I woke up this morning feeling really sore from the past couple of workouts. Using the weighted gloves for Turbo Jam is absolutely killer on my arms, and after doing it two days in a row, I was feeling kinda destroyed. At least my arms are gonna look great! Anyway, I decided to skip the cardio party and go to the gym instead to give running another try.
I wasn't feeling terribly enthusiastic about it, considering the fact that my last run was horrible and I almost threw up everywhere. I wasn't ready to give up altogether, but I went into today's workout without high expectations. I figured as long as I could see improvement, even just a little, I'd be happy.
The last time I posted about running, my sister Hannah and my friend Liz offered a couple of tips that could possibly help me not feel so miserable, and I wanted to try them out today. First tip: set a slower pace. Hannah said to try setting the treadmill to the point just after I'm forced into a run. That point happened to be a lot slower than where I had tried to set it last time, and to my surprise (and extreme pleasure) it helped. A lot. I could actually breathe and keep up my running for a good amount of time. I wasn't wheezing or gasping for breath, which was a pleasant change. Second tip: do a manageable amount. Liz told me that people who are just starting out running sometimes try to do too much and end up dreading it the next day. For me, I think I was trying to go way too fast and too far on that first run. I dialed it back a bit today and saw major improvement. (Thanks, guys! You have no idea how much I appreciate your advice and support!)
And the final thing that helped me on my run today? I stopped watching the time and instead started watching the distance. I was still alternating running and walking, but this time I was switching after every 1/4 mile. Not watching the seconds count down really helped me mentally because I knew I'd be in it for a few minutes, so I might as well just relax and breathe.
I ran/walked 2.25 miles today. It took me half an hour. By the time I was finishing my cool-down walk, I was grinning from ear to ear. I had actually enjoyed my run, and with that thought came my breakthrough moment. Today, I realized I can do anything.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
TMI...? I'll Share Anyway!
Since yesterday's workout during nap time went so well, I was hoping to do the same thing this afternoon. I was so excited because everything was falling into place. Tori had eaten lunch and was hanging out while I finished feeding Calista her bottle, and the timing was going to be perfect for both kids to go to bed at the same time. Then a thunderstorm rolled through and knocked out the power. Luckily, neither one of my kids started freaking out about it. Tori thought the thunder was exciting ("it's 'citing, Mama!"), and we opened up the front door so we could watch the downpour. It rarely rains here, and I actually can't remember the last time Tori saw rain. She was thrilled. I was happy about it too because New Mexico is in a really terrible drought, and half the state is on fire right now. We need the rain! But even while I was celebrating the weather, I was also wondering when the power was coming back. It didn't turn back on until much later in the afternoon, and by then my window of opportunity had closed. I had to wait until after dinner to work out. No big loss, though. I got to spend some quality quiet time with the kids...no TV, no computer, no distractions. It was pretty nice.
(Me and Calista hanging out during the thunderstorm)
(Tori's look for the day)
Anyway...on to the part about my workout. (Disclaimer: this may be an overshare. Ok, it's definitely an overshare. Gonna do it anyway.)
I did Turbo Jam's cardio party again today. I love this workout! It's so much fun! I have it pretty much memorized, so I can turn Chalene (the trainer) down and turn the music up. Then I just rock out for an hour. I can't tell you how excited I am to start Turbo Fire next week. I've heard it's just like Turbo Jam, but more intense and with better music. Sounds like my soulmate workout to me!
So there I was, jamming to cardio party, when all of a sudden I got hit with a gas attack. I don't know what it is about squats and kicking combined with dancing, but it really brings out the worst in me. These weren't just delicate lady-like toots. They were a full-on symphony, and I couldn't stop. The farts kept on a-comin'. Finally I was laughing too hard to keep working out. I paused the DVD and collapsed next to Jon, who was staring at me like I had gone insane.
Between gasps of laughter, I tried to explain what I thought was so funny. Obviously non-stop farting was the main part, but that's not all. See, when I'm on the treadmill at the gym, I have my headphones in and my music turned way up. And there have been several times (maybe slightly more than several) that I've just let some farts fly, thinking that they were silent. After tonight, I'm not so sure that my gym farts were silent. I'm afraid they might have been as loud - or louder - than what was happening at home. So the thought of me busting ass right next to someone and carrying on like nothing had happened was too much for me to handle...I almost passed out from laughing too hard. It IS a lesson, though. I should probably hold 'em in at the gym from now on.
And now that everyone is probably either laughing or totally disgusted with me (or both), I should wrap up this post and go take a shower. Before I go, I'll share my inspiration for the day.
If you're going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. - Marie Osmond
Ain't that the truth! Oh, and in case you're wondering, I was able to finish my workout tonight.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
A Life Lesson Learned
So...today I had big plans for my workout. I was going to do some Turbo Jam (the cardio party workout, for anyone who's familiar with the program), and then I was going to run at the gym. My thinking was that I would do a lot better at the gym if I knew my whole cardio workout for the day didn't depend solely on whether I ran enough or not. I could slow down and walk if I needed to, and I was hoping that would help me not feel so sick and wheezy.
But, as often happens, my schedule changed. Jon got called into work for a road trip to fix a plane in Arizona, and I had to rush through my to-do list as quickly as possible so he could take the car. He said I could've had the car at home, but it didn't matter because going to the gym was still out of the question. Tori can go to the child care center, but Calista is still too young. (She has to be at least 10 months to be able to go.) So I was going to have to stay home with the kids anyway.
As much as I appreciate how hard Jon works to support us (really, really appreciate it), and he always gives me the option to say no to a road trip (so it was my choice that he went to work), I was still a little grumpy because gym time is pretty much the only time I have to myself. Even though Tori comes with me, it's not like I have to watch her for the hour that I'm there. I get to focus just on myself, and it's fantastic, even when I'm working hard and sweating everywhere. (Or maybe it's fantastic because I'm working hard and sweating everywhere. Either way.) I feel like I haven't had much time to myself in weeks. We've been traveling a lot, and last week when I took the kids down to my parents' house, I didn't get a break at all. I kind of felt like screaming and tearing my hair out by the time we got back home. I had been planning a trip to Minnesota next week to visit some of my friends, and I was really looking forward to the time away. But the challenge group opportunity presented itself to me, and I couldn't afford to do that and the vacation, so I chose the challenge group.
I know it's the right decision because I'm going to be SO happy when I see how far I've come over the next 90 days. In the short term, though...it's sometimes hard to be stuck at home with two crazy kids (whom I love to death) without any kind of away time. That's why going to the gym for an hour every day (or even every other day) is great. Today I was moping around thinking to myself, "Great. Now what am I going to do? Work out during nap time? Yeah right." The thing about nap time is that the kids usually don't sleep at the same time. I put Calista down for a nap, and Tori's awake. I get Tori to sleep, and Calista wakes up. Every. Single. Day. I think sometimes they're conspiring against me. Anyway, if I don't get to work out during nap time, I have to do it after bed time. And once again, if Tori's in bed, Calista is awake and needs a bottle. So we're talking 9-10pm or later for working out, by which time I'm exhausted and have very little motivation to get it done.
I was grumping around the house during lunchtime, just thinking about how difficult it was going to be to find time to do Turbo Jam without being interrupted. I shouldn't have been so pessimistic. Both my kids went to sleep around the same time, which is so rare I almost keeled over in shock when it happened. But instead of collapsing in a dead faint, I threw in the Turbo Jam dvd, put on my weighted gloves, and totally kicked some cardio party ass. It was extreme. I don't know if I've ever thrown myself into that workout so much. I felt great when it was done. My bad mood was gone, and I was walking around the house all pumped up and enthusiastic (and soaked in sweat). I learned a valuable lesson: DON'T ASSUME BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN. I'm not a psychic, so I shouldn't make assumptions about the future. I'm going to try to focus on having a positive attitude, even when things don't go as planned.
(I know these pictures are a little blurry, but my arms were shaking everywhere from the workout. It's proof that today was kick-ass.)
Inspiration for today: "Doing anything is better than doing nothing." - me (and probably a bunch of other people...it seems like common sense)
But, as often happens, my schedule changed. Jon got called into work for a road trip to fix a plane in Arizona, and I had to rush through my to-do list as quickly as possible so he could take the car. He said I could've had the car at home, but it didn't matter because going to the gym was still out of the question. Tori can go to the child care center, but Calista is still too young. (She has to be at least 10 months to be able to go.) So I was going to have to stay home with the kids anyway.
As much as I appreciate how hard Jon works to support us (really, really appreciate it), and he always gives me the option to say no to a road trip (so it was my choice that he went to work), I was still a little grumpy because gym time is pretty much the only time I have to myself. Even though Tori comes with me, it's not like I have to watch her for the hour that I'm there. I get to focus just on myself, and it's fantastic, even when I'm working hard and sweating everywhere. (Or maybe it's fantastic because I'm working hard and sweating everywhere. Either way.) I feel like I haven't had much time to myself in weeks. We've been traveling a lot, and last week when I took the kids down to my parents' house, I didn't get a break at all. I kind of felt like screaming and tearing my hair out by the time we got back home. I had been planning a trip to Minnesota next week to visit some of my friends, and I was really looking forward to the time away. But the challenge group opportunity presented itself to me, and I couldn't afford to do that and the vacation, so I chose the challenge group.
I know it's the right decision because I'm going to be SO happy when I see how far I've come over the next 90 days. In the short term, though...it's sometimes hard to be stuck at home with two crazy kids (whom I love to death) without any kind of away time. That's why going to the gym for an hour every day (or even every other day) is great. Today I was moping around thinking to myself, "Great. Now what am I going to do? Work out during nap time? Yeah right." The thing about nap time is that the kids usually don't sleep at the same time. I put Calista down for a nap, and Tori's awake. I get Tori to sleep, and Calista wakes up. Every. Single. Day. I think sometimes they're conspiring against me. Anyway, if I don't get to work out during nap time, I have to do it after bed time. And once again, if Tori's in bed, Calista is awake and needs a bottle. So we're talking 9-10pm or later for working out, by which time I'm exhausted and have very little motivation to get it done.
I was grumping around the house during lunchtime, just thinking about how difficult it was going to be to find time to do Turbo Jam without being interrupted. I shouldn't have been so pessimistic. Both my kids went to sleep around the same time, which is so rare I almost keeled over in shock when it happened. But instead of collapsing in a dead faint, I threw in the Turbo Jam dvd, put on my weighted gloves, and totally kicked some cardio party ass. It was extreme. I don't know if I've ever thrown myself into that workout so much. I felt great when it was done. My bad mood was gone, and I was walking around the house all pumped up and enthusiastic (and soaked in sweat). I learned a valuable lesson: DON'T ASSUME BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN. I'm not a psychic, so I shouldn't make assumptions about the future. I'm going to try to focus on having a positive attitude, even when things don't go as planned.
(I know these pictures are a little blurry, but my arms were shaking everywhere from the workout. It's proof that today was kick-ass.)
Inspiration for today: "Doing anything is better than doing nothing." - me (and probably a bunch of other people...it seems like common sense)
Monday, June 25, 2012
Running: My Love/Hate Relationship
Today is Monday, which means that my challenge starts a week from now. I decided to weigh myself and take my measurements to see what I'll be starting with next week. It was pretty rough. In the last two weeks of sitting around and not watching what I eat, I regained 3 lbs and about an inch everywhere. I had worked so hard for a month and a half to lose those pounds and inches, and here they are again. But instead of getting discouraged, I let it motivate me. I ended up going to the gym to work out for the first time in two weeks.
Before today, my workouts at the gym were basically just walking on the treadmill at a super slow pace. I was still recovering from my c-section and wasn't really allowed to do much more than that or I'd risk hurting myself. Since I've been cleared by my doctor, I figured I should probably stop holding back and decided to go for a run. Well, I haven't been running in over three years, and I've always sucked at it. Like, really badly sucked at it. And since I'm such a terrible runner, I've never really enjoyed it. One of my long-term goals is to change all that. I want to enjoy running - or at least not totally hate it - and I want to be able to maintain a decent pace without gasping for air.
So, keeping all that in mind, I started my run today with a positive attitude. I was doing intervals of 90 seconds running/90 seconds walking, and it was going fine for a little bit. Then came the huffing and puffing that I know and love. (Well, the "know" part anyway.) Sweat was pouring into my eyes and my glasses were barely hanging onto the edge of my nose. I kept pushing them up, but what's the point of that when they just slide down again? I need to get contacts. Anyway, I was breathing hard and sweating everywhere, but I wanted to keep pushing myself because my new mindset is to not give up when things get hard.
The real problem came about 15 minutes into my workout. I was trying to do the run/walk for at least 25 minutes, but I had to stop because I started to feel like I was going to throw up. I know on the Biggest Loser they're all about just puking and continuing on, but I'm pretty sure that's not socially acceptable in a normal gym. No one wants to see my oatmeal and bananas cycling through the treadmill belt. I slowed way down, put the treadmill at an incline to try to save some of my workout, and focused on controlling my breathing, but my body was already pissed at me. I made it to the 25 minute mark, but by then I was at a slow walk and no more incline. I did manage to do 1.6 miles total, which is somewhat respectable considering how I felt.
I came home with mixed emotions. I know I did the best I could, so I'm proud of myself for that. But I know I need a lot of improvement (and I mean a lot) to reach my goal of being a decent runner, so in that aspect I felt a little bummed. I know this stuff doesn't happen overnight, so I'm going to keep at it and see what happens. I'm going to try to run at least 3 times a week, in addition to my other workouts. I'm hoping to see some improvement each time.
One more thing before I wrap up this post for the day. I think I'm going to go ahead and post my weekly measurements here for everyone to read. These first weeks are going to be embarrassing (believe me, it was a hard decision to put it all out here) but I know that I'll feel more accountable if everyone else knows whether I'm losing weight/inches or not. So here goes. *deep breath*
Weight: 201 lbs. (I would love to start my challenge next week with my weight being under 200 lbs. I'm making that my goal for this week.)
Waist: 39 in.
(I'm taking measurements of my chest, hips, arms, and thighs as well but I don't think they're as exciting to share.)
Ok, now it's officially out there. I'm blushing pretty hard just thinking about people knowing this stuff, but you what? One of my major goals is to not be ashamed of my weight anymore. So it's going to be awesome in the future when I can proudly post my achievements here for everyone to read, instead of worrying about whether people are going to judge me for how much I weigh now.
(Me after my run)
Oh! One more thing and then I'll end this for real. I'm going to post stuff that inspires me on each blog entry in the hopes that maybe it will inspire someone else, too. So here's my inspiration for today:
"Man in the Mirror", from the movie Joyful Noise
I love love love this! Enjoy! (And now I really am done.)
Before today, my workouts at the gym were basically just walking on the treadmill at a super slow pace. I was still recovering from my c-section and wasn't really allowed to do much more than that or I'd risk hurting myself. Since I've been cleared by my doctor, I figured I should probably stop holding back and decided to go for a run. Well, I haven't been running in over three years, and I've always sucked at it. Like, really badly sucked at it. And since I'm such a terrible runner, I've never really enjoyed it. One of my long-term goals is to change all that. I want to enjoy running - or at least not totally hate it - and I want to be able to maintain a decent pace without gasping for air.
So, keeping all that in mind, I started my run today with a positive attitude. I was doing intervals of 90 seconds running/90 seconds walking, and it was going fine for a little bit. Then came the huffing and puffing that I know and love. (Well, the "know" part anyway.) Sweat was pouring into my eyes and my glasses were barely hanging onto the edge of my nose. I kept pushing them up, but what's the point of that when they just slide down again? I need to get contacts. Anyway, I was breathing hard and sweating everywhere, but I wanted to keep pushing myself because my new mindset is to not give up when things get hard.
The real problem came about 15 minutes into my workout. I was trying to do the run/walk for at least 25 minutes, but I had to stop because I started to feel like I was going to throw up. I know on the Biggest Loser they're all about just puking and continuing on, but I'm pretty sure that's not socially acceptable in a normal gym. No one wants to see my oatmeal and bananas cycling through the treadmill belt. I slowed way down, put the treadmill at an incline to try to save some of my workout, and focused on controlling my breathing, but my body was already pissed at me. I made it to the 25 minute mark, but by then I was at a slow walk and no more incline. I did manage to do 1.6 miles total, which is somewhat respectable considering how I felt.
I came home with mixed emotions. I know I did the best I could, so I'm proud of myself for that. But I know I need a lot of improvement (and I mean a lot) to reach my goal of being a decent runner, so in that aspect I felt a little bummed. I know this stuff doesn't happen overnight, so I'm going to keep at it and see what happens. I'm going to try to run at least 3 times a week, in addition to my other workouts. I'm hoping to see some improvement each time.
One more thing before I wrap up this post for the day. I think I'm going to go ahead and post my weekly measurements here for everyone to read. These first weeks are going to be embarrassing (believe me, it was a hard decision to put it all out here) but I know that I'll feel more accountable if everyone else knows whether I'm losing weight/inches or not. So here goes. *deep breath*
Weight: 201 lbs. (I would love to start my challenge next week with my weight being under 200 lbs. I'm making that my goal for this week.)
Waist: 39 in.
(I'm taking measurements of my chest, hips, arms, and thighs as well but I don't think they're as exciting to share.)
Ok, now it's officially out there. I'm blushing pretty hard just thinking about people knowing this stuff, but you what? One of my major goals is to not be ashamed of my weight anymore. So it's going to be awesome in the future when I can proudly post my achievements here for everyone to read, instead of worrying about whether people are going to judge me for how much I weigh now.
Oh! One more thing and then I'll end this for real. I'm going to post stuff that inspires me on each blog entry in the hopes that maybe it will inspire someone else, too. So here's my inspiration for today:
"Man in the Mirror", from the movie Joyful Noise
I love love love this! Enjoy! (And now I really am done.)
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Day two of the rest of my life
The title of this post sounds super dramatic..."day two of the rest of my life"...yeah, definitely dramatic. But I feel dramatic, so I think it works.
The last week has been insane. I got home from spending a week at my parents' house with my kids. (Which was no picnic...try driving six hours each way with a 2-year old and a 2-month old. It's chaos.) I felt pretty discouraged. I had been working out and eating super healthy for the past month and a half, and I lost 8 lbs and was feeling excellent. Then I went on this trip and just sat around the whole time. I gained some of the weight back AND lost my motivation to get into my workouts again. Story of my life...start, stop, start, really stop, lose track, get discouraged, and give up, all the while feeling like a failure. Nice, right? Well, I'm done doing things that way. It isn't working. I have so many goals I want to accomplish, and they aren't going to be reached by chilling in my recliner watching the entire series of Dawson's Creek. (I don't even like Dawson's Creek. It's just there.)
Normally I would wallow in self-pity for a while before indulging in some pizza and ice cream, but something has changed. This isn't like every other time I've stopped in my weight loss journey. Something is telling me to try again because this time I can actually do it. So two days ago, I ordered my TurboFire/Shakeology challenge pack from the Beachbody website. I've tried a few different Beachbody workouts, and I liked them all (with the exception of the Yoga Booty Ballet - Baby on the Way...that one was really lame). I just never had the drive to finish any of them. I think TurboFire is going to be different, partly because I joined a challenge group that has daily accountability for workouts and nutrition. If I have motivation and encouragement every step of the way, maybe I won't feel so easily discouraged.
But since even the challenge group might not be enough to keep me going, I also became a Beachbody coach. If I have people looking to me for inspiration, I think I'll be able to stay completely focused. Plus I think I'll be an awesome coach. I mean, I'm living the nightmare of being overweight and uncomfortable, and soon I hope to be living the dream of being fit and healthy...I can totally understand where other people are coming from. At this point I don't have anyone to coach, but it'll happen, and when it does, I'll totally kick ass at it.
I became a coach and fully embraced a healthy lifestyle yesterday. That's why today is "day two" of the rest of my life, instead of "day one". I'm going to be writing this blog to keep track of my progress and goals. I know this isn't going to be easy, but hey, if getting fit was easy, everyone would have a six-pack.
The last week has been insane. I got home from spending a week at my parents' house with my kids. (Which was no picnic...try driving six hours each way with a 2-year old and a 2-month old. It's chaos.) I felt pretty discouraged. I had been working out and eating super healthy for the past month and a half, and I lost 8 lbs and was feeling excellent. Then I went on this trip and just sat around the whole time. I gained some of the weight back AND lost my motivation to get into my workouts again. Story of my life...start, stop, start, really stop, lose track, get discouraged, and give up, all the while feeling like a failure. Nice, right? Well, I'm done doing things that way. It isn't working. I have so many goals I want to accomplish, and they aren't going to be reached by chilling in my recliner watching the entire series of Dawson's Creek. (I don't even like Dawson's Creek. It's just there.)
Normally I would wallow in self-pity for a while before indulging in some pizza and ice cream, but something has changed. This isn't like every other time I've stopped in my weight loss journey. Something is telling me to try again because this time I can actually do it. So two days ago, I ordered my TurboFire/Shakeology challenge pack from the Beachbody website. I've tried a few different Beachbody workouts, and I liked them all (with the exception of the Yoga Booty Ballet - Baby on the Way...that one was really lame). I just never had the drive to finish any of them. I think TurboFire is going to be different, partly because I joined a challenge group that has daily accountability for workouts and nutrition. If I have motivation and encouragement every step of the way, maybe I won't feel so easily discouraged.
But since even the challenge group might not be enough to keep me going, I also became a Beachbody coach. If I have people looking to me for inspiration, I think I'll be able to stay completely focused. Plus I think I'll be an awesome coach. I mean, I'm living the nightmare of being overweight and uncomfortable, and soon I hope to be living the dream of being fit and healthy...I can totally understand where other people are coming from. At this point I don't have anyone to coach, but it'll happen, and when it does, I'll totally kick ass at it.
I became a coach and fully embraced a healthy lifestyle yesterday. That's why today is "day two" of the rest of my life, instead of "day one". I'm going to be writing this blog to keep track of my progress and goals. I know this isn't going to be easy, but hey, if getting fit was easy, everyone would have a six-pack.
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