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Monday, July 18, 2011

Workout Recap: July 11-17

Monday: imposed rest day and much needed
Tuesday: Ripped in 30 #2
Wednesday: Elliptical for 30 min
Thurdsay: Run with Jennifer - YEAH!  John is back so I get to run in the morning again
      4.32 miles, 40:02, 9:16/mile
Friday: Run wiht Jennifer.  6.01 miles, 54:22, 9:03/mile
Saturday: Walked Sea World for about 6 hours
Sunday: Rest Day

Plan for the upcoming week:
Monday: Run
Tuesday: Run
Wednesday: sit in a car for about 14 hours
Thursday: same as Wednesday
Friday: Run
Saturday:
Sunday: Run - long run

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Book Review: Born to Run

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seeby Christopher McDougall

Amazon Book Description: Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.
With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run. 

This was a great book, I really enjoyed it.  I had never heard of it but picked it up last winter.  I enjoyed the authors point of view, liked the characters and the story line.  It was inspirational!  I was not necessarily inspired to run barefoot, but inspired to run for the love of running.  Its not about the shoes, the socks, the iPods - its about running because it feels good.

Fuel Belts?

 I'm thinking about getting a fuel belt.  ~Sigh~  I think they look pretty silly but I'm also tired of carrying my water bottle.  We have lots of long runs ahead and carrying water is no fun. 

Monday, July 11, 2011

Secrets of Success: Simple Mom Style

Read a great article on Simple Mom today that lead to another and another as I clicked through the links.  I'm feeling a little burnt out at work lately and am preparing for a much needed vacation.  When I am feeling burnt out the number one problem is motivation.

Secrets of Success: is pointed to Stay-at-Home-Working-Moms and her advice is to "Get it done early".  Simple enough and you can read the whole article.  What I liked best was this piece:
The ironic part of this for those of us who are naturally procrastinators is that while the pressure of deadlines provides incentive to get things done, the freedom that comes from getting things done early is an entirely different type of motivation that can make work fun again.
Mandi also makes the suggestion of adding margin into your day.  I am great about planning my day, but I almost never give myself enough time to realistically get tasks done and don't leave time for going to the bathroom, answering urgent emails, eating lunch.  

Eat the Frog:  This article is based on a book called Eat That Frog.  If you eat a frog first thing in the morning, the worst is behind you.  I like this idea.  I often have things I need to get done, but delay doing them if they take "too long".  If I just did them right away and got it over with I would feel better for accomplishing something and relieved to have it out of the way.

Tools: Tsh posted her favorite tools and downloads on Simple Mom.  Check them out, there is something for everyone!

SimpleMom.net

Best Snack!

Omigod, these are awesome. Recommended by one of the 24 Hour Fitness trainers as a way to get a healthy chocolate fix. Yum-o!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Workout Recap

Recap:

Monday: Ripped in 30 #1
Tuesday: Ripped in 30 #2
Wednesday: Run 4.25miles, 40:14min, 9:28/mile avg
Thursday: Evening Spin class at the gym
Friday: Run 5.00 miles, 46:08, 9:14/mile avg
Saturday: Morning Spin class
Sunday: Run on treadmill 6.44 miles, 60:00, 9:22/mile avg

I did not get a rest day this week so that will be first thing next week.  While I have the gym membership I really want to take advantage of it and the few chances I had to run outside this week I really wanted to get out there.  Sunday was scheduled to be a long run day but I didn't want to over do it.  Frankly by Sunday afternoon if I didn't leave this house and get away from the kids for a couple hours I was going to turn to the bottle.

Next weeks plan: John is back this week and we are planning some family activities for the weekend.  I'm not sure how much I can do this week but this is my goal -

Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: Ripped in 30 or Spin Class
Wednesday: Ripped in 30 #2
Thursday: Run (Pace Workout)
Friday: Run (6-7 miles, 9:21/mile)
Saturday: Walk day
Sunday:   Rest Day

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

My Fitness Pal App Review

Link to the mobile apps here 
Web version here

 I found this app through my iPhone while searching for calorie counters.  The phone app is pretty useful and lets me easily track calories without having to use my computer or write things down the old fashioned way.

Features -
Profile - the site and app both allow you to enter your height/weight/daily activity level and weight loss goal.  From there you are assigned a base calorie intake goal.  Mine is 1370, which sucks ass and I dispute it every day.  This has to do with the BMR (Base Metabolic Rate) which is the minimum amount of calories you need to perform basic functions like breathing.

Tracking - to keep your daily calorie intake tracked, use the "My Diary" or "Food" tab.  This is where you enter your meals, snacks and water intake.  The search options to look up food are mostly accurate.  There are entries already loaded for restaurants, brand name foods and generic foods.  Adding new foods to the database is easy too.  There is also an option to create a record of nutrition information for your recipes, meals and favorite foods.  I created entries for the coffee I drink every day, the egg white veggie taco from the cafeteria and my Sunday Football Chili.

Exercise -  Remember that base calorie level?  That does not count activity over the usual sitting at your desk all day.  You can add your workouts and it deducts the calories burned from your daily intake.  Today I ran 40 minutes at a 9:28/mile pace.  With the tool I added in that I ran my 40 minutes, but it doesn't have an option for 9:30, so I picked the 10:00/mile pace.  MyFitnessPal says I burned 419 calories, so I can eat an additional 419 calories and that is added to my daily goal/limit.  I think this is pretty accurate too.  Using my GPS watch I get about the same numbers.  When I do Ripped in 30, I count it as "Circuit Training", 35 minutes is 293 calories.  It feels like 500, but I know 293 is realistic.  At the very least it is more accurate than the calorie counters at the gym. 

Progress - I can track my weight, weekly goals and there is an option for adding a progress bar to  your own blog

Motivation - after finishing my tracking for the day, it tells me what I would weigh if "every day were like today..."  This can be motivating or really defeating.  There are also charting options so that you can see how you compare to your weekly goal - which is nice.  This way when I eat a bunch of shit one day I can cut back a little the rest of the week and not feel too terrible. 

Summary - I really like this app, a B+.  Its FREE too!  I don't use it every single day, but I go through periods of a week every month where I use it daily.  It keeps me honest about what I'm eating and when I feel bummed about my 5 vanity pounds I can SEE that I am not eating to lose weight most of the time.


Update: new iPhone version has a bar code scanner option.  I just scanned the bar code on my diet soda and it added the info to my daily total.  Sweet!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Workout Plan

I realize that reading someone else's daily workout journal is pretty Bo-ring so I will make an attempt at a plan and summary for each week versus posting every day.

This week's plan - modified because I need to fit these in where I can schedule wise this week.  I am not following the Focus-n-Fly schedule for the marathon yet and most likely won't get to until August when travel and vacation is over.

Monday: Ripped in 30 @ home
Tuesday: Ripped in 30 @ home
Wednesday: Run in the morning after taking kids to school
Thursday: Maybe elliptical in the evening or trip to the gym after work, or a rest day
Friday: Run in the morning after taking kids to school or trip to the gym after work
Saturday: 8-9 mile run is on the schedule, not sure I can swing that long
Sunday: Make up day @ the gym

Longest Weekend Ever: Rant

Disclaimer: I love my kids. 

I really try to love my kids and show them every day with my actions and words.  Sadly, I fail a lot and they annoy the hell out of me and I start whining about how much they whine and yell at them about how much they fight and beg them to just BE QUIET for 2 minutes and let me drink my god damned coffee already.  GAH!  I know that I never want to get a divorce because being the primary care giver for 3 small children is mentally and physically exhausting.  I don't know how stay-at-home mom's do it.  I think I would have to drink copious amounts of alcohol. 

I can clearly see that what I'm doing is not working, but I can't stop myself.  I know that I should just leave the dishes and sit down and play with them.  I tell myself it will only take a minute and I just do the chores and get it over with, meanwhile the attention whores are beating each other senseless in the next room so that I will come in and yell at them. 

I have been trying to take a step back and calm myself down before reacting, it is a mental practice.  And it takes a lot of practice.  After about the 2nd or 3rd time I yell, I will stop down and take the offending party in the other room to be angry or cry.  Then I come back and sit with them, give hugs and wipe their tears.  Tonight I did not do so well, there was more yelling than hugging until bedtime and more tears than usual.  I know that I am tired too, which does not help. 

And now I'm just going to rant.  Why does everyone have to have an opinion?  Why can't you just sit in the same chair you sit in every day?  Why do I have to stand here sweating while you attempt to buckle your seat belt but I am not allowed to help but I also can't walk away?  Why do you have to take everything away from your sisters?  And then why do you have to gleefully run away while they cry?  Why does the waffle have to be cut at a perfect angle?  Why can't the jelly touch the peanut butter?  Why does that stuffed cat smell so bad?  Why can't you walk up the stairs - you are capable!  Why can't I just sit here and watch?  Do I have to get up?

Why?  Because they are kids and I'm the Mommy.  I need to suck it up and have a beer and chill the fuck out already.  They are wonderful, healthy, generally happy kids and I appreciate their little personalities and pre-schooler demands.  Take a deep breath and RELAX.  10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0...

First Trip to the Movies

Saturday morning Auntie Jenna and I took the kids to the movies.  Jack and Miss Maddy have never been to a real movie, I thought at 2.75 years old they would probably be good.  Or maybe not, I also suspected it might be a disaster which is why I didn't go alone.  We saw Kung Fu Panda 2, 20 minutes shorter than Cars 2, and we would not have seen that last 20 minutes of Cars 2.  Gwen was awesome as always, but to be fair anytime the TV is on she will zone out at watch it, its just her nature.  Maddy was OK for about an hour before she started getting out of her seat.  After 40 minutes Jack had finished his candy and saw no reason to stay, he told me he wanted to go home.  They pretty much do the same thing at home when we watch a movie, except I don't spend $40.

There were no melt downs, so I should be happy with the outcome.  I ended up taking Jack and Maddy down to the front row so they would only annoy me and each other.  Lesson learned though, taking 1 or 2 kids to a movie is a better idea.  With 3 there is no way we are making it to the end.

The movie was cute, definitely rentable. 

Monday, July 4, 2011

Monday workout: Ripped in 30

I intended to get up early this morning to workout, or take the kids to the gym at 8, neither happened. So I did Ripped in 30 #1 during nap time, then danced with G for about 20 minutes.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Know that "Oh Shit" Feeling?

I had it today, major "Oh Shit!"  I took the kids outside this morning, determined to spend time outdoors and wear them out before it got too hot.  We started off with breakfast, then drug out all the Play Dough stuff, then turned on the hose and let them fill up buckets and spray each other.  After Play Dough Jack was bored and wandered into the house.  I was about to turn on the TV for him, cause then I knew he would mostly stay put, when he closed the door.  He closed the door and locked it.  I realized it pretty quick, he was still standing there with Mickey in hand looking at me through the glass. 

I knew the front door was locked.  I knew the garage door was locked - dead bolted.  I was pretty sure every window downstairs was locked.  So I tried convincing Jack to unlock the door.  I very calmly asked him "unlock" the door, but he just swung off the handle.  I finally asked him to turn the "KEY" and he knew what I meant.  That's when I figured out he had managed to deadbolt the door too.  FUUUCK!  He could not turn the top lock, so I got him to drag a chair over so he would have better leverage.  I am starting to panic now imagining him falling off the chair and cracking open his skull while I watch.  I am also pretty sure the 5 Mexicans building a patio next door can hear me getting more shrill (and I'm not being racist, they really are Mexican and barely speak English).  (What IS racist is that I wondered if they knew how to jimmy a lock).

Jack still can't turn the lock.  I know Tina doesn't have a key anymore, she had our old key and I never gave her a new one.  I was pretty sure the Selfish Mommy had a key, but didn't know if she had returned from her day out on the lake yesterday.  Maybe J Sr has one hidden in the garage, but he's in Taiwan so F me.  I am seriously considering dialing 911 at this point.  One last try.  The front door is locked, but it is easier to turn.  I know Gwen can turn that lock.  I ask Jack to go to the front and turn the big key.  Maddy and Gwen follow me to the front door, both chattering on about Jack locking us out and what is he doing in there, and is he touching my stuff, and how will we get in?, and we miss Daddy - all very helpful. 

Luckily, Jack quickly opens the door and gets an attack style hug from Mommy.  The girls march right back to the backyard after I attempt a lesson in unlocking doors for future reference.  Gwen can't work the top lock at all without a lot of effort, so I don't know how Jack managed it. 

So, Monday I will be making some extra copies of our key to be left with our neighbors.  I will also be much more careful about that Jack.  I swear he can be the sweetest little guy in the world - cuddly, giving kisses to his sister, helping clean up.  And then he turns into a devious master mind hell bent on terror.  "Pow-Pow!" says Jack. 

Sunday: Long Run

Went to the gym this afternoon to run on the treadmill.  Did about 7 miles in 65 minutes.  I say "about" because I selected a treadmill that stops after 62 minutes, and I was so pissed at it I didn't write down my total.  Wasn't too boring, I fiddled with the incline to simulate some up and down hill action.  I also listed to a Doug Loves Movies podcast, while watching Lord of the Rings on TV.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Satuday Run: Treadmill

Dragged the kids to the gym this morning so I could run on the treadmill. Neither G nor J were happy to go and begged me to make it fast. I did 35 minutes on 6% incline, avg pace 10 min miles. I was scheduled for a long run, but will do it tomorrow when the babysitter is here.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Friday Run

4.2 miles
37:59
9:02/mile avg

9:16/9:10/9:02/9:08/(6:48)

Goal was to run a 9:12 "maintenance pace" (according to my marathon training plan, oops really 9:21).  I ran around the gravel trail in my neighborhood which was a nice change from the normal loop.  I made it out by 8:15am and it wasn't terribly hot.  Felt good and enjoyed listening to music.

Recovery meal is Muscle Milk (contains no milk) - having protein to heal the muscles!