Attempts at Swimming

Naturally, since I am training for a triathlon, I do need to spend some time in the pool (yes, I am afraid to put it in print). Especially since swimming is my weakest area...it's my nemesis, lol. So, I headed over to the Y for some laps. I was pleased that I made some progress last week, so I had high expectations for the day.

First thing I noticed when I arrived at the Y was that it was cool outside. Seriously, the temp dropped about 15-20 degrees on my commute from Houston to The Woodlands! I hurried up and changed clothes...when I made it to the pool, I was happy and surprised to see two lanes open and only one person swimming! Yahoo! My first attempt going down the lane wasn't great, but not so bad either. It took me a couple of laps to remember what worked for me last week. My goal was to swim 500m doing what I'm supposed to do - swim with my head in the water, breathe and try not inhale water causing me to stop mid-lane, sputter, cough, etc. I met my goal...well, almost....I swam 22 laps (550 yds, or 502.92m) and only stopped mid-lane twice to cough and sputter. There were also a few times when I picked my head up for a couple of strokes (a habit I need to break), but I made myself put my head back in the water and keep going. And yes, I'll admit that I did have to rest at each end of the pool...that will get easier, right???

The funniest part of the night was when I noticed an older guy next to me swimming effortlessly back and forth. About 15 minutes after I arrived, he got out of the pool and next thing I know, he's walking pushing a freakin' walker! LOL...not only do the 6 year olds two lanes down swim better than me, there's an old geezer (no disrespect) swimming circles around me too! Fellow TRI wannabe, Katie, had told me about him, it was just funny to witness it firsthand.

Take note: I promptly called FINS this morning about some lessons!

Workout Stats

Tuesday, 1/27 - Swim, 550 yds

Workouts...

Here are my workouts for the past couple of days...

Monday, 1/26 - Cycling, indoors, 30 minutes
Last night the kiddo was just not cooperating with bedtime. She wanted to look at a book until she felt tired. Okay no problem. I went downstairs, got my stuff ready for the next day, changed into my workout clothes, got the bike set up on the trainer and started pedaling.

5 minutes later...."MOMMY!!!" The kiddo wasn't tired and wanted to play her video games (V-Smile hand held thingy). Okay, no problem. I got her games and went back downstairs.

10 minutes later..."MOMMY!!!" Now, she just wants to tell me that she's not tired and doesn't want to go to bed. I try to explain that she can look at her books, play the V-Smile, play with her babies, or lay there until she's tire...but, she cannot get out of bed! I *think* we've come to an understanding, so I head back downstairs.

5 minutes later...I hear crying on the monitor. I head upstairs to see what's wrong. She wants to watch a movie...she's been earning quarters for every night she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night...she's up to 5 quarters and at the end of each week she gets to spend her quarters at the Dollar Tree. She tells me that she really, really wants to watch a movie. I tell her that if she watches a movie, she'll lose 2 of her quarters. She's fine with that. The hubby arrives home from Hapkido and heads for the shower.

5 minutes later...I hear crying on the monitor again. Ugh, I head back upstairs to find out what's wrong. Somehow I proceed to hurt her feelings (her words, lol). So, I spend a few minutes trying to console her when the baby starts crying! Luckily, the hubby was out of the shower and was kind enough to take over and I'm finally able to finish my ride.

So, 1 hour to complete a 30 minute ride! It's just one of those days!

Sunday, 1/25 - Run, 6 miles in the neighborhood, 11:13 pace
This is my 1st weekend with a long run since the hubby started his new work schedule. I can't decide whether I want to run on Saturdays or Sundays...since I will be running at 3 pm, I guess it will just depend on what's on the agenda for the weekend. I am hoping that my Mom will agree to watch the kiddos every few weeks, so I can get in an occasional Saturday morning long run with the peeps from Woodlands Fit.

So, a long run alone, in the middle of the day wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But, then again, it was only 6 miles. I am definitely going to have to do the 10 and 12 milers with a group! I ran the 2-mile neighborhood loop once, then I ran the gravel trail in the middle of the 'hood and back, then another 2-mile loop. The total mileage was 6.04...just right! There were a couple of other runners out and lots of moms with strollers. Maybe next time, I'll finally venture out into the wooded trails in the neighborhood. I've heard they could be pretty fun!

Saturday, 1/24 - Rest day

Houston 1/2 Marathon Race Report

This race report is long overdue! Better late than never, right?

Saturday - The Expo

I met the Woodlands Fit gals at the "Y" Saturday morning and we rode together to the Expo. After the chaos that we encountered at the San Antonio Rock & Roll Expo, I had a renewed appreciation for the ultra-organized Houston expo. We had fun looking at all the booths and I even made a few purchases:

A hand-held fuel belt bottle

A subscription to Women's Running magazine (yes, I wanted the free t-shirt)

A Spibelt (see below)

After the expo, we headed over to The Grove at Discovery Green. Little did I know, my runner friends had a birthday surprise for me! First, there was the card...super cute, but it was also filled with lottery scratch offs and Starbucks gift cards! (By the way, I won $8 from those!) Next was a gift bag filled with birthday goodies - a "Happy Birthday" tiara, a "Birthday Princess" ribbon, a crown pin that said "Birthday Princess" and a hot pink feather boa! Fun, huh?

Sunday - RACE DAY

We met up at the Y again at an ungodly hour in order to get to the GRB in plenty of time (for a brief minute, I wished I was still living in town!). Once we arrived, I ate the 2nd half of my PB&J, grabbed some water, hit the porta-cans and checked my bag. I put on all my birthday garb and was ready to go! Here are the Woodlands Fit peeps in our super-cool matching shirts:

We waited until about 10 minutes before gun time to head out to our corrals. It was cool outside, but I knew that would change once we got going. We could barely hear the anthem and then, Bang!, the gun...and of course, we stood around until it was our turn. :-) Here I am with all the birthday girl gear on. If you know me, I am not one to draw attention to myself. I was definitely feeling a bit out of place at first, but it worked to my advantage later!

Finally, we were off! Sort of - it was so crowded that we couldn't really keep our goal pace for the first couple of miles and we decided to scrap the 5/1s until the crowds thinned a little. As always, it was cool seeing the sea of people as we went over the bridges on Elysian. Honestly, the morning was somewhat of a big blur! Somewhere within the first 1/2 mile, I ditched the boa and I handed it off to a little girl on Quitman a little later.

The funniest part of the race occurred somewhere on White Oak before the 4 mile marker. A guy ran up next to me and wished me a happy birthday. Then, he started singing the "Happy Birthday" song...but suddenly stopped to ask me my name. The next thing I knew, he had the entire crowd around us singing happy birthday to me! It was hilarious! That sort of set the tone for the rest of the race, as people were either yelling out "Happy Birthday Christy!", "Go Christy!" or "Go Princess!" the entire time we were running. One little girl looked at her Mom and said, "Look, a princess!". It was actually pretty fun!

In previous years, I remember the thick crowds of people for the 1st couple of miles, but I don't remember it being so crowded until the turnaround. Like I said, it's a blur. It seemed like we were passing the mile markers pretty quickly. Each time we made it to one, we'd comment, "Wow, we're already at mile 5!", then mile 6, mile 7...you get the idea. Along the way I came to the following realizations:

1. Running with a group is SO much better than running alone! Thanks to Katie and Kelly who I ran with for almost the entire race!


2. It was not smart to wear my Nike capri running pants on such a warm day...I went against my better judgement here. (But, I decided not to think about it too much while I was running - yeah, it's friggin hot - there's no point dwelling on it, right?)


3. It was super smart to ditch the 4-bottle fuel belt and go with my cool new hand-held bottle! I love it!


4. Also super smart to buy the Spibelt! The little pocket was perfect for anything I needed to bring with me and it held my race bib just fine!


5. My hip-flexors were feeling very tight...again, didn't dwell on it!


6. I think I was talking Kelly and Katie's ears off, pointing out some local landmarks like my former school, my favorite restaurants, etc.


7. It was friggin' hot!


8. Viv and Margo rock! More cowbell baby!


9. I highly recommend running any race in a tiara!

While I didn't make my goal time of 2:30 (I missed it by 1:31 and some change), I really feel like I did the best I possibly could. As I was thinking back over the entire course and how I was feeling and the pace I was running, I don't think I could or would have changed anything. As I entered downtown, I had this moment...I looked up at the gorgeous blue sky between the skyscrapers and everything just felt, well, right. Like I was exactly where I needed to be, at exactly the right time, doing what I love to do and it felt great.

So that was my day! Well that and my live interview with Bob Slovak on ABC 13, lol. And, I have to say the Houston crowds rock, the post race accommodations rock, and thanks to the Girl Scouts for the cookies! I swear to God, they were the best cookies I ever tasted! The 2009 Houston 1/2 was absolutely the best race I have ever run - I have my Woodlands Fit friends to thank for that. :-) Cheers!

Help!

Okay, can someone remind me how I get a little more space between my posts and sidebar? My html is super rusty and my blog looks really squished!

Flats and Falls

My bike has officially been christened...and I guess I have been too. I headed out from work a bit early to ride the bike. I didn't get out of the office as early as I had hoped, but it was still early enough for me to get in about 15 miles before dark if I watched my pace. I was alone, which unusual, but my Friday riding buddy wasn't available.

I made the 1st out and back in no time flat...it was windy on the way back, but I was soooo loving the bike. Then, I headed out on the longer out and back section and realized that there's something odd going on with my front tire...it was freaking deflating!

Shit!

I stopped my bike and put my right foot down. I was so busy looking down at my tire, that I didn't even realize that I hadn't taken my left foot out of the cage on my pedal. You can guess what happened next. Yeah, that's right...I freaking leaned to the left for whatever reason. Crash! The next thing I knew, I was lying on the bike path. I quickly hopped up and looked around - whew, no one saw me. It might be awhile before I get clipless pedals and shoes. ;-)

I suddenly realized that the hubby still hasn't given me that tire-changing lesson he's been promising and I've only watched him change the tube once - 13 years ago! I had all the tools I needed to change or even patch the tube, so I called the hubby. Maybe he could talk me through it. Before I even finished explaining what happened, I realized that I Cycle is right across the street. Hallelujah! I walked my bike over to the store and sure enough, the guys there are more than happy to help (for a small fee of course!). Within about 10 minutes, I was back on the road. I had my ID with me, but no money so I promised to come back after my ride. I watched the guy at the store change the tube very closely, so hopefully I'll be able perform this task on my own if I need to...hopefully, that won't happen (fingers crossed).

That was my afternoon...it was a crazy day from start to finish now that I think about it.

Friday, 1/23 - Cycling, 1 hour (including walk to bike shop & 10 minute tire changing break), 10 miles

Waiting to Exhale

I finally got brave enough to join the "Y" yesterday and use their indoor pool. Thankfully, fellow Trigirls Katie and Kelly met me there, so I wouldn't feel all weird and awkward my first time - yeah, I've never shared a lane with someone before, so that alone seemed strange to me. (Thanks gals!) I was excited all day about getting back in the pool, especially since I haven't been in the water since June. But on the drive to the Y, I was wondering what the hell I was thinking - me do a tri? A non-swimmer???

Fortunately, once I saw Kelly and hopped into the pool, I was feeling better. And thanks to Kelly's tips, I actually improved in the 45 minutes I was there!

Last summer, I realized that my whole problem stems from putting my face in the water and remembering to breathe. It's not that I'm afraid of putting my face in the water...I just forget to exhale! The whole experience is horrible:

I forget to breathe out, so when I try to take a breath I try to exhale and inhale in the split second that I "roll" for a breathe (which is not really rolling, but me putting my head up to gasp for air). This usually results in me getting air, but getting even more water. And that results in my stopping mid-lap to sputter, gasp, cough and generally look stupid next to the lane with the 6 year olds swimming effortlessly back and forth. Yep, I can get my 6-8 glasses of water a day during my swim...does chlorinated count?

So yesterday, I didn't worry about form or stroke or anything else....I just worried about exhaling. And you know what? By the end of my time in the pool, I was actually making it from one end of the pool to the other without stopping! And, I wasn't gasping for breath when I made it to the wall! Okay, so I was a little winded, but nothing like before. I actually feel like I may be able to do this tri-thing with some consistent practice and a few lessons, of course. For someone who can swim well, making it from one end of the pool to another seems like nothing...for me it's huge! :-) Now, if I can just make it back to the other side without having to rest for a minute, lol!

Workout Stats

Thursday, 1/22 - Swim, ~40 minutes

Wednesday, 1/21 - Bike, trainer, 30 minutes

Biggest. Poop. Ever.

***Warning - this is a non-running, non-workout post***

Seriously.



For the readers who haven't had kiddos of their own yet (Cassie, Katie, Sarah), but might be planning to soon...this might make you not want any kiddos. Ever.



Last night, while the munchkin was eating dinner he started making these crazy grunting noises. At the same time, his little face was getting all red and his eyes were watering. Uh Oh! No sooner did I get him out of his high chair and upstairs on the changing table did I smell the worst smell ever! The kiddo followed me upstairs, because to a 4-year old, seeing the big poop your little brother just made is the funniest thing ever. So, I pulled off the munchkin's corderoy pants and a huge piece of poop fell onto the changing table. The kiddo let out a huge "EEEEWWWW" and nearly fell over laughing, because after all - it's the funniest thing ever. Of course, she's not the one wiping the poop off his arse and legs with an make-shift oven mitt made of wipes! No, she's just there for the free entertainment.





I swear I used half a package of wipes! Disgusting, I tell you! Of course, then you see this face and realize it's all worth it. Well, that is, until he's old enough to talk back...check back in a few years and I'll let you know.

Party's Over!

I rested on Monday...the legs were a wee bit sore in the morning, so I thought why not make it a rest day? I had the day off, so I scheduled a facial in the morning (to use a gift certificate I had gotten last April at one of my baby showers) and was planning to do a little shopping and see a movie in the afternoon. It was great to finally have a "me" day...the first since having the munchkin.

But, enough is enough. If you've been reading my blog for long, you know I can't sit still for long.

Must.burn.calories.

So Tuesday, I decided to take the legs out for a super-easy, short 2-miler around the 'hood and see how everything felt. For the first couple of minutes, my legs felt heavy. Fortunately, after a little while the cobwebs were gone and I was moving better. The temps were perfect - I love running in cool weather! Afterwards, my legs felt great and I was ready to go home to the hubby and kiddos. There's no time to rest on my laurels...there are races coming up!

Tuesday, 1/20 - 2.1 mile outdoor run, 11:26 pace
Monday, 1/19 - Rest Day

Happy Inauguration Day!

Okay, so I didn't vote for Obama. But, I can't help but be a little excited about today and the historic meaning behind today's inauguration! We're showing the news coverage in our conference room today and I have to admit that while I was watching "the beast" transport the President-Elect, I did get goosebumps. :-)

I come from a very patriotic family and have a great deal of respect for the office of the President. I will keep President Obama and his administration in my prayers and hope that they will do what is truly best for our country. Obama is very good at spreading his message of "hope" and "change". But, will Obama live up to everyone's hope and bring change for the better? I sincerely hope so, but only time will tell....

Woohoo!

UPDATE:
To see the video, try going here:

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/feature?section=news/sports&id=6611000

Scroll down...there should be a list of video segments. Select segment 17.

****************************

I have to say that I've never had so much fun running a 1/2 marathon! And my time, while not a PR, wasn't too shabby for me either - 2:31:36. That's just 4 minutes slower than my pre-baby time in '07 of 2:27:21...I'm pretty sure with some speedwork, I can beat that next year.

Oh and to add to my fun morning run, I had my 15 seconds of fame:

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=6610989 (it's segment 17)

I'll have some more pictures, a race report and the story behind the tiara later...this birthday princess needs some sleep! :0)

2008 in Review

Okay, I think I am quite possibly the last blogger out there to post their proud moments of 2008 and resolutions for 2009. You know what they say - better late than never - right?

Shining Moments of 2008

I started out this year pregnant and running slowly. Instead of running this 1/2 in January as planned, I ended up volunteering so I could live vicariously through those who could run and run fast. That was an awesome experience and would recommend it to anyone who can't run the marathon or 1/2 for whatever reason. So here goes...

• Bought a house in February
• Moved into said house in March
• Had the sweetest, most precious baby boy in May and walked in my graduation ceremony 2 weeks later
• Finished my MBA in August

(I did the above while working full-time and being preggo!)

• Joined Woodlands Fit in July, but didn't get to run with them again until late August
• Made some awesome friends through Woodlands Fit!
• Survived Hurricane Ike and 12 days with no power (which is a PITA with a 3 year old and a 4-month old)
• Ran the San Antonio ½ marathon with new friends :-) - even through I was slow, it far exceeded my expectations 5 months post baby!
• Got back to our budget after the house purchase - learned to play the "Grocery Game"
• Hooked up with nutritionist extraordinaire, lost 13 lbs and got back to my pre-pregnancy weight!

2009 Resolutions

• Continue the weight loss until I reach my goal weight (goal for this is March 15)
• Train for and finish at least 1 triathlon - I've signed up for the TriGirl Super Sprint in May
• If I enjoy the tri in May - sign up for at least 2 more!
• Running - begin implementing speed work 1x per week and get into the 10 minute range again
• Complete at least 3 1/2 marathons in 2009 - I'm doing the Houston 1/2, Zuma Austin, but I'm not sure about the 3rd...maybe White Rock?
• Take some swim lessons! On this, I don't even know where to start. I haven't set goals for pace yet, since I am not really sure where I stand now
• Be more patient - especially with the hubby & the kids
• Play more, stress less
• Find a new church near our home and attend regularly
• Stick to budget and finish our emergency fund
• Start the baby's 529 plan
• Get organized in every aspect of my life - work and home
• Work to improve on the areas of my job that I understand the least - and be better about tolerating the areas that like the least :-)

That's it for 2009...I think it's enough!!!

Wanna place some bets?

Wanna place bets on what the temp will be on Sunday morning???

Right now, wunderground.com says the low will be 47. Weather.com predicts 52.

I wish we could be sure, since it seems to be changing faster than I change my mind about what to have for lunch. It sure makes choosing a race day outfit a challenge!

Progress

Progress is good, I tell ya! And, I am so excited about my recent progress in my weight loss that I just had to share....


I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight!!!


And, the best part is that most of my pre-munchkin clothes are starting to fit again! Now, this is also the same weight before the kiddo; however, I still cannot get into the pre-kiddo clothes..grrrr. So, as of today I am down a total of 13 pounds since mid-October! Yaaahooo! But, I can't get too excited, because I still need to lose 7 pounds to get to my goal weight.

How am I doing this?

First of all, I cut out all the crap I was eating - the occasional happy meal and all the friggin' chocolate I'd eat at work throughout the day. I stopped finishing off the kiddo's meals when she was done (after I had already eaten my own dinner, doh!).

Second, at the suggestion of nutritionist extraordinaire, I limited my sugary stuff to 100 calories a day. So, instead of eating two 100 calorie snacks a day (in addition to the chocolate at work), I would have one....but, only if I had already gotten in at least 4 fruits that day. If I hadn't, I agreed that I would have some berries with reduced fat Cool Whip instead of the sweets.

Third, I've increased the protein I eateach day. I have some at all three meals and in my snacks each day. I also learned to have a yogurt, some nuts or cheese with the fruit that I snack on during the day, so that I feel full.

Fourth, I drink lots and lots of water. This was something I was already pretty good at, so it wasn't that difficult to keep doing.

Fifth, I am tracking everything I eat (the good, bad and the ugly!) on CalorieKing.com. It automatically tracks your calories, protein, carbs, fat, etc. which makes it easy to stay on track and to see where you could have done better.

So far, it's been pretty easy and I don't feel deprived at all. I definitely don't eat perfectly everyday...I'll have a Hershey's Kiss here and there, a bite of the hubby's dessert, a glass of wine (or two or three), or a sliver of cake when it's someone's birthday, but it's far better than what I would have eaten just a few months ago.

My ultimate goal was to be a couple pounds lighter than I currently am by 1/2 marathon day, so I will not meet that particular goal. But, I am pleased as heck that I made it to where I am today! Now, I just have to keep it going!!

Question of the Day

Yesterday I had diarrhea of the mouth, ummm, I mean fingers. Today, I'll keep the question simple:

How much fitness can you lose in a month???

There's a chance I might have to take the month of February off - no running, biking, swimming, P90X. Nada! The problem is that I have some events coming up, but I don't know if there will be a better time to take care of an issue I've been needing to deal with for awhile now.

------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, 1/13 - Treadmill Run, 30 minutes easy
Nothing to report here...30 boring minutes on the treadmill at an easy pace.

Monday, 1/12 - P90X, Chest and Back, 50 minutes -and- P90X, Ab Ripper X, 16 minutes
This is the 1st workout in the P90X series and it's a doozy! Regular push-ups, military push-ups, diamond push-ups, dive bomber push ups, wide-stance push-ups....and that doesn't even touch on the pull ups! Ouch!

The inlaws are in town helping out with the baby, since my regular sitter (a/k/a my Mom) is unavailable. It's going to be really hard to eat healthy while they're here! Today my Mother-in-Law and the kiddo made chocolate chip cookies. Tomorrow, she's making homemade enchiladas and tortillas!

Be strong Christy, be strong!!! :-)

The End of an Era (a long, whiney post)

Okay readers in cyberspace (I know there are a couple out there), I have a dilemma and need some feedback. I hope this is not coming off as super whiney, but I am seriously not sure how to make this all work.

Here’s the situation…the hubby has worked nights for 13+ years. We’ve been married for 11 of those. He’s gone from having Tuesday/Wednesday off, to Sunday/Monday, to Sat/Sun off, Fri/Sat/Sun off and to Fri/Sat off. This last combo has worked our great for everything from family time, to his fishing schedule, right down to my training schedule and being able to do some 5k & 10ks on the weekends. Regardless, I've been able to get in my long runs either alone or with a group and I've been able to get in the weekday training runs without disrupting the family in the process.

Where am I going with this you ask???? Starting this week, the hubby is going to day shift. So, this begins an entirely new chapter in our lives. Now days in the police world does not mean the usual 8 am – 5 pm Monday through Friday - that would be too easy! Nope, he’ll be working from 6 am to 2 pm…meaning he’ll be leaving the house around 5 am (getting up around 4 am!) and will be home in time to pick up the kids in the afternoons. The great side of this is that rather than only getting to eat dinner with him and hang out for about an hour each evening, he’ll be home all night! The downside is that he now has to work the weekends, since day shift is where all the “old timers” reside and the “old timers” want their weekends off.

So here’s the dilemma…when in the hell am I supposed to work out???

I’ve always tried my best to maximize the time I have with him and the kids by working out after the hubby was at work and the kids were in bed…even if it meant having to settle for training on the ol’ dreadmill at 9:30 pm. The only day that my workouts have cut into family time was on Saturday mornings during the long runs (yes, everyone is awake…usually before I even leave the house!) and occasionally when I could get in a bike ride or a 5K.

So, with the hubby heading off to work at insanely early hours on Saturday and Sunday…when do I get in a long run? It’s beginning to look like I’ll have to do them in the afternoons on the weekends, which is fine for now….but what about when summer arrives and it’s 100+ in the afternoons? I’ve done a couple of hours on the treadmill more than once and that was not something I want to do again…plus, we all know training exclusively on a treadmill is not exactly good training. What about the long bike rides? I know I can use the trainer, but it’s the same as the treadmill – definitely not optimal.

Obviously, my swims will have to be in the evenings and will cut into family time unless we decide to build a pool…after spending hours putting up the playset from hell that takes up 2/3 of our backyard last summer, I doubt the hubby would go for that. LOL! Anyway, there's really not a way to work around that.

Oh, and I forgot to mention…I do work full-time with a commute and I am soooo not the early bird. However, if I have to run on the treadmill at 4 am when the hubby is waking up, then so be it, I guess. I had to get up that early when I was in school and I suppose I can do it again...yuck!

Surely, I am not the only schedule-challenged person out there who wants to train! How do you do it? How do you balance the time between family, training and work??

Right now I’m wondering what the hell I’m thinking in aspiring to be a triathlete!

Brrrr....

Dang it was cold this morning!

I met up with riding buddies, Jennifer, Katie and Kelly, for a ride this morning and learned a valuable lesson - cold weather clothing for running is completely different than cold weather clothing for cycling! I could definitely use a windbreaker and some arm warmer-thingies, as well as some long cycling pants and good pair of full cycling gloves! Today, I wore a short sleeve running shirt, long sleeved running shirt, a fleece top, and my cycling shorts with my running capris over them. While I think I had enough layers on to keep my body warm, I really, really need the full gloves and something to keep my toes warm because my fingers and toes were cold to the point where it was painful! Even when I stopped at the Starbucks drive-thru afterwards I was freezing...so much so that I had a hard time getting my fingers to work enough to get my change out of my wallet! I think it tool me most of the drive home to start feeling warmer.

But, it was a great ride and a lot of fun so it was worth braving the cold! And, I am loving the new bike! We rode 15 miles with an average pace around 12 mph...not bad for a bunch of freezing girls on brand new bikes. Even with the new bike, I couldn't keep up with Kelly and Jennifer! Looks like it's time for me to get my butt into some spin classes! :-)

As always, I am obsessed with the weather for Sunday. So far, weather.com gives the following prediction:

Sun

Jan 18
Few Showers
65°46°
30%

Hopefully, those "few showers" hold off until later in the day!

Workout Stats

Saturday, 1/10 - Wfit run, 5.9-miles, 1:01 hrs, 10:20 pace
It's the last run before the 1/2 next week...wow how time has flown! It seems like just yesterday when we went on our 1st run - a 2-miler in the summer heat over July 4th weekend. We've come a long way! The pace was great...we must have all eaten our Wheaties. :-) When we started our run, it was 70 degrees out...when we finished, it was in the 50's! Crazy!

Friday, 1/9 - Bike ride - 1 hour, 10 mph pace

Rode with Kristi near work. Just trying to get used to the new bike and catch up with Kristi, so it was a slow ride. :-)

Ouch!

Must get new seat for bike!

I forgot to mention that I joined the Performance Bicycle's "Performance Team", where you get 10% back on anything you purchase in the store. As a result, I was able to put the 10% from what I spent on my bike towards a bike trainer! It's not a supa dupa top of the line trainer or anything, but for now it will do the trick. I set it up last night and hopped on the bike for a test spin. Everything feels great! Well, except for my butt. Dang, I need to invest in a new seat...preferably one with lots and lots of cushioning! I mean, I have natural cushioning in that area, LOL, but I need more!

If you have any recommendations on picking a saddle, please let me know!!!

Workout Stats - Wednesday, 1/7/09
Cycling, indoor - 30 minutes

Yadda, Yadda

I'll be picking up the new bike today...woohoo!!!

Workout Stats

[Updated]
Tuesday, 1/6/09 - Treadmill Run, 30 minutes
I seriously didn't think I would get this run in, because the kiddo just would not go to sleep. First, I had to get her a band-aid (for a non-existant cut on her ankle), next I had to get some Tylenol (because she's having growing pains and her feet hurt), then she was scared (so I had to lay with her for a minute), next she had to go potty (she really did!), and finally she wanted her Pooh blanket (because she's already tired of sleeping on her princess sheets). Again, I thank God that the Munchkin is a good sleeper!

Oh, and the bike is now safely parked in out garage. :-)

Monday, 1/5/09 - P90X - Pylometrics
Okay, I usually like this workout even if it is a killer workout...but, when I'm feeling tired and not really feeling like working out, I hate it! Mainly because it is a killer workout! It kicked my ass yesterday. But, it felt good when it was all done and I was glad I did it. I even had a little time afterwards for a little TV - The City is looking pretty interesting! What can I say, watching trash TV is my one guilty pleasure!

Sunday, 1/4/09 - P90X, Shoulders & Arms - 60 minutes
I think this is my favorite of all the P90X workouts! Lots of good ol' arm-killing exercises using the weights....first the shoulders, then the biceps and then the triceps! Gotta love that!

Say hello to my little friend...

Yep, I finally bought a bike! Yay me!



Not exactly what I had originally had in mind - especially the color scheme - but it was in the price range I had set (even if it was at the higher end of it...which for some folks who are really, seriously into cycling was still pretty conservative). I had originally thought I was going to get this one a very base model Cannondale. I went to another store where I considered the same in Trek and Specialized. Then we moved on to another store and I considered this one and then this one. Then, the hubby spotted the "Bumble Bee" up above and it was all over...honestly, I thought the hubby wanted it more than I did, LOL! I am really bad at spending money...I kept going back to the one I looked at before. Even as they were putting on the shorter stem and adjusting everything (thanks Performance Bikes!), I kept going through this conversation with myself:

Practical Self: If I buy the cheaper one, I would still have money for a trainer and a wet suit and maybe even the entry fee...besides, it's more bike than I need!

Spendy Self: Yeah, but this one has better components...you wouldn't have to upgrade anything. Ever.

Practical Self: But, it's on the high end of my range. I will eventually want shoes and clipless pedals!

Spendy Self: You know you want it! Think of it as an investment!

Practical Self: And then there's the Y membership for swimming, swim lessons, etc...gee this stuff can add up (hyperventilating)

Spendy Self: Okay, yeah, you need some swimming help. But, you've been waiting forever to get a bike!

Practical Self: Told ya so! And what if I want to join a club?

Spendy Self: Shut up and fork over the money! You can rent a wet suit! You can wait on the shoes and pedals, besides the hubby has cages you can use in the meantime...get the friggin' bike already!

In the end, Spendy Self won. :-) And, I will be revisiting Uncle Dave and his book! LOL!

Cycling & Running

Saturday, 1/3/2009 - Wfit run, 8.6 miles
Today's trainingg schedule called for an 8-miler with Wfit. It was a nasty 70 degrees, with about 100% humidity and it sucked! At first, the warmth and humidity felt stiffling...almost like I had a ton of bricks on my shoulders. Ugh...and to think in August and September a 70 degree day felt cool! Fortunately, things got better as the run went on and we managed to finish without any problems. The knee is absolutely fine! Here's to hoping for a nice, cold 1/2 marathon day in 2 weeks and no knee pain!

Friday, 1/2/2009 - Cycling, 15 miles
Trying to take advantage of the day off from work, I met up with fellow Wfitters and tri-girls-in-training (Jennifer, Kelly and Katie) for a bike ride. Kelly (the seasoned tri-girl in our group) showed us a supa sweet place to ride - thanks Kelly!!! We rode 3 laps of the 5-mile route and called it a day. It's been over a month since my last bike ride thanks to the time change, so it took a little while to get those cycling muscles going. I'm still riding my borrowed mountain bike with slicks, so it was tough keeping up with Kelly and Jennifer (especially on the "hills")! I learned a valuable lesson when Kelly let Katie and I try out her road bike - GET A FRIGGIN' ROAD BIKE ALREADY!!! I was huffing and puffing getting up the hills on my bike, but when I was riding Kelly's bike, it was so freaking easy to get up the hills! I had no idea there would be so much of a difference! Why, oh why didn't I get a road bike last year when I had the chance? Fortunately, I am ready to get my bike and WILL get it in the next week - that's a promise!

Have a great weekend!

Workout Catch-Up

Before I forget...here are my workout stats for this week so far:

Wednesday, December 31 - No workout
Rather than resting on Friday, I'm meeting some folks from Wfit for a bike ride. So...I decided to relax on NYE. It was a pretty uneventful night...the hubby had to work, so it was just me and the kiddos. We did have a nice family dinner before the hubby left for work though. The parental units were supposed to come over for dinner, but my Mom has been a bit under the weather and they decided to stay in. I caught a chick flick and had a glass of wine...unfortunately, the fireworks woke up both kiddos around 11 pm and the baby stayed awake until almost 1:00 am! Jeeze!

Tuesday, December 30 - Treadmill Run, 30 minutes
The kiddos went to bed on time without any problems, so I managed to get in a good run on the dreadmill. Nothing too exciting to report here.

Monday, December 29 - P90X - Chest, Shoulders and Triceps - 55 minutes
I met the Wfit gang at PF Changs, so we could all use the gift cards we received from the San Antonio Rock and Roll marathon. It was a fun time! However, doing P90X after wine is not the easiest thing to do! But, somehow I managed.

Sunday, December 28 - Slim-in-Six, Start It Up, 26 minutes
The baby went to bed around 9:45 pm, so rather than do a 1 hour P90X workout, I remembered the 30 minute Slim in Six workout I still have from my Si6 days. Turns out that the workout was actually only 26 minutes and after doing P90X for so long, it seemed almost too easy to call a workout! Oh well, better than nothing I suppose!

Happy 2009!

Hog Heaven

OMG, you know it's a boring day in the news when they have to resort to reporting on the hog problem in my neighborhood! Check it out:

Feral Hogs Run Rampant in Spring!

Upscale? Puh-lease!!! LOL!

I can honestly say I've only run into one hog in the early pre-dawn hours. Fortunately, our yard still remains untouched by these vicious vermin. :-)

Post-Holiday Run

Saturday the weather was supposed to be horrible, so Coach Bill planned for a 6.4 (?)mile route with an option to add an additional 3-mile loop if the weather held up. Fortunately for me and my non-12-miler-running self, the weather was fine...well, except for the nasty heat and humidity. As usual, my Garmin was off so I'm not sure of the exact mileage, but we seemed to pick up the pace a bit at the end and overall the run felt great! I only felt a little twinge of pain from the knee here and there and it even felt fine this morning. Go figure.

I need to get back into my routine and do P90X tonight, but I have a baby crawling here under my feet as I type...and it's 9:20 pm! That little munchkin has been under the weather the past few days and today he took a LONG nap...which might explain why he won't sleep now. The workout might have to just happen in the morning. That is, if the kiddo will stay asleep...she'a the early bird. Sigh!

Workout Stats
Woodlands Fit Run, 9.5-ish miles

Belated Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!!! I've been taking Coach Bill's advice and been resting the knee. My only other workout this week has been the 16 minute Ab Ribber X on Wednesday morning, so I feel like a slug! I'm planning to do a good upper body workout later tonight, then take it easy on the Wfit 10-miler tomorrow morning.

A little of this, a little of that

The knee is feeling better...still hurts, but not as bad as Sunday night. I postponed my Dr's appointment and figured I would ice, rest and take some Aleve. Of course, I am not resting enough...I did the P90X "Legs and Back" workout last night! Luckily, none of the exercises caused the knee any trouble. We'll see how I do tonight with a super-easy 30 minute run.

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I'm happy to report that our holiday shopping is complete and all the gifts have been wrapped. We do have to put together the kiddo's dollhouse from Santa, but other than that we're all done! Probably a good thing, since the in-laws are all coming over tomorrow for our usual Christmas Eve gathering. I have lots of baking to do tonight...now if I can just keep myself from eating it! I'm officially down 10 pounds since I started tracking my food on Calorie King, so I think that will be enough incentive to stay on track over the next few days.

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Here are a few of the kiddo and munchkin's holiday pictures...not the best we've taken, but we still managed to get some cute ones. Do you know how friggin' hard it is to get your 7 month old to look at the camera and smile the same time your 4 year old does? Impossible, I tell ya! (oh, and there's also the kiddo's 4-year picture!)

Monday, 12/22 - Workout Stats

P90x - 60 minutes - Legs & Back

Saturday Run

It was one of those "Oh Crap!" "Oh my God!" mornings!

I woke up late on Saturday morning - usually I am out the door by 6:00 am and because we were being joined by Kingwood Fit this morning, I was planning to leave no later than 5:50 am.

6:10

When I woke up to the sound of Jason Mraz, I saw 6:10 on the alarm clock. For whatever reason, the volume was really low. I immediately jumped out of bed and said "Oh $@&%*!". I threw on my clothes, grabbed my PB&J from the fridge along with my fuel belt and ran out the door. During this craziness, I tossed around the idea of going back to bed, but there would be NONE of that! LOL!

I pulled in at Luke's right at 6:30, but everyone was already gone. The guy on the radio just said it was 6:30 am, so it confirmed the time for me. I jumped out of my car and thought, "Man, I need to pee. I didn't pee!". But I saw runners heading out of the parking lot and I just ran. I saw Coach Bill as I ran by, but for whatever reason forgot to grab a route card. I just thought to myself, "Run! Run and maybe you can catch up!" I really thought I could catch up. After awhile, I looked at my watch and my average pace was 10:18. Then, I stopped to walk briefly so I could ask another group of 5/1ers the route. I toyed with the idea of running with them, but they were running a bit slower. So, I ran some more. I didn't want to stop, but I HAD to stop at the bathroom at North Shore...it was the only one that I knew of that would be on the route. Then, I ran some more. I ended up running the 1st few miles at a 10:20 pace. I decided that if I found my group, I'd run the entire 12 but if I didn't I would do the 8. It was about that time that I decided I'd better slow down or I wouldn't even finish 8! I had gotten conflicting information about the 8-miler route, so I just decided to run 4 and turn around.

My Garmin hit 4 miles and I decided to go a bit farther. I finally decided to turn around...I don't even remember where I was. According to one person I knew who was still going forward, I was a little less than a mile from Kuykendahl. I toyed with the idea of continuing on, but the adrenaline from the rushing around was wearing off and I decided to stick to my 8-mile plan. Lucky for me, on the return trip I met up with another Wfitter, Bittney, who was running 4/1s and was running exactly my pace. We ran the rest of the route together and talked about our kids, work, etc. (She has a 2-month old and has already worked up to 8-miles!!!)

When I made it in, it turned out that I had run 8.8 miles in 1:43...an 11:37 pace and I am sure I did not have a negative split! I felt a bit like a weenie for not doing the entire 12 and even toyed with the idea of doing a lap around the neighborhood when I got home just because. But, I didn't. Once I made it home, I was done. The kiddo wanted eggs, the baby wanted me :-) and I decided to just call it a day.

This morning, the first time I went up the stairs I felt an awful pain in my knee! It felt like my IT Band, but it's weird because it didn't hurt at all during the run yesterday. This evening, I laid down with the kiddo to read a book at bedtime and when I got up, it hurt even more. I was all dressed to do P90X, but after pressing on my knee a little, I can barely walk on it! I even called my Dr's office, but the next available appointment with my doctor is January 6....so, I ended up making an appointment with some random doctor for Tuesday morning and will call a different orthopedic in the morning to see if I can get in there tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed that it's nothing!!!

Lil' Update

Sorry the posting has been sporadic at best this week...between the hubby's parents being in town to visit and trying to get all the gifts wrapped, it's been hectic!

This week's tip from Catherine...

Cake or wine, not both :)

(She's referring to my eating at our company's holiday party....but hey, I had the chicken sandwich rather than the burger and I skipped the fries, the smallest piece of cake which I shared with a co-worker and 2 glasses of wine with diet coke in between rather than 3 or more glasses!)

We need to make a Mexican food plan: Can you do two fajitas in corn tortillas, skip the chips and maybe have a light beer? I wouldn't mind if you splurged at the Mexican food as long as you didn't do it again the next night with wine and cake.

(Here she's referring to my eating at the Ladies holiday luncheon at work...hey, I only had 12 chips and salsa! I skipped the friggin' queso and enchiladas...I had Tilapia and grilled veggies!!! Who eats Tilapia and veggies at Pappasito's anyway??? I WANTED enchiladas or fajitas with FLOUR TORTILLAS! And the margarita? It was free... the company paid for it!!! Healthy eathing or not, who can turn down a FREE margarita???)

If you are going to do muffins I would prefer you buy the Fiber One muffin mix or try vitamuffins (www.vitalicious.com).

(Okay...I'll try healthy muffins. The kiddo wanted them and of course I ate my share of them too! )

Avoid the cookies in the afternoon. I like the hot chocolate for a sweet treat, but if it leads you to eat something sweet and high fat then we might not want to do it. What do you think?

(Yes, I had a cookie at work...but, I still hadn't touched the chocolate at this point! Do you know HOW MUCH crap they bring into my office???? Do you know how much I've sacrificed and not eaten ANY of it Lady? Last year, I would have sampled everything...three times!!!)

Then, I had to remind myself...this is exactly what you're paying her to do. It's nothing personal,

IT'S.
HER.
J-O-B.

She knows I am working to meet my goal weight by a certain date. To do that means giving up some of the crap I used to stuff my face with. I know I can have it in moderation, but Catherine is making sure I am aware of the choices I could have made. She did agree that compared to what I would have eaten, I did pretty damn good.

It's all cool.

I still lost almost pound last week.

I've done freaking awesome this week...despite the 1 Godiva cherry cordial I had this week. But hey, last year I would have had at least 10 pieces of Godiva. I'm making progress!

Workout Stats

Monday, 12/15 - no workout
I kept waiting and waiting for the in-laws to go to bed, so I could hop in the treadmill. In the meantime, I was wrapping presents...I should have just gotten up and done P90X, but I really didn't expect them to stay up so late! LOL!

Tuesday, 12/16 - 35 minute OUTDOOR run, 11:15 pace
Okay, I got smart and took my running clothes to work and ran after work. I had to be sneaky about it too...I had to change at work, drive home, park at the rec center and then run. If I go into the house, it's all over...the kiddo will beg me not to leave again! Silly, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Wednesday, 12/17 - P90X -Kenpro X, 58 minutes
This is always a fun workout! It's a bit like Tae-Bo with the kicks, punches, etc. Great cardio!

Thursday, 12/18 - Treadmill run, 30 minutes
Having a low motivation day, so this was a slow run.

Friday, 12/19 - rest
Today is a rest day in preparation for tomorrow's 12-miler. Ugh, and the weather is going to suck! Oh well, I know we'll get-er done regardless, it just might not be pretty!

Weekend Re-Cap

Saturday’s run went well….we ran approximately 10.8 miles at an 11:27 pace and had a definite negative split. Of course, we followed the run with Starbucks, because what would Saturday morning be without Starbucks? This weekend we’re doing 12, which to be honest, I am not looking forward to due to the warmer temps we’re expecting. Looks like I need to get out the running skirt again.

Saturday afternoon was the kiddo’s 1st ever dance performance. She did awesome, as did the rest of the 3-4 year old class. I volunteered to be “stage mom”, which meant I had to be backstage with the kiddo’s class from the time the show began until intermission. I hadn’t really thought things through when I originally volunteered, because I really wanted to see the other performances too. It was a bit crazy with all the dancers running around, but the other stage mom was smart enough to bring crayons and several coloring books to keep the smaller kids occupied. Luckily, when it was time for the kiddo’s class to perform, we were able to watch from the wings. They did their “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” dance so well! It was so cute! I was able to see the company dancers perform after intermission, which totally confirmed that I had chosen the right school for Riley – they were awesome!

Saturday night the hubby and I headed to my company’s holiday party. This year the company decided to do something fun and out of the ordinary for us – bowling! The company gave every employee and their guest a bowling shirt, plus when we arrived they also gave us a bag full of goodies. The hubby and I had a total blast bowling, then we watched my co-workers sing karaoke…imagine that with an open bar! Hahahaha!

Workout Stats
Saturday, 12/13 – 10 mile Woodlands Fit run
Sunday, 12/14 – P90X – Chest and Back – 51 minutes, Ab Ripper X – 15 minutes

What the funk?

Much like Cassie and Viv, I've been in a bit of a funk this week. I am having motivation issues with my workouts and I can't seem to get the eating thing down this week! (graphic borrowed from shinybinary.com)

For the workouts, I've made myself do them , but it's been more of a "just git'er done" thing. Last night, I hemmed and hawed - I cleaned the kitchen (because I have OCD and the hubby just didn't quite get it done to my liking, hahaha) and then I watched about 30 minutes of ER. At 9:30 I finally convinced myself to get my butt on the treadmill...and even then it was slow. I just worried about getting in the 30 minutes and didn't worry at all about my pace.

For the nutrition, it's not that I've been eating bad foods...in fact, I have been chocolate free and stuck to the "100 calories of sweets a day" thing. The problem is that it's been a bit busy at work, so I haven't made the time to eat my snacks - which are when I get in my fruits. In fact, I have been having a really hard time getting even close to the amount of calories I should be eating. When I look at my stats on the Calorie King website, I have not been eating enough protein, carbs, fiber and even fat! I have been exceeding the sodium I should be eating, probably because the company has been bringing in sandwiches from places like Jason's Deli and the lunchmeat has tons of sodium! Also, for the 1st time in a long time, I have not been drinking enough water. I will try to do better next week...it's all about planning and I have not done much of that this week.

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It's going to be a busy (but very fun) weekend...I have the Wfit long run tomorrow and later that day the kiddo has her holiday dance recital, followed by my company's Christmas party. Sunday, I'll probably squeeze in some Christmas shopping in the morning, a trip to the grocery store and then we're heading to LaPorte to visit our friends who live in a subdivision that had a lot of Ike damage...that should be interesting, since many of the homes there were lost or are now unlivable.

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Sometime in the near future I would like to go look at road bikes! As much as I want my bike today, I have a feeling this purchase will have to wait until all the holiday craziness is over. If anyone has suggestions for where to buy a bike or on any special components to look for on a bike, please let me know!

Have a great weekend!!!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

The house and our snowman...


The kiddo's playset...


Our Texas Snowman


The kiddos in their winter gear...I just ordered this and it came in today. Talk about perfect timing!!!



And if you're not a native Texan/Houstonian and happen to be from a snowy location up north...keep your snide comments to yourself. Yes, we ALL act like children when it snows here. Even us adults. We don't see the white stuff here often...the last time was 4 years ago on Christmas Eve. The time before that was actually more of an ice storm in February '93 and before that we had a nice snowfall in December '89, before that it was at least a decade....see what I mean? Yeah, we also can't drive with a tiny bit of ice on the road. What do you expect? We can't drive here when it rains and you expect us to drive in snow and ice? LOL! Anyway, it was cool to have over 5 hours of snow. We'll see it again in a few years!

Another day with no chocolate!

I did it...despite all the holiday goodies coming in from our vendors, I managed to stay away from chocolate both yesterday and today. Actually, yesterday I had the day off but I'll post about that later...it was a crazy, crazy day and I completely blew off my workout. (and thanks to wildlifeonline.com for the graphic)

For some reason, my motivation to eat healthy is extremely high this week, but my motivation to work out is extremely low. I think I may have to move my P90X workouts back to the mornings, because I am sick and tired of starting my workouts at 9 or 9:30 pm. It leaves no room for evening downtime, which I'd really like right now. Today, I made it to the treadmill at 9:40 and decided that I was only going to do 20 minutes. After lolly-gagging around for the 1st 2 minutes, I decided that I would at least make this a good 20 minutes...you know, the whole quality over quantity thing. So here are the results...

Mile 1 - 11 minutes...not happy with that at all

Mile 2 - 10:14...much better!

So, it was a tad bit over 20 minutes. For me, it seems like anything under 11 minute miles these days is good. Maybe if I did some speedwork....lol! I'm sure I was completely anaerobic during the 2nd mile, but it felt good to get the legs going faster than normal.

Workout Stats

Monday, 12/8 - no workout

Tuesday, 12/9 - Treadmill run, 21:14 minutes

Day 4 & 5 - No, ummm, some chocolate

Saturday we were to run an 8-miler with Woodlands Fit. Dang it was cold! When I left the house, I watched my temperature gauge drop and drop after exiting the toasty garage. 37. Brrrrrr!

The 8 seemed extra easy, as there was lots of great conversation going on. But, turns out that the route was only a bit over 7 miles. Oh well, it was a good run anyway and we followed it up with Starbucks. Our little group of 5/1ers are planning another running weekend, this time at the Zooma 1/2 Marathon in Bastrop. The best part (besides hanging with a group of really fun gals)? The finishers receive a special silver necklace and mini-spa treatments!!! Also, I usually get a non-fat, no-whip mocha at Starbucks, but did you know a tall "skinny" Cinnamon Dolce Latter is only 96 calories??? That's 72 calories less than my usualy mocha! On days when I run, I might splurge on the Mocha, but for other days, I'm going with the fewer calories! (Huge thanks to Wfit peep, Katie, for suggesting the drink in the 1st place!)

After our run and Starbucks stop, I had to head over to Toys R Us for some shopping for the kiddos. I was expecting the worst - millions of customers, fist fights over the latest and greatest toy, madness at the registers - but, it was actually not bad! I think there may have been 20 customers there and I found almost everything I needed pretty easily. The one item I couldn't find, an associate was super helpful and found one in the back. So, huge kudos to the TRU in the Woodlands!

As for the chocolate, I broke the streak and had 10 of the kiddo's M&M's....technically, I don't think it was even enough to count, but still...it was chocolate. I did manage to get back on track on Sunday...except I did have a couple of Margarita's at lunch. Oops! The good news? I'm down another 1.8 lbs! That certainly beats my recent losses of .8 and .5 lbs!

My tip this week from nutritionist extraordinaire - " ...continue to work on your sugar intake. What do you think about eating 100 calories of sweets per day? To help with this try not to eat a fruit or starch by itself particularly as a snack. Add nuts, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese or peanut butter to your fruit or crackers in the morning or afternoon." Sounds easy enough, right??? After reviewing Sunday's log, she also suggested staying away from the margarita's as they are hundreds and hundreds of calories for just 4 ounces...and yes, I had way more than 4 ounces! I'll try to remember that at the holiday parties I'm going to this weekend!

Workout Stats

Saturday, 12/6/08 - Wfit run, 7 miles

Sunday, 12/7/08 - P90X - Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, 50 minutes & P90X - Ab Ripper X, 15 minutes

Day 3 - No chocolate

Wow, I am seriously proud of myself to have made it 3 days without any chocolate! And, day 4 is going well too. I'm using Calorie King to track everything I eat and it's amazing how easy it is to stay within your allotted amount of fat and sugar each day when you're not scarfing down a bunch of chocolate and 100 Calorie Snacks! Of course, the real test will come on Monday when it's time to weigh in again.

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Not much new stuff to report...I swear the kiddos are plotting together to postpone their bedtime as long as possible, because neither would cooperate when it was time to go to bed. As a result, I didn't end up getting on the treadmill until about 9:45, so I shortened my run to 20 minutes....hardly seemed worth it, but I figure it was better than nothing.

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Maybachs galore...you know, before seeing the Lil' Bow Wow episode of My Super Sweet 16, I never even knew what a Maybach was. (Yeah, I watch that show from time to time, so what? It's trash-tastic, okay?) But since seeing that episode, I've seen two Maybachs on the roads in our fair city - both the Maybach 57 which looked something like this:

And yesterday on my way home from work I saw this beauty:

I'm really not into cars, but every now and then one stands out (the Maserati, not the Maybach in this case). But Jesus, I would not pay the $100 plus to buy this one, much less the $350 - $1 mil to buy a Maybach...even if I could!

Workout Stats
Treadmill run - 20 minutes, 11:16 pace

Day 2 - No Chocolate

I survived a 2nd day without chocolate. I'm purdy darn proud of myself. In fact, I've been staying away from the 100 calorie snacks too...they don't do you much good when you eat 3 a day, lol! And, I've actually eaten all 5 of my fruits and veggies for the 3rd day in a row. I'm usually pretty good at getting 3-4 servings, but would rarely get in all 5. Yay me!

Workout - 12/3/08
P90X - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps - 58 minutes

Day 1 - No Chocolate

I made it...well, almost. It's 9:30 pm and I haven't had any chocolate today. The day's not over, but I am pretty sure I won't give in. :-) I don't even feel any different, lol! Other than that, not much new to report.

Workout Stats - 12/2/08
Treadmill Run - 30 minutes

Monday Bike Ride

Looks like I'm back on schedule...sort of. My friend Kristi and I managed to get in our regular Monday bike ride again after a 2-week hiatus. However, the ride was cut short due to the time change and it getting dark so darn early. The last time we rode, it was the Monday after the time change and we managed to make most of our 10-mile route before it got completely dark. Today, it seemed like it was getting dark before we even started. It started to get pretty creepy, so we turned around early. We may have to move our ride to the weekend, just to get in more mileage without worrying about the dark.

I came home and was determined to get in a bit more workout in, so I did the Ab Ribber X...that is, after the kiddos finally fell asleep. Is it possible that someone gave my soon to be 7-month old caffiene? He would not go to sleep! Same with the kiddo, but that's normal for her. :-) In fact, I can hear that the baby is awake again on the monitor - at 11:20 pm!

Workout Stats - 12/1/08
Cycling - 7 miles, 34 minutes - 12.35 mph
Ab Ripper X - 15 minutes

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I got my first bit of feedback from the nutritionist extraordinaire after she reviewed last week's food log...."Let's break the chocolate habit right now :) It is December 1st, we don't want this to go on all month. Try getting a chocolate Balance Bar or Luna Bar to help you with your chocolate cravings in the afternoon." Gotta love a gal who shoots straight from the hip. See, there's this little container of chocolates in the kitchen at work. The kitchen is where we also make copies, get supplies and get water. Every time I walk by there, I grab something - a hershey's kiss here, a Dove chocolate there...you get the idea. It's time to step away from the chocolate!

World AIDS Day

Here's a list of events going on here in Houston to commemorate World AIDS Day 2008.

Whew!

Today was tiring. I woke up in time to be on the road for my 6-miler. The run went better than expected....I always dread running alone, but in all honesty it wasn't that bad. I ran the 1st 2 miles around the neighborhood loop, the 2nd two miles on the trails in the neighborhood, then decided to get back on the flat pavement thanks to my screaming right IT band. It made itself known at the San Antonio 1/2, but it wasn't too bad. Then, it got a bit worse on last week's 5-miler. Looks like I will have to do some extra stretching to get things back to normal. I also felt that weird tug in my lower back. The one that was there before I got preggo with the munchkin. The same stinkin' pain that drove me to do PT 2x a week. I was hoping all the core and strength training I've been doing for the past 4 months would help me keep the hips all aligned, but it doesn't look that way. I'll see if I can make it to January without too much trouble.

Then, I came home and made the family some eggs and bacon - egg beaters and turkey bacon for me, of course. :-) Next, we got everyone dressed and headed out to Garden Ridge for Christmas stuff...what a PITA! People were everywhere and there was not much of the stuff we were looking for left. The hubby hates crowds, so he was a joy to shop with...plus, the baby was fussy and the kiddo wanted to run all over the place. Ugh! Next stop - Krogers. Not as bad, but still stressful with the not-as-fussy baby and the kiddo who wants to see and wants you to see everything. Damn Disney for putting characters on just about everything - cereal, fruit snacks, bubble bath, ice cream, you name it.

Next, we came home and ate some lunch before starting on the Christmas decorations. The kiddo and I managed to get the tree up and decorated, but it was kinda hard with the munchkin trying to crawl all over the place. I tried the swing and the Exersaucer, but he wanted nothing to do with either one and would scream bloody murder if I tried to make him sit in either. Due to that, I put the rest of the decorating on hold until the kids were fast asleep. What now? I'm off to fold the kid's clothes before getting the last 100 pages of Breaking Dawn, the final book of the Twilight series.

As for the Twilight movie? It sucked. I don't think I was expecting a lot, so that was good...the acting was mediocre and the special effects were cheesy. The guy who plays the male lead did not live up to my expectation at all. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a cutie, but he's not the Adonis that's described in the book. Oh well, what do you expect for a teen movie based on a "young adult" novel? My Sister-in-Law and I did get a chuckle when all the teen girls in the theatre gasped the 1st time the male lead appeared on the screen. The same thing happened when he first spoke and once more when he kissed the female lead. Yes, I am rolling my eyes now just thinking about it. LOL!

Home Sweet Home

It feels great to be back home, even if my pocketbook is much, much lighter. That's what happens when your in-laws live less than 5-minutes from the San Marcos outlet mall! ;-) I love me some Ann Taylor outlet sales...gotta love it when you can get 2 new suits, a pair of slacks, a shirt and two sweaters all for under $300!

We had a great time seeing the family in Round Rock for Thanksgiving dinner. Even two cousins came in from South Dakota! I hadn't seen them in at least 7 years, so that was an awesome treat. Later that day, we met up with the hubby's side of the family. I am proud to say that I kept my eating under control better than ever - no pre-dinner snacking, loaded up on white meat with the turkey, had a ton of green beans, only a taste of the bad stuff, and just a sliver of dessert to satisfy the sweet tooth. Not perfect by any means, but much better than any past holidays!

As for the workouts...it's been 3 days! I discovered that the hubby wanted to get on the road MUCH earlier than expected on Thanksgiving morning, so instead of doing 5 miles that morning, I opted for 4 on the treadmill the night before. I was going to do 5, but realized mid-way through that I still had a cake to make for the next day. Doh!

Tomorrow - the goal is 6 miles solo through the 'hood followed by some Christmas decorating.

P90X

Tuesday, November 25 - P90X, Plyometrics, 58 minutes
Yesterday felt like a P90X day. I looked at the schedule - plyo! This workout is pretty intense and for the 1st time, I wore my heart rate monitor for this one. My heart rate got up to 160 at one point...now I just need to figure out my resting heart rate, so I can know where my targets are. My goal is to learn how the whole target heart rate thing works and start tracking it - something I've never attempted before. Hell, I bought the Garmin 305 because I also wanted to use the heart rate monitor...it's about time I get to it!

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Looks like that bonus back in September was just a partial bonus. I recieved the rest of my bonus on Friday and it looks like I will be getting a road bike after all! Woohoo!! If anyone has suggestions on brands, what to look for, etc. let me know!

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Don't laugh, but my Sister-in-Law and I are going to see the movie Twilight this afternoon, since my office is closing early. She's gotten me into reading those damn books! I just started reading the 4th and final book last night. Hey, it's no Anne Rice, but it's an entertaining read that's fo sho!

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I wanted to do the Run Through the Woods 5-miler tomorrow morning with the Wfit peeps, but that would meaning leaving to head to Austin later in the morning than we planned. Oh well! But, I need to burn the extra calories, so I'll get in the run tomorrow morning in the 'hood before we head out of town. Happy Turkey Day!

Playing Catch Up...again

Tagged by Viv...


Pick the 4th folder and then pick the 4th picture and describe it. Now you're it!




















This is a pic of the Munchkin with my Father-in-Law taken the weekend of the San Antonio 1/2. I love that the way they are looking at each other!


Okay, so it's been awhile. Here are my most recent workouts:


Monday, November 24 - Outdoor run, 31 minutes, 11:01 pace
Woohooo, a glorious outdoor run during the week - a rare occurence for me. It felt fan-freaking-tastic to be outside running. I took the day off work to re-decorate the kiddo's room for her birthday surprise, but managed to squeeze in a quick run. I started out too fast - 10:23 pace - but managed to slow it down to an average of 11:01.


Sunday, November 23 - P90x - Chest and Back, 55 minutes
Getting back to my weekly routine. I am beginning to see a little definition in my arms, which helps me see that this is really starting to pay off. I imagine as I loose more weight, the results will be even better!


It was also the day of the Kiddo's 4th birthday party, so I think I got a pretty good workout chasing kids around! Here she is getting ready for some cake.




















Saturday, November 22 - 5-miles with Woodlands Fit, very slow!

The night before, most of my fellow Wfit peeps went to a Soiree hosted by another Wfit peep. The Champagne punch was flowing, which might be why none of us (who showed up) felt much like running on Saturday morning. We had the choice between 8 miles and 5 miles....at the beginning of the night, 8 miles sounded doable. However, as the evening progressed (and the punch began to disappear), 5 miles sounded much better! Luckily, we had Starbucks to look forward to after the run, so we got it done.


Saturday afternoon, I took the kiddo to a "Fancy Nancy" birthday party. Here she is dressed all fancy...




















Saturday evening, the hubby and I celebrated our anniversary with a night out. We had dinner and then headed to Cru for lots of wine.

Friday, November 21 - Rest

Thursday, November 20 - P90X, Kenpo X - 1 hour
Good cardio workout! I actually used my heart rate monitor, which hasn't been used in over a year.

Wednesday, November 19 - 30 minutes, easy peasy treadmill run

Tuesday, November 18 - Rest
I was soooo stinkin' sleepy. Must have been the lack of sleep on Sunday catching up with me!

Monday, November 17 - Rest
Just resting the legs after the 1/2....they definitely needed it!