2011 Goals

Sure seems to be taking me long enough to post my goals for 2011.

 

Alot going on these days and I'm finding it hard to get to the computer for a little quality time :).  I'm considering giving up sleeping.  Good idea???  It's been a busy last few days getting back to work & the kids to school.  To top it off, my boss decided we're moving offices ... tomorrow!  At least I'll be getting lots of activity in packing up the whole thing and moving furniture & boxes.

Without further ado ... here are my goals for 2011!

 

Run 2011 Kms / 1250 Miles - This year, I will run 2011 Km (aka 1250 miles), along with my buddy Syl who has already pledged to do the same.  And my friend Fran will be joining us with 1011 Kms.  In 2010 I originally planned to run 750 miles, then decided to changed to 1000 miles.  Unfortunately I fell just a hair short on that (943 miles), but I did learn some lessons along the way.  I will NOT fail on this goal this year!

Set some PR's - I want more PRs this year.  I know I have it in me to improve upon my current PR's.  This year there will be more speed work, more hills, more intervals.  I want to improve on everything from the 5K to the half marathon.  The times I'm aiming for are not significantly faster, but I know that even this little bit will be an achievement.

Time goals:

• 5K - 24:30 ... 7:54/mile  (current 24:53)
• 10K - 49:59 ... 8:04/mile  (current 50:59)
• Half Marathon - 1:55:00 ... 8:46/mile  (current unofficial 1:57:??)
• Grouse Grind - 49:59  (current 50:54)  **mountain hike

Conquer the Half Marathon - I was only able to enter one half marathon in 2010, and it didn't go so great.  I WILL conquer this one this year, and I will do it well too!  This is the one goal that is a MUST for me this year.  If I can pull it off, I'm hoping to do a very special half marathon this year with a fellow blogger.

Cross Training - This year I'm putting more emphasis on cross training - most specifically weights.  Lately when I've done a bit of weight work I feel it ... big time.  This tells me that running alone is not enough.  Also, not that I've had alot of injuries, but the one's I've had, alot can pretty much be pinned on muscle weakness.  Stronger muscles throughtout my entire body will help me run faster.  My butt & abs are usually the first thing to get sore on a challenging run.  That tells me something.   

Along with the weights, I want to venture more.  I've found a fantastic, willing, eager exercise partner who loves to go, go, go ... and I intend to go, go, go.  Once the weather allows, I want to be hiking the mountains more, riding my bike more ... maybe even try kayaking or canoeing for something different.

 

Lose Weight - For the last year I put very little effort into further weight loss and have even gained a little bit.  That is changing this year.  Dec 26/10 my weight was 153.2 and by the end of 2011 I will be at least 10 lbs under that.  This is going to be an even bigger focus than running this year.  Lower weight generally means faster/easier running so by losing excess weight my running should improve. 

In summary, while running is the most important to me, I'm going to put more effort into other areas of my life which will naturally help the running to improve (weight loss, cross training, running drills).  Last year was mostly about distance covered and nothing else.  That is great, but just covering miles isn't enough for what I want to achieve.

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Goals Set!

Welcome new followers.  How exciting!  I'll be off checking out your blogs very soon.

As I've mentioned a few times, I've been floundering with my weight the last few months.  I just haven't been 100% focused on it.  This realization began with my Belly Blast post last week.

But even after posting that, I didn't have all the tools quite in place to start the necessary changes.  For months I see the scale moving down and then a couple days later it pops right back up again. 

A few days ago I had a long bath and let myself just think.  What have I done before that got me past these humps?  What have I done that really kept me on track and focused on the big picture?

Sure I've had this goal for quite a while now to get down under 140 lbs .... but I realized that it was just one of those "one day" things.  You know ... I'd like to (blank) ... one day!  I realized that I need to set a concrete goal.

Then I remembered last year, before summer.  We made vacation plans and I told my husband that I would NOT go on holidays unless I was under 150 lbs.  I had been flirting between 151 and 155 for about 6 months and it was enough already. 

I made myself a chart and set reasonable weekly goals.  Then I also charted my weight, WW points and activity points DAILY as well.  I met my goal the day before we left!  Nothing like leaving it to the last minute, eh??  But I did get under and stay under there.  Now I'm at this next place where I'm stuck flirting within a few pound range and I need to push it to get over this hump.

The difference was I had something real to set my sights on.  When I look back on my posts from that time there were times when I could have strayed from plan, but because I had a real goal in mind, I remembered what I really wanted and I passed up those things.  Lately I haven't had anything to reach for and therefore had been letting myself have those little extras.  I haven't been tracking my food very well at all. 

The other night I created my a sheet with my weekly goals and am doing all the tracking like I did before.

So far it's working well.  We were watching TV last night and my MIL pulled out the potato chips.  Normally I would have had just a couple, not much, but we all know they add up over time.  But I remembered that I had goals to reach and those couple chips wouldn't help me get there.  I stayed OUT of that bag!

I'd like to set something contingent upon me reaching my goal weight, but I haven't figured that part out yet.  I'd love for it to be another trip, but the next trip we have planned (and can reasonably do) isn't until June.  Honestly I want to reach this goal long before then, but I'm putting it out there that I WILL be under 140 lbs by May 2010 at the latest, let's say May 31st for an absolutely deadline.

I leave you with a little sign of spring on the West Coast .... these really shouldn't be up until late April

(my apologies to all of those still blanketed in snow)

I'm off to get a bit of housekeeping done, a run in the beautiful sunshine ... then my MIL just booked me a pedicure for this afternoon.  Ahhhh, it's a wonderful day!

Have a great weekend everyone and good luck to those running races!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Blogland Giveaways

One More Mile shirt @ I Run Beacause ... I Can - this is some seriously funny clothing!!  I've seen this site a few times and really need to order something from there.  Hmmmm ... present idea if anyone out there loves me enough (hahahaha)

Chamion Shorts @ The Happy Runner

My buddy Syl is giving away an adorable shirt @ Live Smile Run - but don't bother to enter because I'm getting the shirt anyway - hahhaha

I'm back...........

Actualy I got back Saturday night but with unpacking the trailer and a bit of a lazy day yesterday I didn't get around to posting. I was also hoping to get my pictures loaded to add into this post but we're having a heat wave this week and by the time I got home from work I just wasn't up to doing anything else.

Our holiday was wonderful! From a weight perspective I can't tell you how good it felt to have reached the goal I had set for myself and to not feel any hang-ups about my weight (even though I'm still not quite at my ideal weight).

We took our 35' 5th wheel RV and travelled with our 2 kids, who each brought a friend. Also my in-laws and one of my nieces travelled with us. Then a few days later friends of ours met up with us with their 15 yr old son (who is also my son's friend). We all had such a great time.


But let me tell you ..... 4 teenagers in one RV and all the crap that they can eat sure can be tempting from time to time.


We ended up leaving over 24 hours later than anticipated. Then with a few long stops to shop for groceries and such we ended up spending the first night in the parking lot of a Cabela's store (hunting/fishing, etc). They make these amazing sugary coated nuts and my husband bought 3 packs of them, plus I think the kids bought some as well. I had a couple of each type then I told them all that they were not to allow me to take anymore.


A long time ago I mentioned on here that once I got past 150 lbs I was going to buy myself a running skirt. So I had it all planned out to find a Running Room in Washington or Oregon and go buy one. Except ... I didn't realize that the Running Room is basically just a Canadian company with only a few US locations. Bummer! But then I saw on someone's blog that they got a running skirt from Target. So I made my husband pull into one on our way down. They didn't have a huge selection, but it was big enough that I had a hard time picking one out. I ended up with two, and a matching tank for the purple one. These things are SO comfy. I wore them quite a bit on the trip. Had a little bit of chafing one day on a particularly hot run, but I think a little Glide would fix that. I would totally wear these for casual wear, or biking.


Our first stay was in McMinnville, Oregon. We stayed at a very nice RV resort type place right next to the Evergreen Aviation Musuem that houses the original Spruce Goose. We've been in the museum before so didn't visit it, but it sure was a nice place to go for a jog. The resort had a pool but I didn't end up going in it.

My husband & I took a run into the nearby town the morning after we arrived. We ran about 8 Km then there was a little craft type festival being set up so we browsed around for a bit. When we went to run again the back of his knee was hurting pretty bad so we had to walk back. In total it was about 15Km, maybe more???

From there we headed out to Newport on the coast. This is a lovely little town. There is a bike shop in town and the owners are super friendly. I did alot of biking & running around the campsite and around town.

While in Newport my husband and I took a LONG run on the beach. It ended up being longer than we anticipated. 14 MILES of running (23 Km). I couldn't believe it - we did just over a half marathon!!!! I won't say it was easy. We ran from our campground to as far as we could go. Heading out was not bad, but coming back we were running into the wind and I hit a wall. I was DONE! We hadn't taken water (stupid!!!) and I was SOOO thirsty. It made me feel so fatigued, even though the distance we'd run at that point was still well within what I typically run. I think just knowing how far I had to go made it difficult. But after a few minutes walk we started up again and the determination in me kept me going to the end. My husband even tried to give me an out as we got closer and could have crossed over into the campground. But I refused and was determined to run the full distance. He said we was proud of me!

I was amazed that the next day I was only very mildly sore and after a day of rest and stretching I felt fine. We then went to Florence where there are some pretty big sand dunes. We took a hike out onto them and let me tell you ... you could make a kick ass boot camp out on those dunes. That steep, soft sand is so hard to climb. It was great.

Next we went to an area near the south end of the Oregon coast, maybe 25-30 miles from the California border. There I had big plans of long bike rides and our annual big hike that usually takes us about 3 hours. Unfortunately I caught a nasty, nasty cold and spent most of the next few days propped up praying for my nose to drain or the world to end. We did get in some walks and a mini version of our hike, but I'm sad to have missed out on the planned activity. We had one pretty hot day there that got me out in my bikini (I'm beyond caring that I don't have a perfect body, it's good enough for now).

Then we headed inland to warm up a bit. I just didn't realize how MUCH we were about to warm up. On the coast the typical temperature was about 55-60°F (13-16°C). When we stopped for groceries inland it was 99°F (37°C), maybe even a bit more.

When we arrived at our next campground at 7:30 at night it was 94°F (34°C). Thank goodness for A/C!


At this spot I got alot of running in, though shorter runs. I was still hacking up a lung from that cold, but I needed to move. It's hard to believe how I crave the exercise now. For the next few days I ran about 5-7Km every morning before it got too hot.

We also went up to visit Crater Lake. It's SO beautiful there and this time we were blessed with perfect weather. Barely a cloud in the bright, blue sky and 77°F (25°C). The first time we went there it was blowing wind like a madman and cold, cold, cold! The 2nd time it was even colder (slightly above freezing). So we were shocked it was so warm. The first time we visited Crater Lake my husband and son climbed up this trail to a place called The Watchman. The trail isn't long - 1 1/2 miles return - but it does climb up 413 feet. I (feeling horribly out of shape and just miserable in general) refused to go up with them and I sat in the truck. This time I was NOT going to miss out on the opportunity. I couldn't believe how easy the climb was for me. I could have run it - seriously!

I did find that as the days went by I was having a harder and harder time resisting all the treats/junk that was in the trailer and I did succumb to more of it than I intended. But I tried to keep myself aware of when I had too much and then I'd reduce something else. I never tracked once, I just tried to listen to my body and make as many smarter choices as I could.


I haven't really been drinking alcohol for quite some time. The last few times it's affected me way too much and it hasn't been worth it. One night I decided I was going to give it a try again and I had one Mike's Hard Lemonade. I tasted SO good going down, but I couldn't believe how quickly I was drunk. Like having a hard time concentrating on the card game drunk. I did stop at one though. All night my stomach churned, I had a blistering headache, heartburn. YUCK! So not worth it. I did try drinking a light beer the next week and had no reaction at all, but I don't really care for beer so I guess I'll just go without. Apparently my body does NOT like something in those types of drinks anymore.


Now ... for the AMAZING news!!!! The last few days of our trip my eating was starting to get a bit out of control. Not truly out of control, but not really in control either. I was beginning to feel a bit of that awful belly bloat. Though I had brought along a pair of shorts that were too tight for wearing, but I could do them up before we left, and at this point I could still do them up so I knew I was OK. But I knew at this point I had to be careful and that I should expect a little gain.


Imagine my suprise when I woke up the next morning to find I LOST weight on this trip. I ACTUALLY LOST WEIGHT ON A HOLIDAY!!!! I nearly fell over. That has never, EVER happened to me. Even when I'm super careful I typically gain 2-3 lbs. I actually lost 1.6 lbs while away on holidays. I still can't quite believe it.

I do realize that I very likely lost some muscle as I didn't do any weight bearing type stuff. So I'm actually looking at this more as a muscle loss/weight maintain thing. But still, I didn't gain and I couldn't be happier.

This week I'm back to tracking as I don't want to let things slide. And I'm back to lifting weights and burning those muscles. Even if it means a little weight gain, I don't want to lose that muscle. Muscle looks good and I love it!

I DID IT!!!!!

I finally broke 150 AND reached my pre-vacation goal weight. WAHOOOOO!!!!!

This morning I was 149.4 - yipppeeeeeee

I was so excited I ran back in the bedroom to grab my husband to show him. I dragged him into the bathroom saying "Look! Look!". I very carefully and gingerly tip toed onto the scale and it read 156.8 - WTF! I'm sure my eyes popped out of my head. It took me a moment to gather my thoughts, then I realized the big turd had stuck his toe on the scale behind me and given it an extra push. ARGH!!!!! That move almost cost him having to buy a new scale. He's lucky I didn't throw it (or better yet him!) out the window.

I'm a little extra proud because yesterday as I was on my way home from work my husband called and said we had to go down to Bellingham to meet up with his best friend. We had borrowed a trailer of his and he needed it back. He lives south of Seattle and with his new company getting off the ground he's only been home a total of 10 days since January. This was a rare day that he was home so we arranged to have both families meet up for dinner.

Was so nice seeing them, they're such wonderful people ♥. We went to Billy McHale's and the menu selection is not among the healthiest of fare. I had a bit of struggle picking something but then remembered something I told someone yesterday about remembering what was most important - the meal or the goal.

My husband chose a few appetizers .... Spinach Artichoke Dip, Chicken Wings with Potato Chips and Chicken Fajita Quesadilla. Oh I LOVE me some appys!!!! But, I stuck to one tablespoon of the dip with 5 nachos and 1/3 of a wed of Quesadilla.

For dinner I chose the Teriyaki Chicken. It was 2 thin chicken breasts topped with tomato, green onion, a pineapple slice and teriyaki sauce. It came with a HUGE twice baked potato - which I took one bite of and gave the rest to my daughter. Also came with cheese bread that I had just one small bite of (it wasn't good anyway), and a cob of corn sitting in probably a 1/4 c. of melter butter. That just looked disgusting. I ate a couple rows off the top that weren't dripping in butter (but must have had some on it). Basically I just stuck to the chicken and it was very satisfying.

This restuarant has an AMAZING selection of margaritas. Pretty much any flavour you could ever want. But I stuck to my resolve and had a Ruby Mist Herbal tea (mmm good, will have to look for this) and a big ol' glass of ice water.

Considering it was completely unexpected and I was absolutely STARVING when we got there, I'm really proud of how I did. Especially since everyone else was having big plates of ribs or burgers & fries.