#4

215.

-7 lbs.

Blisters.

My new shoes ripped the shit out of my ankles today. I wasn't too sure how I felt about them.. the padding around the back of my ankle felt weird. After I worked out in them, I like that padding a little more... I realized that it helps hold my ankle in place and keeps my feet from rolling out. I supinate really bad.. all of my shoes are completely worn on the outer edges and the shoes are pushed over the edge from how much weight I put on the outside of my foot. I hope that by keeping my ankles aligned it keeps my legs from hurting as bad and my back from hurting as well.

We shall see.

I just think the shoes look cool. :) Mama said they's my magic shoes..

I DID make to the gym AGAIN tonight! I set the treadmill for the Weight Loss workout on level 1. Kicked my butt a little, but I could have pushed myself harder. I was fighting blisters, but I kept going. Needless to say, my post-gym shower SUCKED.

I made every excuse tonight not to go to the gym. Let's see:

My legs hurt.
I was tired.
I had a long day.
I didn't get home until 6.
I walked Lucy with Bella around mine and Jenn's complexes.
I wanted to spend time with Lucy.
It was too late.

But.

I went!

Success.

I tried to switch it up a little bit and do the fat burn pre-set on the elliptical. I was only supposed to hit a target HR of 134. I was way over.. somewhere at like 145-148 most of the time. It's HARD for me to go that slow.. plus, I don't feel like I'm getting a workout. I still burned 300 calories though.. a.k.a. the two snack bags of BBQ chips I ate at our induction meeting tonight.. :\ Eep.

Kicks.

Did go to the gym today. 30 minutes on elliptical on cardio program, 156 target HR. 5 mins on stair(?) machine. Killed my knees. The movement seemed too exaggerated. Maybe it's me being out of shape or maybe it's my body. I'll try it again in a few weeks and see how it feels then.

I ordered a new pair of running shoes tonight from Endless. I got these: http://www.endless.com/ASICS%20Womens%20GEL-Kanbarra%20Running%20Turquoise/dp/B0029LHY66/ref=ord_crt_shr/184-0963292-4849751?fromPage=cart&asins=B0029LHY66.

They're neutral-plus, so I'm hoping that they help my shins not burn during/after workouts.

Next time I purchase sneakers, they'll be trail runners, getting ready for the Mega! :)

Success!

I WENT.

30 minutes on the elliptical doing the hill climb, max HR 161.
16:11 min. mile on the treadmill w/ a 5 mph 1/10 mile sprint... averaging 3.7 mph. Not bad for a fat girl just starting out.

Last time I timed myself on a mile I think it was 21 minutes in high school.. haha.

Goddddddddd I don't want to go to the gymmmmmmm...

#3

219.

I swear it looked like 217, but I don't want to crush myself next Friday!

Total: -3

Inspiration.

I feel like I need to link to this man's site: http://www.344pounds.com/. (Hi, Tyler! In case you ever read this.)

I was googling elliptical workouts and I came across his page. I am entirely inspired by everything he's achieved. Reading his posts has taught me that I need to stop looking at the goal of the Mega next year and focus on little goals, like being able to do the inclines at 3.7 mph instead of 3.5 mph. For someone as out of shape as I am, that's a hell of a big accomplishment.

Back in the saddle.

I'm BACK!

After a week of doing nothing, I'm back in the saddle. I've gone to the gym Tuesday, Wednesday, & today. I'm feeling pretty good about it. :)

Wednesday I did the death intervals workout. I couldn't do the inclines over 3.5 mph. I was dying. What I ended up doing was increasing the inclines, staying at 3.5, doing the recovery, and then sprinting. I even did the 6 mph sprint. 6 is too much for me, 5 I can sprint comfortably. Well, as comfortable as a sprint can be.

Weigh-in tomorrow morning. I'd be happy with a pound.

Lies.

I'm a liar. I didn't go to the gym today to do the interval training.

I went to The Vault after work with a few teachers and didn't get home until 5. I was going to walk Lucy and go to the gym for the interval training, but as my day went on, my throat started to hurt worse and worse. I got all set up for yoga at home but once I got down into the chair pose, my legs felt too weak.

I know. An excuse.

I've walked Lucy twice today and now I'm calling it quits. I want to curl up with my big red fleece blanket and work on a study guide for my kids.

My body aches.

Please don't let me get sick right now..

Death Intervals

I’m going to try this workout tomorrow on the treadmill. I don’t know if I’m physically capable of something this intense right now, but I’m going to try it. If I can’t do it, my goal will be to keep trying it until I AM able to do it.

Minutes MPH Incline
0:00-3:00 3.0 1
3:00-3:30 3.5 2
3:30-4:00 3.5 4
4:00-4:30 3.5 6
4:30-5:00 3.5 7
5:00-6:00 5.0 1
6:00-7:00 4.0 1
7:00-7:30 4.5 2
7:30-8:00 4.5 4
8:00-8:30 4.5 6
8:30-9:00 4.5 7
9:00-10:00 3.5 1
10:00-11:00 6.0 1
11:00-12:00 3.5 1
12:00-12:30 5.0 2
12:30-13:00 5.0 4
13:00-13:30 5.0 6
13:30-14:00 5.0 7
14:00-16:00 3.5 1
16:00-17:00 6.0 1
17:00-20:00 3.0 1

(Originally published in Fitness magazine, December 2005.)

#2

222 lb.

Well.. at least I haven't gained since last time.

Tuesday

eliptical – 45 mins.

HR – 159

Not running.

I guess I didn’t run with this blog the way I had planned on it. You know me, I don’t like to do anything for longer than a week at a time…

I was home this weekend to support my mom and dad in the Bald Eagle Mountain Megatransect. I did it last year, but I only made it through 8 miles before I cried like a bratty child and had my ass carted off the mountain. (I still say that if I had known they had Raisinets and peanut M&Ms at the first checkpoint, I would have hauled ass up that mountain.) I felt guilty for not doing it this year, but not guilty enough to make an actual effort to get ready for it and do it.

Anyway.

As my sisters and I were driving into the finish line to meet my parents, I saw a man with a prosthetic leg finishing up the hike. Yes. A man with a prosthetic leg could finish a 25-mile hike. I couldn’t. I made every excuse in the world as to why I couldn’t do it this year and I really had no good reason. He had every excuse in the world not to do it but he made the conscious effort to do it.

I found out yesterday that the guy who finished first completed the course in 4 hours and 20 minutes. He is 48 years old.

Do we see the problem here?

I’m 25. I should be in the best shape of my life. And I’m not. I’m not even close. My God, I got winded walking up a short hill to watch my parents come down the road.

If this is not an eye opener, then I should sit on the couch and eat Twinkies and Ho-Hos until I suffocate in fat..

So, moral of the story.. yesterday, I signed up for a Planet Fitness membership. I pass one on my way to and from work every morning. If guilt doesn’t get me, then nothing will.
I went today and I busted my ass. I ran 7 mph sprints and 15% inclines. I thought it was interesting that walking at a 15% incline at 2 mph brought my heart rate up to 181, but a 7 mph sprint only brought it up to 170. I don’t do stuff like this. I was going to time myself on the mile, but I kept messing up the treadmill. Comfortably, I can walk at 3 mph. I need to get this up to 4.

I’m already sore as hell, but it feels good to have actually done something today. Something positive.

Ohhhhhh fat girl, you go girl.