 10k speed (so that I can do the Beacon in under an hour, Lisa).

I have a 5k as part of this tri on Sunday, so we'll see how that goes. And then I have a 5k the following week (on the 15th) and assuming I am not too fatigued from the tri, I am going to really go all out on that one.

I am using the Hal Hidgeon's book, Run Fast. How to Beat your Time, Every Time. Or something like that. Not sure the best way of increasing speed, but I am getting some good tips from that book. Not quite what I was looking for, but a good guide nonetheless.

 

[adsrtw]

Hi!

I did so well this week, but today is a major struggle to be on track. So far only fruit and coffee, so I'm not throwing it all away. I want to be thin, though. I can taste it!

And speaking of being thin, you know the only reason I "run" is to raise money for breast cancer research. And you know my mom is on her fifth diagnosis and currently doing chemo and praying like hell that this isn't the end. So in that spirit, I am running a 5k in April. Here's the link to my donation page. If you have anything to spare, I would appreciate it so much. I hate asking for anything, but I ask for this for my mom and my daughter. The fighter and survivor, and her reason to fight.

http://www.komennorthjersey.org/site/TR/Race/General?px=1124401&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

Thanks, guys. Gotta go cry for a minute now.

Oh Liz! Your post rocked me to my core.