Bootcamp times TWO!

Last night was my bootcamp class. Every week the instructor tells us that we're welcome to stay for the 2nd class if we want to. Everyone else rolls their eyes and says "yeah right!". But me ... well the idea has been milling around for a while. Almost just to see how I would do.

So yesterday I posted on a forum I'm on that I was going to stay and do the 2nd class.

I got to class and first thing ... the parking lot is FULL - like crazy full. Apparently the local hockey club was having their team photos done. I eventually find parking and then fight my way towards the room that we always start in. As I get there, the instructor & class are heading out the door. Apparently because of this hockey thing, the room we were use was locked up and unavailable. The city is horrible about anything that happens at this facility (poor equipment, communication ... ).

One thing I can say about my instructor is she is amazingly adaptable. Whatever curveball she is thrown, she will catch and toss right back. So we head out to a side parking lot and gravely field to do our class. But she has another surprise for us. She has another instructor with her who wanted to watch over the class (and co-instruct) because she will be teaching a few of the sessions in the future. Right off the bat I don't care for this woman. Apparently she's very hard core (which is fine) but I get the sense that there is not a warm bone in her body. She tells us that she makes her students count out every rep - out loud - and we're not allowed to stop until we do. I can promise you right now she will NOT get me to do that. If I wanted to count out loud I'd be an instructor. I do think you should be ABLE to count for yourself, I just don't see why I should be forced to do it out loud. But the class was pretty good considering the conditions. We did lots of running to warm up. Then we ran flights of stairs. Although, again here, this other instructor rubbed me wrong. I had left for a moment to go the bathroom and when I came back I asked someone how many flights of stairs we needed to do each set - and was told ONE. When I came to the other set of stairs I noticed people were doing multiple sets, so I asked the instructor what we were supposed to be doing and she told me FOUR sets. Then the other instructor said I was lucky she wasn't in charge because she makes her students do push-ups or something for not doing the right amount. My blood boiled. I am NOT a slacker - ever! And I said as much too. I always push as hard as I can, much harder than most of the students. Then near the end of class (after doing sprints, lunges, push-ups, dips, bicep curls, squats...) this "other" instructor takes over and tells us all to get down on the ground for sit-ups. Now I'm not a wussy, but this was a dirty, dusty field covered with tons of rocks and twigs, and in odd places bits of glass. I just thought it was SO stupid. I actually got down after a few minutes and did a few sit-ups, but then I got up and said this was crazy and I went and did a plank against a curb instead. I'm thinking if this other instructor comes back to lead a class we are going to butt heads!

Anyhow, even after all of that, I stayed for the 2nd class. Partly because I'd had a slack couple of days, but mostly because I had already said to my online friends that I would (ahh the power of accountability). I think I actually shocked my instructor - I don't believe she really expected I would stay. I think I may have shocked the other instructor as well because not only did I stay, but I definitely pushed it harder than anyone in that class. I can't believe the difference between that group of people and the ones in my group.

I did well with eating yesterday. I had posted my intended meals on that forum as well and managed to stick to it. This is a great little victory for me. Now I just need to keep it up.

Tonight I'm making chicken enchiladas for dinner. Not really the lowest calorie meal I could have, but I will keep portion size small. The big challenge tonight will be that I have to bake. I volunteered to supply something for a cake walk at school. I tried to pick up something premade at the grocery store yesterday so I could avoid the temptation (homemade baked goods do me in!), but there just wasn't really anything suitable. So I'm stuck baking. :(

Thank You Prior Fat Girl!

I haven't gotten around to posting for a few days. Was a busy weekend and has been an unusually busy few days at work this week.

I wanted to give a big, huge THANK YOU to Jen at Prior Fat Girl. I won her contest last week to receive a Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 Cookbook. I'm SO excited and can't wait for it arrive. This weekend I was at Costco and they had the book there ($13.50 Cdn and it looks like it's worth every penny). I just quickly briefed through it, but I can't wait to try some recipes from there.

On Sunday I had the most amazing run! It's been quite a while since I've just run for the sake of running. I had no time goals in mind, didn't do anything training specific - like intervals, I just RAN! I chatted with my friends, I looked around at the scenery and didn't give a single thought to running. It felt SOOOO good!

Then this morning I woke up earlier than I normally do and felt fairly energetic. So I went downstairs and hit the treadmill for 5K. I'm not normally a morning exerciser, but that felt fantastic.

I'm struggling alot lately with tracking and eating more than I should be. I can't seem to track 2 days in a row at all lately and I'm eating even when not hungry (boredom maybe??). Feeding at least 5 adults and 2+ kids, we've been having more variety at dinner, and I know I'm taking more than I should be. I find even if I just take a little bit of each thing, it still adds up to alot more than what I've normally been eating. I need to limit my choices to just those foods that I really want. There's just no reason to have a bun when I'm alreay having pasta. And I don't need to eat chicken and pork just because there is 2 options. It's all in my control and I need to remember that.

Oh ... what a feeling.....

Ever have one of those days where you're just feeling totally positive. Today has been one of those days. Even though I have lots of things I could stress over, I've been given alot of things to smile at today. Nothing earth shattering, just little moments in a bunch of different areas of my life.

I was a little angry over something trivial and stupid and this morning I decided to suck it up, get it over with and put it behind me. As soon as I made that decision, that little fire came on inside of me again. The oly thing I can change is me. I am in my control and how I react to things is my choice, my decision.

I had a great day with my eating today. This weekend I discovered a new yogurt with probiotics & prebiotic fibre. Plus when I went to a little fashion show at our community store they gave us a big bag full of samples and in it was this product called Nutricleanse which has psyllium husks and ground flaxseed in it. I mixed these together with a couple sliced strawberries and it was breakfast heaven!

Then tonight I made a fantastic dinner of grilled teriyaki pork tenderloin (so tender). My husband's employee is staying with us so every night is a big dinner night with us, my in laws, and this employee. Everyone raved about it - YAHOO!

My foot is feeling healed again after the weekend's run. Had bootcamp yesterday (which was also awesome - best class this month) and I can feel some muscles that I've been ignoring for a few weeks while I was getting ready for my races. Time to get back to more strength training.

Is it too much to hope that this good feeling keeps up?! :)

Good choices!

Yesterday I finally got myself organized and made a proper lunch in the morning before work. I've been kind of grabbing at whatever as I head out the door, then coming home over-hungry because I didn't pack things that were filling.

Plus, in the afternoon my husband called me to see if I wanted to meet him for dinner - for wing night - ACK! I told him I would come, but I was going to eat something healthier.

So, we went and everyone else had wings and deep fried calamari ... while I had a delicious bowl of steak & potato soup. I did have one salt & pepper chicken wing (which I squeezed out as much grease as I could with a napkin), but honestly it was gross. And instead of a diet pop (which I'll often have while out), I had water with lemon! Saving money and a healthier choice!!! I felt completely satisfied.

Then when I got home I prepared lunch for today. Ahhh ... feels so good to be organized.

Tonight I have to hit up the produce store as I'm out of fresh veggies. Then we're having steak & baked potatoes for dinner, with garlic broccoli I think. Also going to fit in a walk, a short soccer meeting & watch Biggest Loser tonight (while doing some push-ups & such during commercials). So far it's a great day!

Another 10K race done!!!!

Another run under my belt, and another little improvement. WAHOO!!!

Did the Sun Run this weekend - 10K. For the last two weeks I had NOT been looking forward to this run. I have been having a bit of pain in one leg, nothing major, just some aches, but really I just wasn't enjoying my runs. I was extremely anxious about the number of people that would be in this run (55,000) as I despise crowds and my tolerance level hits rock bottom.

Getting on the train to go out there I was ready to pack it in and forget the whole idea. We were squished like sardines in there and I was so unhappy. Then we funneled out towards the starting area like herded sheep. I hated every moment of it. People bug me and there was people bumping into us, flinging their hair around, and (ugh) coughing & sneezing. I shiver now thinking of that. We managed to squeeze our way onto the street to await the start. We waited and waited..... I really wanted to go find a bathroom, but I was terrified I'd never get back in and I wouldn't find my husband, son & my sister again. But then our section finally got shuffled to the start line and once we were off running it spread out pretty good and I was surprised.

However there were some areas where it narrowed, or if you went up even the slightest hill then alot of people walked or stopped, those areas were tough to navigate. I had to holler at a few people who were walking side by side across the narrow roads and I think I elbowed a few people too. It was pretty clearly stated that if you have to walk or stop you were supposed to move to the right side of the road and keep out of the way. That was a big frustrating because I really felt like I could run faster but just couldn't get through the crowds. I was trying to be very concious of never running at the exact speed as the person beside me, thus causing a wall that someone from behind couldn't get through.

It was the first time in a few weeks that I was completely pain free and it felt great. Around the 8 Km mark I was reminded that I really should have stopped to pee before I left (sorry graphic, but it does make it very hard to run when you're thinking of that). But I knew my time was pretty good and I really didn't want to stop. This made sprinting at the end not really a good idea, which is sad because I had the energy.

I finished in 58:56 - 26 seconds faster than my run 2 weeks ago. Considering the crowds, and there was a few little hills, I am really very happy with that time. In the end I really enjoyed myself and I expect I will do it again. Actually, my sister asked me today if we could sign up for next year now (hahha).

I had been thinking that after this run I would scale it back and not book any runs for a while. And that when I did, my next one would be only 5K. But now ..... I'm feeling excited again and after a few days of lower intensity I'm on the lookout for another run, another 10K run! My new goal is to finish under 55 min. Not sure if I can accomplish this for this year, but it's the next marker I want to reach. My son finished in 51:38 and my husband finished in 52:16 - excellent considering neither trained for it (kinda sickening?!!!). Though I think they are stiffer than me. I feel great today with only very mild stiffness to be expected, I think mostly because with everything going on I didn't get a good stretch at the end.

I learned lots of lessons on this run and expect next year to be that much better.

Check out PRIOR FAT GIRL for another great contest, or just for some amazing motivation and a lot of giggles!!!

I've been in a slump lately (hence the lack of posting). Nothing major, not eating like a wild woman, just have little motivation. Still been working out, though not as often and it's definitely been a forced activity. Seems I can talk myself out of it pretty easily. :)

But tonight is boot camp and I always love that. She promised we'd run stairs this week and that's always a good, tough workout.

I think it's more life that's making me feel down. Last weekend being Easter, normally we go camping and that didn't work out this year and I think that is the trigger for me feeling bummed out. Plus my husband is so overworked right now and life feels like it's going in circles - even though I know it's not, it's just an uphill battle and I have to be patient waiting for the crest so we can coast a bit and catch our breath.

But ... the little silver lining is that lately I have been feeling so fortunate for the people I have in my life. I really do have good people around me and that makes me feel fantastic. I may not see all of them as often as I'd like, but they're still always there and they always support me.

Hey ... that's me!!!

I found some photos today from the last run I did. How cool is that?!

Here's the start of the race. Can you find me? Ya, guess not - heeeheeee. I'm near the front of the picture in the red tank and black pants.



Then the next three are from the last kilometer. Most people only had one pic each, but somehow he took 3 of me. I have two theories. One is that he was waiting for me to smile, or even look in his direction. But at this point I was getting pretty burnt out and was really focusing on getting done. This is at about the point that I began chanting to myself to pick it up and finish strong. My other theory is that he felt sorry for me because the pics were so bad that he kept trying to get a good one - hahaha. The 2nd pic really isn't at all flattering - ugh. But who said running was pretty.







I wonder if I always look down when I run, or if I was just trying to avoid contact (that's something I do). All I know is when I do this run next year I'm bringing different pants. I was SO hot! Apparently it was 13°C (55°F) during the run, which is quite a bit warmer than I've been running in for quite some time.

10K Race Report

Did the 10K race this weekend. It was awesome!!! It was along a lovely flat, paved trail that runs beside the river.

We ran along the paved path heading south. First water station at 3K, very nice as it was warmer than I'd expected. At 4.5K there was a turn around point and you headed back in the same direction you'd come. More water at 6.5K, then we crossed a bridge over the river. The next 2.5K was on a dirt/gravel path along the other side of the river. The footing wasn't bad, though there was some bigger rocks, but nothing major. Another water station just before the 9K mark, then we turned into the field around the community park.

That was neat because you ran a big circle around this park and could see the finish line, hear all the people cheering you on. At this point my son met me at the path and told me to "hurry up, they have cookies at the end!", as he's standing there with 4 cookies in hand (ah to be a growing, active teen). Then about 400M from the finish he came to meet me again and tried to encourage me to begin my sprint, but I knew I wouldn't have enough gas to sprint that far so I held off. The announcer said we had 1 minute and 10 seconds to complete in under an hour. At that point I knew I would achieve my. About 100M out I started my final sprint and was surprised at how much I was able to increase my speed (I've been working on that final sprint). In hindsight I think I could have started earlier than I did, but it's all a learning process. As I came across the finish line I was so focused that I unfortunately ran straight into the guy who'd been right in front of me and also the volunteer who was getting the tag off of his number. Whoops!


I completed the race in 59:22 (pace 9:33 mile, 5:56/Km). This is great beacuse it accomplishes one of my goals for the year (to run 10K under 1 hour). It wasn't until the 5K mark that I noticed the markings on the route showing each Km. I wish I'd seen that earlier in the race because it would have helped me earlier on. I'm quite competitive with myself and I would have been able to gauge better how long each Km was taking me and I think I could have pushed harder. Anyhow, I'm very pleased with how I did and I will definitely do that race again next year (and will improve!).

I was also quite surprised with how well run it was. The water stations were great. But the best part was at the end they had a big, official looking timer. And they had an announcer who called out the number, name, home location and finish time for EVERY runner as they came across. That was pretty cool. And of course we all got a bottle of wine too which was neat.

I was pleased with my time when I finished, but then that little side of me came out and I started thinking I could have done a bit better, could have pushed a bit harder. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Also, when I saw the posted results I was a bit disappointed to see I was 12th out of 14 in my age group and 165th out of 232 runners. In the other runs I've done I've been in the upper half of both my age group and overall. Obviously there were alot of faster runners in this group, but it pushes me to get better & faster. I'm thinking after my next run (in 2 weeks) that I should join a running group and maybe learn how to improve instead of just doing my own thing. Or I need to relax and just enjoy the run :)

This morning I woke up just feeling gross. The last few days have been so filled with salty foods and boy, oh boy, am I ever feeling it. I even took off my rings the other morning because they were bothering me. My husband took me for lunch yesterday at a little local Mexican restaurant (OMG so good!). Even though I've learned to eat way less at these places, they still leave me so bloated. I weighed myself this morning and that was a big mistake because the scale is showing me up almost 4 lbs - yikes! I know it's temporary and most of it should be gone next week, but still, I almost (for a brief few minutes) felt defeated today. Then I got reading on various boards & blogs and remembered that I'm in this for life, no matter what!

Just sometimes it's frustrating when I work so hard to have minimal losses and more often than not to just maintain my weight. And the odd times when I go overboard the pounds just pile on, and the cycle starts again. 2-3 days of slight overeating gives me a gain that takes 2-3 weeks to take off again. Sometimes I almost feel like a fraud when I give others advice about weight loss/healthy eating/exercise. Really, ya, I lost 20-something pounds over a year ago, but since then I just bounce around the same numbers and nothing really changes. I should feel proud that I did lose that weight and keep it off, but some days ....... Anyhow, my train of thought has improved since first thing this morning and is much more positive now.

We had a pretty big windstorm last night. My husband and I were going to go out on the trails for a run, but he deemed it too dangerous. Then he needed me to go get some building supplies for him and by the time I got back it was too late to exercise. Well, not entirely true. If I had exercised I would have missed The Biggest Loser and I wasn't willing to do that. Though I probably should have missed the first half because a big part of it was devoted to the return of players eliminated at the beginning of the season and Ron's time in the hospital - which I just couldn't give 2 hoots about.

Saw this recipe today posted at Kalyn's Kitchen for Asian Lettuce Cups. This is definitely a recipe I want to try as I had these in a restaurant a couple weeks ago and they are amazing.

Also, over at Prior Fat Girl, Jen is giving away PopChips. Mmmm, they sound very good. Of course, being Canadian, I can't get them here, but I've already done a search on their website to find out where I can find these little treats. Sure we have Baked Lays here, which are pretty good, but not the flavours these guys have. I'm thinking that the Salt & Pepper would be my choice.

2 more sleeps until I see my parents. 4 more sleeps until my next race. Looking forward to both those events.