Weight loss for Wishers and becoming Leaner Meaners!

[Creativebeth]

Cindy: Philly is about 2 hours away from where I live. We are actually going for the whole weekend, since the boys want to do some 'historical' stuff! We have some free weekend nights to use by the end of September, so we are using them up this weekend. I always like free!

We are leaving Friday so we will have Saturday to get around Philly. Maybe the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, etc. You have to go early to get the tickets for timed entry. The tickets are free, but first come, first served kind of deal.

Maybe we can even get a trip into the mall on the way home!

Beth

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Hey Lean Mean Brigade!

Beth -- This sounds like a great getaway for your entire family! Our family is alas, complete. DH is not about to go through diapers again -- or have a high school graduate when he's in his 60s. Plus, no guarantee we'd get a little Miss. I definitely like the idea of tagging along!

Cindy -- Disney is demolishing Toon Town and adding areas where you can meet some princesses where they live -- Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella and Belle, plus they're adding a Fairyland area. There will be new restaurants, rides and shows, and a "Double Dumbo", where you play games instead of waiting in line. There's a thread about it in the Theme Parks section, you can see the D23 presentation on youtube and get a sense of the magic I end up Tivoing the end of BL and watching it the next day. Like you, it's too late for me!

I think I'm lucky in that we just don't have a lot of buffets -- I can't think of a single one anywhere near our home or work. The Buffet tends to be a vacation thing for us. I was so disappointed when we ate at Golden Corral on our last trip to Orlando. I would have been better off with a full meal at another place, I just thought the food quality was pretty mediocre. The best buffets are on cruise ships, in my experience. Actually, I wouldn't mind a cruise...sigh. That won't be happening for awhile. Too many land-based trips we have to take to visit family. Those pesky relatives again!

I'm with Beth on increasing the speed and distance rather than the time. I run for 60 minutes, and cool down for 5. I've gone from 4.5 mi to about 4.8 most days, I'm actually doing 4.5 mph. I know that sounds slow to you guys, but trust me, I have greatly improved from the days when I was terrified I'd be swept at WDW 'cause I couldn't do a 16 min mile!

Maria

 

[Cindylou]

Good Morning Everyone,

Beth: Philly does sound like a great family weekend. I love history, so I'll be glad when my kids are old enough to bring them to places like that. And if you can get all the males in your family to stop at the mall you are good.

Maria: How's the tracking going? I did it for 1 entire day!! A new recent record for me. Do you know when the Toon Town demo starts? Wondering if it will impact our January visit. There is an awesome chinese food buffet in Maynard, but that's a bit far for you to go to eat. Have you ever been to the breakfast buffet at Turner Fisheries in the Westin hotel in Boston? Don't ever go, it is SOOOOOO good. You (OK, I) could eat a week's worth of calories at one meal.

My cold is still hanging around. I plan to go out for a temp run at lunch, but I'll play it by ear, if my chest is bothering me, I might slow the pace down. I feel with 5 weeks to go until my race that this is the "meat" of my training. I really don't want to be missing these runs.

Like I mentioned above, I actually tracked pts yesterday and I waited 3 hrs in between meals/snacks. I was actually hungry after 3 hrs, which is a change since I almost never allow myself to get hungry. I had to tell myself that it is OK to be hungry. I had all my meals planned out so I wouldn't over eat. After dinner I poured myself a glass of V8 Splash mixed with some seltzer and used that as my dessert. I always need a sweet after my meals, and that seemed to satisfy me.

I hope everyone is having a great day.
Cindy

 

[Creativebeth]

Oh, Lean Meaners, I am gonna whine to you'all. I am getting a cold. Darn it! I always seem to get sick before Philly. My ds#1 has a cold, as does my friend Nancy. It was bound to happen....I started with the nose tickle and sore throat last night watching the Biggest Loser. My nose is running and my throat still hurts. I am so MAD! It will not be fun running with a cold.....great. AND my head hurts already, and I am not that congested yet. DARN IT!

I got up and ran anyway.....at this point WTH! I might as well get my darn mileage in......I am sick anyway!!!!!! I got 6 miles in 65 min.

Maria: So how's the points going? Tracking? I hear ya with the finished family, as I won't be adding to ours either! I was 30 years old with the first one, so starting late has sealed that fate! I am now 43, and consider myself to old for more kids.

Cindy: WTG with tracking your points!!!!! And, it is difficult for me to let myself get hungry too. I think that is from childhood......I never let myself get hungry! Now, I am always hungry before lunch.....but that is usually the only time. I tend to eat a bigger lunch, and a lighter dinner ((((if I have my own way!)))) I try to get a snack around 4 to 4:30 so I am not famished for dinner.

I have to take the boys to baseball lessons tonight......dh is away until friday. I got 6 miles in this morning, so I think that will be it for workouts today......I guess that's good since I am sick (darn it).

I hope you all have a nice day!

Beth

*****found a list of 5 foods we should all eat (from Eating Well)
1. green beans. High in fiber and boosting fiber by 8 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed resulted in 4.5 pounds lost in 8 weeks.

2. salmon. High in omega-3 fatty acids that act as a shield protecting cell walls from free radical damage.

3. Blueberries. Eating just under a cup a day for 8 weeks increased good HDL cholesterol and decreased blood pressure.

4. Watermelon. It's full of water and keeps you full with less calories.

5. Tomatoes. High in Vit C and gives you youthful skin.

 

[Cindylou]

Beth: Sorry to hear about your cold. Get lots of sleep!! Lots of liquids!! Chicken soup, garlic, vitamin C, zinc, echineachea. Maybe it all doesn't work, but it probably can't hurt. I always thought Cold-Eze helped. As long as it's a head cold, you'll be fine. You have a solid base and that will get you through. Who knows, maybe the extra rest will bring you to the starting line feeling refreshed. I like 3 out of the 5 foods on you list. Of course it's the last three, the sweet ones. Get better soon!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Good Morning Lean Meaners!

I did a Beth yesterday! I ran in the AM, walked in the afternoon, and did weights during BL. I've been really good with counting my points since Monday (we're going to forget that unfortunate weekend...). Today is my rest day. I'll just have a half hour walk to a meeting, and that's all the exercise I'm going to get.

It's "Back to School" night for ds. This is a mandatory meeting for parents, where we sign up for what we will do this year. If you don't sign up, there's a $200 fee. I'll be schlepping myself down to the school and signing dh up to do Field Day next June. Not the way I most want to spend my evening, but it will require less effort than Field Day...

Beth -- I am so sorry you are not feeling well. It really doesn't seem fair right before a race. I know you will go and have a great time anyway, but do give yourself a little TLC! The 5 foods are all ones I like, and should eat more of. Have some chicken soup and feel better!

Cindy -- Great job with the tracking! I have WWOnline -- so I really don't have an excuse. I can access it from work or home, I just get lazy. I do lose more (ok, lose at all) when I use it.

Ok, let's keep on Lean Meaning! It's Wednesday, the week is flying by...

Maria

 

[deekaypee]

Arrrghhhh. I lost all my posts because the internet cafe connection timed out on me. I won't try to rewrite the mammoth posts, but here's the summary:

Beth: I think yours post on not needing the external validation shows just how much our weight-loss journeys are not only physical but mental and emotional. WTG with increasing your speed and overall strength. I'm sorry you've got a cold, and hope it doesn't affect your race this weekend too much. for doing your miles even with your cold, and have a great time in Philly. Remember, even if you don't PR in Philly, you've already had one (unexpected) PR!

Jackie: I, too, have a hard time resisting sweets and alcohol in times of stress. Part of changing the behavior is recognizing it, though, and to take one day at a time. Which is what you've been doing.

Cindy: Congratulations on joining the WISH BL challenge, tracking your points, and not eating for 3 hours....I'm sure these things will help you achieve your goals--it's great that they're in sight--and don't beat yourself up to much. Consistency is something we're all working on. Every single day is a new streak! Oh, and congratulations on your LR. 5 weeks and counting...aren't you excited?

Maria: It's great to see you back after a hard weekend. And doing a "Beth." I can so visualize it--and it's also a "Maria," btw. for sometimes feeling you aren't being listened to online--it's an odd communication forum, but I'm sure it's not intentional. I, too, am looking forward to the Disney refurbs and hope to take several trips over the next few years to see the new goodies: the Family Museum, D23 expos and of course DL and WDW. I think you should see if DS's school will let you chaperone a trip to Disney as part of your responsibilities.

Vicky: I'm so sorry to hear about your DF's grandmother. Hugs to you, DF, the family and to her as well. I can understand why you're not comfortable taking your October trip, but I'd be disappointed too. So extra hugs to you. In lighter news, you rock for giving the tough LOVE (emphasis on love) to the family about the buffet. I'm too much of a coward to confront, usually, and that's what's needed sometimes. Great news on being able to see your improvement in your LRs.

As for me: DOOD has promised to take care of the internet-access problem since late August, but it's still not taken care of. But I've learned not to volunteer to take over, nag, or ask too many questions. Even if that something is taking much longer than it should. One of those relationship lessons.

I'm over my cold and getting my eating under control. In a coffee shop now, enjoying a small, skim latte and hating the woman next to me who's eating a slice of pumpkin cheesecake.

I've taken a couple of extra rest/XT days because my leg has moved from discomfort to pain (not while running, but afterwards). This weekend is a cutback week, so I'm hoping the break will take care of things. The upside to this has been getting back on a regular Pilates track.

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hey Lean Meaners! to everyone who has a cold but I think it's awesome that everyone is still working out! Make sure you're getting enough rest and fluids

Debra - I don't like pumpkin food so I probably would have been happy sitting next to that woman Do you still have ankle pain from running? I asked my PT on Monday about it - I still get pain in my left ankle after long runs. Especially when I try taking my shoes off with my feet (I'm just lazy). He said the running might loosen some of the joints/tendons in the ankle and leg area ... but he didn't seem to think it was anything bad because it goes away after a while.

Beth - Hope you're feeling better! WTG for running 6 miles with a cold!! I eat everything on your list, except for watermelon. Mostly because it's a pain to cut open just for a few pieces. And I had no idea about the green beans and weight loss. I'll have to find some way to increase my intake. Right now, I usually cook them in a stir fry with onions, garlic and a little bit of sesame seed oil.

Maria - Yikes on the $200 but at least it encourages parents to get involved in school activities. What does Field Day involve? Will you be a referee/judge for certain track events? I saw the concept art for the Toon Town area - that looks like a serious makeover! I hope they'll keep Mickey's and Minnie's houses. I like the idea of the double Dumbo - I love that ride but hate lining up for it.

Cindy - My reasons for weight loss are pretty much the same as yours - to run faster and to lean out so I look better. I think I missed your post with the 3 hour eating rule. Is it to curb the snacking?

AFM - Thanks for all the good thoughts about DF's grandma. She seems to be doing better the past few days. We think it's because the doctor gave her too many laxatives and she wasn't able to keep anything down. But over the weekend, she got her appetite back and was able to walk around a little. She even managed to kick the nurses out of her room - I couldn't help but smile because it means she's got enough energy to still be her feisty self Anyway, the doctor now thinks she might just have gallstones. Quite a different diagnosis than the one he gave her last week. While I realize that she's quite old, I was a little disappointed (and shocked) most of her caregivers just had an "Well, she's lived a long life... " attitude, rather than questioning what else can be done. I guess that's just me always thinking there's another possibility. Oh and the trip - DF said we should go and we'll come back if necessary. We still have about 2 weeks before we leave... I'm still not sure.

A really interesting book that I'm reading right now is called The End of Overeating. The author looks at the physiological and psychological reasons why we overeat - how sweets trigger release certain chemicals into your brain, how salt, sugar and fat are combined in foods to make them more savoury... there's also a section about the food industry (I'm only 1/3 of the way through). It's a pretty easy read and made me think about why I eat certain foods like dessert after dinner. That's a really big one for me...

Have a great night everyone!

 

[Creativebeth]

Debra: UGH for the internet issue.....by good for you for 'waiting' for the fix. That is something I am not good at. I don't nag, but I would have probably jumped in to get it fixed. I am co-dependent that way. The only time I didn't do it was my car's inspection once (Greg's job) and it was over-due and I was pulled over by the police. I was so upset, I cried. The cop was taken back with that......and then I made Greg CALL him to take responsibility for the over-due inspection (yes, I really did). Greg was really mad, but did it! You know, DOOD is probably expecting you to fix it!!! Hold strong my friend!

Vicky: I am glad grandma is doing better. Hopefully it is something easily fixed! I hear ya with the age thing.....the health care system's are easy to jump to age as a determinate to care. I have seen some really debilitated 50 years old....and very healthy, active 80 year olds! You can't determine anything by age anymore! See, that's what we are doing here! We want to be the active, healthy 80 year old!

AFM: Ok, my cold is bad. My chest already hurts. Nose is running, and my head is pounding. I have a million things to do today....but I am not sure they will get done. Not so sure about my workout either....ugh. I am so glad to have PR'ed in Va beach. If I didn't, I would be really disappointed right now. Might be the first rest day since January!

Beth

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Good Afternoon, Lean Meaners!

I had a great morning -- bounced out of bed and did my workout, felt like I could have run a few more miles, but alas, duty called. I'm going to try to go a little faster tomorrow morning, since I seemed to cruise today.

But now I am so hungry! I even ate a watermelon blow-pop (1 pt)! I have 6 pts left for dinner (who knows what I'll eat, I suspect dh is going to change his mind about cooking fish for dinner) -- and no points for my Kashi dark chocolate coconut bar (2 pts), my evening treat...I may go over a little today. Even though theoretically there are extra weekly points and I can convert exercise points to eating, I try not to do that, but I may have no choice because I am starving!

Beth -- I am so sorry you are feeling so poorly before your race! Do be kind to yourself. TLC. It's going to be ok, but if you need a nap, take it!

Vicky -- For field day the kids do all kinds of activities, most of them are vaguely athletic, but more like picnic games --water balloons, carrying eggs in spoons, etc. I actually signed dh up to do it. I'll be at work and he'll be helping with the kidlets. I ordered the book you mentioned from the library, I'm #143 on the list, so it must be pretty popular!

Debra -- I am itching to go to a D23 expo! After seeing the blogs on allearsnet, it looks like a total blast! How many of those little girls would Cindy like to rent out? We could take them for the magical moments, and she could have them back when they get hungry and tired I really hope your leg starts to feel better. I know you are anxious to feel your best.

Cindy -- Are you enjoying the BL Challenge so far? I like the QOTD, but I admit I like the thread better when it slows down a bit. There are so many people, it's just not possible to keep up. I mean, that's great, but it's harder to be responsive.

Ok, time to finish up. I won't be in the office tomorrow since I have a meeting in Somerville -- a quick subway ride away. I'm still getting up to get my run done, even though I won't need to leave as early as usual. Ooh, that could be more DIS time!

Maria

 

[mandac]

Hi All,

I am new to WISH and I am hoping to get as much encouragement and help as I can out of this group (and hopefully help some people out as well).

I am committing (again) to getting healthy. I just completed my first half marathon - and somehow gained 20 pounds in the process. Suppose I need to watch the eating as well as the exercise. That will be a new thing for me. I have a goal of losing 25 pounds by Christmas (might be too ambitious, but I need to be). If I can do that I will almost have a "normal" BMI.

Hopefully you don't mind if I jump in this group with you. I have read a lot of the thread, and I would love to be a part of what you have!

Manda

 

[Cindylou]

Hi Manda, Welcome. I think most of us here have had the same issue of gaining weight while training for long races. I know I've gained weight in training for each of the 5 marathons I've run. I'm hoping #6 in October will be different.

Maria: where are you today? I thought you had extra Dis time this morning. I haven't checked over on the BL8 thread yet. I had a great weigh-in this morning. I lost 2 lbs this week. I'm sure some of my initial weigh in was bloat from all the junk I had been eating, but still, I'm so happy with that.

Beth: Have a great weekend. Weather here is supposed to be fabulous, I hope you have the same. Hope the cold feels better. Good luck with the race.

Vicky: I also got on the library list for that book you mentioned. #96 for me, so I switched my request to the Large Print Edition #3 for that one. Someone on the Biggest Loser thread mentioned it too. I hope you like it. I am currently reading Food Matters. They had a story about the author in RW this month. I've just started, but generally he's saying, eat less meat, cut down on global warming, increase your health, save money and lose weight too. All sounds good to me. He has 77 recipes in the book so I'm hoping to find some tasty bean, lentil or grain recipes. I'm glad DF's grandma is better. It is so scary when the elderly (or anyone for that matter) doesn't have someone advocating for them when they are sick and vulnerable. I hope she continues to improve. If DF is OK with your trip, I think you should not even worry about it. What's the point in going if you aren't going to have a great time because of all the worry.

Debra: Hope the leg is feeling better. Good job getting back to the pilates. Is DOOD's race this weekend? Just 50K, eh, no big deal. The not eating for 3 hrs between meals/snacks came from Jillian Michaels. Something about regulating the levels of either gherlin or leptin. It has helped me to cut down on the amount I am eating. If I can stick to it on days I do my long runs I think it will help tremendously in keeping within my WW pts.

As I mentioned to Maria I lost 2 lbs this week in the BL challenge. 11.8 lbs till goal now. If I can lose another 3 or 4 before my race I'll be thrilled. I want to make sure I go into my race feeling fueled, so I think I'll aim to lose for the next 2 weeks, then try to maintain until after the race.

My run didn't go very well this morning. I'm not sure if it's this cough or the insomnia I had last night, but I was supposed to run 13.1 miles at 8:30 pace and I ended up with 6.2 at 9:15 pace. Oh well. I finished up and grabbed a quick nap before I had to pick up my girls. I have 2 speed workouts planned next week, so hopefully I can make it up with those.

Have a great weekend everyone.
Cindy

 

[deekaypee]

First, a big ole Lean Meaner welcome and for Manda! Welcome to the Lean Meaners, where we have some of the most supportive and knowledgeable WISHers around. They're truly lifesavers for me.
Great job with your first 1/2 and at DL, too. You're a fast walker! What's your next event?

And it's soooo easy to gain weight during training. I seem to do it every year, every race. Part of it's physical, but then there's the desire to eat the bad stuff. Do I ever want celery and carrots after my LRs? Noooooo, I want muffins and lattes. Very difficult. But we're here for each other, and that helps a lot!

Vicky: Yes, it's my outer ankle up through my calf. (Is that a tendon? I'm so bad with the uninteresting body parts.) Part of it is that I know I didn't properly stretch out after Saturday's LR, but what your PT says makes sense. Sounds icky and makes me feel old, but makes sense.

About your DF's GM. That's good news about an alternative diagnosis! She sounds a little bit like Ruth, DOOD's GM. But, like you, I'd be more than a little displeased about the cavalier attitude toward the elderly. That's not cool, not cool at all. I do hope it's gallstones, and that you feel comfortable going to Disney. PD for you! P.S. I've been meaning to read The End of Overeating....

Beth: You so understand the division of labor dynamic that DOOD and I have got going. Yes, he'd probably love it if I stepped in, but would feel guilty and then get snappish for a few days. Not worth it--above my pay grade. Oh, for the record, he's not usually like this...he's having a really rough semester, this one being the one he applies for promotion and all. It's turned out to be a Dilbert-ish scenario. So I must be patient, and loving, and understanding. (I deserve an Oscar, I tell you!)

As for your cold, oh no! It's moved into your chest. Not good. I hope you're resting, taking lots of fluids, and trying not to focus too much on Philly--at least to the point that you stress out. You're absolutely right to look at your VA Beach race as demonstrating what you can do! I do hope you're feeling much, much better today.

Maria: What a great day, when you feel like you can run more miles. (I seem to vaguely recall those...) It must be very difficult to balance those points for eating with the points for exercise. I'm the type of person who just exercises more to justify my overeating, so that would be a bad combo, I think. (Or combine them, like the egg/spoon carrying contest. ) I'm just impressed that you're able to bank those exercise points--if I understand how that works.

Say, do you think Dennis would enjoy D23? I can see him distinguishing between that and the Disney parks. Then again, maybe not. For me, D23 or ComicCon. Either one. Oh, speaking of Dennis, tell him I'm "inheriting" one of Ruth's (DOOD's late GM) bowling shirts. My MIL remembered that I wear them and pulled it out of the Goodwill bag. (Her thoughtfulness almost--wait for it--bowled me over. )

As for me: Just short updates. I did my first of my b2b LRs today. It's a 3/6 weekend (cutback) but I inverted them because of DOOD's ultra tomorrow. It's 1 1/2 hours away, in Youngstown, so we'll leave tonight and spend it in a hotel, then drive back Saturday night. I plan on doing the 3 miles either during his first leg of the race or when he's showered and napping, whatever seems doable. He friend, with whom he's supposedly running, is now talking about dropping out at the 25K mark. (There's a 25K race, too.) And this guy was the "Oh, I've done ultras before, no big deal, come on and let's train together but I can't train on Saturdays" talker. The less said about it the better.

Anyway, my 6 miles were haaaaaarrrrrrd, harder than last week's 10.5. I'd substituted XT for my midweek runs to give my ankle a rest. That worked, but today's run was one slog after another. I was almost 30 seconds slower than normal, and felt out of breath for most of it. I got 'er done, but it wasn't pretty, and am glad I only have 3 tomorrow. Ugh.

And big, momentous news? I'm officially breaking up with Diet Coke. Our love affair is over, for good this time. I'd cut it out, cold turkey, two weekend ago but didn't say anything because you know how I backslide on such promises. I'm so taken in by its sweet, fizzy whispers. But I was successful until DOOD did the grocery shopping and bought me one Wednesday. (He didn't know I'd quit.) So, of course I drank it and my stomach was almost immediately upset. That night I couldn't get to sleep and I was lethargic the whole day. (I'd also moved to decaffeinatd coffee.) So that's it folks. My body told me in no uncertain terms that I should just stop doing that to myself. And this time I'm listening.

 

[Creativebeth]

Debra: The hard runs builds our character.....at least that is what I tell myself..... Those hard ones are hard to understand. They aren't always the long ones too.....who knows? Hence the character building!

Sorry to hear about your ankle....does sound tendon related. I hope it improves. PD to you!

Your relationship with DOOD sounds like here.....but your more tolerant of it! I am impatient most of the time.

Welcome to Manda! Hope you like it here! We all have gained weight during training....I am just taking off the 25-30 pounds I gained in 2007 for my marathon. We know of what you speak!

Cindy: WOO HOO for the weight loss! Good job. Makes it seem possible, doesn't it? Those last few pounds don't have a chance!!!!

AFM: I am off to Philly in a few minutes....with running nose and hopefully running feet! I got 5.5 miles in yesterday (((((blowing my nose the whole time))))) and only got 4.5 in today. I felt beat down, so I cut it short.

Fluids have been tea and diet coke today (((((sorry Debra!))))) so I must take a water bottle for the ride!

Beth

 

[bunnyfoo]

Happy Friday Lean Meaners! Another work week comes to an end - Is it almost October?! Yikes! Where does the time go?

Beth - for your cold! Hope you get better in time for your race!

Maria - Field day sounds like fun I laughed when I read you signed up DH! It sounds like stuff my mom use to do, except my dad was really awkward with kids. Btw, what's a blow pop?

Manda - Welcome and congrats on your first half marathon! I gained weight the first race I trained for too. I try to take a break in between races and use that time to cross train and lose weight. I find it really difficult to lose when I'm training because I just want to eat everything!!

Cindy - Congrats on your 2 pound loss!! I placed a hold for The End of Overeating a couple of months ago after I heard an interview with the author on the radio. I think I was #130. Sorry to hear about your run this morning. Just curious - do you run the entire distance or do r/w intervals? Right now I can only do run distances up to 6 miles but anything longer and I have to do r/w. Btw, I'd love to be able to run 9:15 (or 8:30) for an entire 1/2

Debra - A couple of weeks ago when you posted about Ruth, I remember thinking how much it sounded like DF's grandma. We're planning to have a family dinner this weekend so hopefully she'll be up for that. I'm always asking doctors a million questions - why, why, why?? I'm sure they love me Good luck to DOOD this weekend! I hope you guys have a great trip/race!!

AFM - I lost 1.1 lbs this week! Kind of surprising since it's my TOM but I'll take it. I just have to be careful how much I eat at our family dinner this weekend. I have a feeling that I might just gain it all back Monday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[Cindylou]

Debra: Looks like we posted at the same time earlier today. Good for you on your break up with Diet Coke, you are better off without it, it was never good enough for you, you'll find something better. Sorry the 6 was so hard. One of those things.

Beth: Feel better. Hope you run faster than your nose.

Vicky: Great job on the 1.1 lbs. Happy Friday.

Cindy

 

[Cindylou]

Good Morning Everyone. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Beth, how did your race go? I did not have a good eating weekend. I hope to get back to it today. I'm still fighting this cold. I hope it doesn't linger too long.

Have a great day everyone.
Cindy

 

[Creativebeth]

Good morning Meaners! I am back!

The weekend was really nice.....the weather was perfect! I couldn't wish for better weather. We spent Saturday touring Philly with the local churches, Ben Franklin's burial site, and Independence Hall. We also got the Mutter museum in, which is medial oddities (I LOVED it!). We ended up eating at the hotel (for free!) and went to Dave and Buster's for gaming!

The cold had me down, and Sunday was no better. I ran with my friend (my fast friend, who was taking it easy running with me) and she really helped me focus on the race instead of how bad I felt. She was so positive and inspirational, I decided to PR again! I shaved another 4 minutes off my time, with a chip time of 2:18:30!!!!! I never thought I would be able to get there, but there it is! It was a tough race, and it wasn't comfortable at all but how can it? Shaving a total of 6 minutes off my original PR 4 years ago at the same race! I am totally happy with that!

On the flip side, I am SORE! Way more sore than I have been in a long time. My right leg is suffering right now the worst, but I still may take a walk later to stretch out.

Thanks for the support for all of you. And, my feet did run faster than my nose!

Beth

 

[Cindylou]

Beth: Congratulations. That is amazing to have such a fast time when you were not feeling well. Goes to show how much of this is mental. You are such a strong woman. Great job!! Treat yourself this week. Lots of pampering for you. Hope the legs feel better soon.

Cindy

 

[deekaypee]

Cindy: Yes, we missed each other's posts! But that's because we were crafting such thoughtful missives. Anyway, I knew I remember the not eating for 3 hours came from something I read recently--just didn't remember where. I find a lot of the advice overlaps, but that hearing it again and again is good for me. Comforting, too, kwim? Food Matters. Is that Mark Bittman? I read his articles occasionally and love it! (Very good vegetarian recipes, btw.)

Anyway, congratulations on the weight loss! And on doing your run, despite suffering from both a cold and insomnia. I hope you've conquered the cold by now, at least mostly! And I have the same question about your running or rw intervals as Vicky. I do a RW with varying intervals, depending on distance. (And heat, TM vs. pavement, etc., but that's just lame.)

Beth: Oh, diet Coke likes you better than me anyway. It gives you energy. Diet Coke just saps me of the will to live. And a big, Big, BIG, BIG woo hoo for your second 1/2 and second PR! And with a cold Congratulations! And shaving off 4 minutes! What great news, and I'm so glad you were able to do so. I'm so glad your friend was there to run it with you and help you by being your inspirational buddy. She gets an honorary from me. You've earned every lost pound, every shaved second. I can only hope to follow in your footsteps on my own journey. Thank you for being one of my guideposts!

Vicky: I was reading an exercise mag while in the gym today and saw it promote the wood chopper. Of course the first thing I thought of was you. I looked for the Spiderman exercise, but it was missing. I'm SO happy you're acting as an advocate for DF's GM. Someone needs to take that role and I can see you really excelling at it. The doctors need someone to ask the hard questions. Or any questions at all (I'm bad with that). Congrats with your 1.1 lb. weight loss! Nice and consistent you are!


As for me, Lean Meaner post:
I overate/drank to celebrate DOOD's ultra. (Why I needed to celebrate his victory? ) But NO soda! And I'm back on track as of today. I weigh in tomorrow and have put the grease board back up to record my numbers "publicly." I've been avoiding the scale because it doesn't like me. But no more excuses, right? I'm embarrassed that I seem to be moving in the opposite direction from so many of you. You're losing and I'm gaining. Are you sure you're not sending me your poundage? Thanks, but no thanks! I have enough baggage of my own.

On the good front, I didn't let DOOD's ultra interfere with my training plan or WOs. I did my run during his first leg, some stretches while I was spectating, and a little bit of quick "running"/walking from viewing point to viewing point. And I also got in all my regular XT, too!

Cross-Posted Stuff!

As for me: Okay, so I finished my b2bs this weekend with no pain. Of course, it was just a 6/3 b2b, but I'll take pain-free any day. I'm really working on the stretching to avoid further injury, but I get so lazy about my cool downs. Somebody should kick some sense into me. I also did some XT and weight training this weekend, despite being out of town and away from my beloved gym, so I'm feeling in a groove for the beginning of the week. Yay! We'll see how that holds up with this upcoming weekend's 7/14 b2b.

Oh, and in a totally budget-cool moment for me. I was shopping in TJ Maxx today and found a pair of my NB 1224s on sale for $40. Can you believe it? Of course I snatched them up! Now I have 4 pairs. A bit excessive, maybe, but my oldest pair will be finished by the end of October and how can I resist the bargain?

Mini-Ultra Report for DOOD
In the bigger news, for DOOD (yes, pronounced Dude), who's also doing the Dopey with me. Or at least on the same days.... He finished his first 50K ultra. Woo hoo. That's the good news.

The bad news is, there was some "slight" misrepresentation of the event. It was billed as a pavement and trail race that was friendly to both beginners and experienced ultramarathoners. Apparently, what they mean by pavement and trail was a 10% pavement/90% split. And what was friendly about the race? Well, the finishing time was 8 hours, and all the organizers and participants were very friendly....

The trails weren't really running trails--more like gullies, small ravines, paths overgrown and filled with roots, and monkey hills. Nothing like our local trails. And hills, lots and lots of steep hills everywhere. We knew something was up when a lot of the racers were wearing vertical running shirts. And the RDs give out an annual award to the "runner most injured on the course"--this year, a 25K participant broke a bone in his arm. Needless to say, this was NOT the race DOOD thought he'd signed up for, and he hadn't trained for this kind of trail/running challenge. Nor had he brought his trail running shoes...

So when I didn't see him or his friend hit the 25K point until 3:30, I knew he wasn't going to make his goal time of 5 1/2 hours. t was no surprise when the fastest time for the 50K--a course record--was 4:02. I'd done a little of the trails for my run while I was spectating, and I can't believe anyone could do 50K on that course that fast. Wowsa!

Back to the good news...DOOD finished the race in 6:52:57 (and his friend in 7:23:28, as they parted ways in the last 6 miles of the course). His Garmin said his pace ranged from 4.5 mph to 8.0 mph. He wasn't as tired afterwards as he was after his training LSD, although his quads, abductors, and arms hurt. And his "dogs were barking," according to him and his feet were the only part that needed icing.

Anyway, I'm so very proud of him for toughing out a race that was entirely different from what he planned for or trained for. He had a great time, IMO, and even managed to enjoy the experience. (That said, he's not signing up for another one soon.) And to put things all into perspective...he finished 50K ultra trail run/hike/climb in less time than it took me to finish last year's marathon. Now I think I hate him.