cerebrations on the Run

down the road

2011-05-29T23:11:00.000-04:00

this blog has moved to http://gomarlogo.blogspot.com

Marl0's Activities | RunKeeper

2010-10-01T08:49:00.000-04:00

Marl0's Activities | RunKeeper

2010-09-13T00:03:00.000-04:00

Marl0's Activities | RunKeeper

reassessment

2010-06-07T19:27:00.002-04:00

took a walk with my sister today and we covered three miles. we spent an hour on the distance which is a relatively leisurely pace for me and I realized while I'm not in the shape I'd like to be, I'm not a complete physical wreck either. I sporadically ride my bike, sporadically spend time on the elliptical machine, and sporadically take long walks which all adds up to some semi-regular exercise. there are a lot of people in this world who just couldn't walk for three mile, let alone do so easily. just might be time to cut myself some slack and perhaps in doing so I might find a little extra motivation.

life assessment

2010-06-06T21:45:00.001-04:00

i am not in the proper frame of mind for being objective here, so I will keep this short for now. I will be forty this month and I was suppose to be back in shape by the time I reached that milestone. Knowing physical fitness will not be attained in the next two and a half weeks means knowing my goal will not be obtained. Instead of being in the desired best shape of my life I am quite nearly at my worst. So tempting it is to simply give up, but since I’m actually posting something on this terribly neglected blog, I guess I haven’t quite yet accepted defeat.

training partners

2009-07-27T01:13:00.000-04:00

at two different times this year someone has approached me and suggested I run with them. While my interest in returning to regular running has existed longer than this blog, my self-motivation is severely lacking. I think overall I prefer running alone, but since I haven’t been running much at all, I figured making a commitment to another person would get me out the door. I have a much easier time keeping commitments to others than I do keeping “commitments” to myself, so having someone with whom to run is a good solution to my motivation problem. Except the first person who approached me with this idea, ended up frequently having something pressing that had to be addressed when we were suppose to be running. Eventually, she just told me this wasn’t the time for her to be trying to to establish a regular exercise schedule. The second person started off good for uh, oh, two weeks. Then the crazy summer schedule of a mother of five and their family vacations suspended that running partnership. There is the possibility of resuming running with her in the fall when kids are back in school, but for now, it looks like I need to figure out on my own how to get myself out the door.

Starting over…..

2009-06-29T19:03:00.000-04:00

……for the 473rd time. In the past two weeks, I have gone running four times (and before work even). Someday that last sentence will be used to describe a planned break from more regular running.

enjoyment

2009-02-25T21:10:00.002-05:00

been running at least a couple times a week for a few weeks now. tonight was my evening to run with my coworker and it actually wasn't freezing out. we were both quite tired from the day's work but went ahead as planned and it turned out to be a good run. I actually enjoyed the entire run and felt good. Previous runs this year have been an exercise in enduring, but tonight was fun. I might be on to something here...

training partner fun

2009-02-07T23:04:00.002-05:00

so this coworker who wants to run a half-marathon has a habit of wanting to post pone our runs.
with today's weather heading for 50, I was happy to have our run scheduled for 2pm, but then I get a text message from coworker wanting to run at 6pm instead, because she had a rough night and needed some sleep. She also prefers to run at night "so nobody will see" her. Sigh. I am certainly nothing to look at, but I am way past worrying that people will notice my extra portions jiggling. The way I see it, hey at least I'm exercising. Then later, I got another text message saying she wasn't going to make the run at all today. Fortunately, there was still time to get out and enjoy the sunshine when I got the message. So I did just that and put in a 3.5 mile run on my own. Because it's much easier for me to go running when I've committed to meeting somebody else, I consider today a big success. The run actually felt good too.

February Assessment 2009

2009-02-07T22:52:00.003-05:00

weight: 171.4
waist: 41 inches
diet: actual progress being made, less junk/fast food, more healthy food, still addicted to soda
push-ups: 11
running: actually have run a couple miles a couple times a week for the past three weeks (weird)

stacking the odds

2009-01-14T21:20:00.003-05:00

with my goal of being at a healthy weight and physically fit by the middle of this year, I have now got myself a number of venues from which to draw and hopefully sustain motivation. As I've mentioned before, my bike is set up indoors and easily used while watching tv. I have joined in a biggest loser type competition at work with a dozen or so coworkers. Just in case simply knowing a weekly weigh-in will happen is not motivation enough, a dollar must be paid into the pot for each pound, if any, that is gained. I've also been recruited by a coworker to help her prepare to run a marathon this fall. Currently we've committed to running together each Wednesday and Saturday and doing at least one more day each week of aerobic exercise on our own. And I've also invested in a wii fit. For whatever reason, having a rendition of myself giving me a thumbs up sign from the television screen every morning motivates me to come back each day. I enjoy the various games and exercises and I definitely feel my muscles working.
Perhaps the stars are aligned in my favor.

buy an elliptical

2009-01-14T21:02:00.003-05:00

went out on a run this evening with a coworker for about half an hour. We ran on some well-lit city streets as the sun was well past set. The temperature was 14 F, and the wind chill feel was 2 F. Snow had started falling soon after we started. As we jogged past a woman who had apparently just arrived home and was getting some items out of her car, she looked at us in disbelief and told us we should buy an elliptical. That itself was worth the effort of putting on multiple clothing layers :)

January 2009 Assessment

2009-01-14T20:59:00.001-05:00

um, yeah this was suppose to happen on the 3rd, but I was unexpectedly out of town for New Year's and the following weekend. Since then, I've been ignoring the scale out of fear. I'm not totally neglecting myself however, as I have acquired a wii fit and am keeping track of my weight according to the wii. But I'm gonna stick to the bathroom scale measurement for "official" monthly assessments, assuming I get back to doing that oh, say, next month.

life gets in the way

2008-12-30T21:33:00.003-05:00

so last week was a bust in the exercise department. I was all set to get in my three days starting with Tuesday evening - until an emergency at work required my attention until well past 9 pm. Then I couldn't find the motivation to do anything the rest of the week, but I've started this week on a positive note with some aerobic and strength workouts. After finding an incredible deal on airline tickets, I've already booked my flight to the Salt Lake City marathon in April. Yep, no turning back now :)

year end reflections

2008-12-21T18:49:00.005-05:00

all-in-all I suppose I should keep my head up. Last year at this time I had put on roughly 15-20 pounds in a period of 4 months and was not going anywhere positively with respect to eating or exercise habits. Through the first three-quarters of this year, I only added another 5 lbs, which comparatively is a kind of success, sort of. This year marks the first calendar year of my life that I have spent unarguably overweight. Throughout adolescence and adulthood I've fluctuated between a good healthy weight and having extra 5-10 pounds, but never, prior to the end of 2007, did I pass into 15+ lbs overwieght and then moved right on up to an all time high of 35-40 lbs overwieght. And you know what? I am just plain tired of being out of shape!! It quite sucks, as in - no fun at all. I miss being able to enjoy physical activity. BUT, I have lost a couple pounds the last couple months. My graduate schooling was completed in mid-August, my general life stress level has decreased significantly and my mental outlook has improved. I did gut out a couple 1/2 marathons this past year with much more mental insanity than physical fitness and I'm registered to run a marathon in 4 months. I've actually printed out a generic marathon training plan to get me, at least, minimally prepared (which would be tons more prepared than the past two half-marathons) and I have actually followed the training plan for a whole week now :) There has been a mental shift with regards to exercising and eating better. For most of this year I've been telling myself I need to do this, I need to do that, I should be doing this or that, but it's all felt like drudgery and guilt. Lately however, I am starting to feel an actual desire to exercise and eat better. It's so much easier to do things when you want to do them. Now if I could just figure out what leads to the existence of the want, I could probably make a whole lot of money selling it. For now, I'm hoping to ride the want wave long enough to make exercise and healthy eating everyday personal habits. My birthday is in the middle of the year and I've set a goal to be back to a healthy, fit me by then. Wish me luck...

December 2008 Assessment

2008-12-21T18:22:00.003-05:00

Well last month I was hopeful to have my monthly assessment posted at the beginning of this month (as opposed to the middle as has been my recent habit) and had I done so, I think I would have been happy to post the usual stats; however whatever progress I thought I was making through the end of November was most likely erased by a couple of ugly eating weeks in December and I have been afraid to approach the scale. So I am ignoring the stats for this month, attempting to keep eating habits in check for the next 10 days or so and will start the new year off with fresh stats posted on Saturday the 3rd of January. (Since it's in print, it will happen, right?)

will this stick?

2008-12-21T17:57:00.003-05:00

Last week I exercised on three different days. Very weird, I know. I believe those would be the first three days of aerobic activity (outside of a dance club) since mid-October. Two of the days, I ran on my treadmill for a few minutes (5 and 10 respectively) and walked some more. This past Saturday I actually ventured outside and ran a bit in around 6 inches of fresh snow from the day before. Because I'm kinda like a kid with new snow, I actually had a good time despite the cold. Thank goodness for layers of made-for-cold-weather-running, apparel. Oddly enough, I'm kinda looking forward to my next opportunity to do a little outside running. I've got my bike set up on a trainer and have added in some time on the bike after my running/walking each of those three days. I've even done some basic strength exercises (push-ups, squats, shoulder press) each of those days as well. Hmmm... Could this be the start of something beautiful?

November Assessment

2008-11-23T18:48:00.003-05:00

as of Nov. 3rd*

weight: 171 (yay for the right direction)
waist: 40.25 inches
diet: dealing with junk/fast food relapse
push-ups: 6 (I believe)
running: Last month, I did complete a full 13.1 miles (in less than one/sixth of a day :))

*and next month I will attempt the improbable and post the month's stats at the beginning of the month

last ride

2008-11-11T22:39:00.004-05:00

I decided to get one more bike ride in for the year. With temps in the low 40's and winds making the temp feel in the 30's I definitely won't be heading out on a bike again in 2008 unless we get some very unseasonal warming. I decided to check out some recently, opened-to-the-public, hiking and biking trails that happen to be relatively close to my home. In reading up on the Moosic Mountain Preserve, I got the message that most of the trails were, at least, moderately difficult with regards to biking. I figured I'd just stay to the outer trails that were old, abandoned roads as opposed to the single-track trails that went deeper into difficult terrain. However, once there, I was enticed by one of the trails that veered off from the abandoned road I was on. Yeah, I was in way over my head. I spent most of my hour and twenty minutes on the reserve walking my bike instead of riding. At any rate, I did get some exercise and am eager to go back and explore more of the available trails, but next time I will plan on exploring on foot.

October Assessment

2008-10-27T21:51:00.003-04:00

as of October 6.

weight: 172 (and counting, hopefully down)
waist: 40.25 inches
diet: same as last month
push-ups: don't know
running: um, yeah...

residual

2008-10-19T19:41:00.003-04:00

Given the way I felt walking from the finish line to my car after completing the half-marathon, I was sure I was in for a very rough next couple days of soreness. I was however, quite surprised with the minimal achiness experienced. I can't say enough for the wonders of the ice bath. I definitely had shin splints though. Monday I had off from work and spent most of day doing yard work. The activity worked out pretty much all of the leg soreness I had experienced, but after a few hours, my feet were complaining. They were definitely tired and not yet ready to be used all day long. But by Thursday I felt fine to the point that I completely forgot I had been in Baltimore the previous Saturday. Six months to go until the Salt Lake City Marathon...

survival

2008-10-13T23:13:00.003-04:00

I achieved two of my three goals. I finished the race and my finish time was 3 hours, 23 minutes, and 10 seconds. I believe, though, I walked more of the course than I ran. If the uphills and downhills were equally distributed than I ran close to 6 1/2 of the 13.1 miles. I knew I might have a long day ahead when I started walking before I'd finished the first mile. Yes, I had reviewed (mulitiple times) the course elevation chart before the race. No, I did not accurately assess my fitness level (lack thereof) and how that would play out with the variable elevation. A number of body parts predictably ached throughout the last half of the race and my feet hurt from mile 9 on. The toughest half mile of the day was the walk from the finish line to where my car was parked. Wow, things stiffened up amazingly fast while walking through the finishers' area. I'm thinking I never wish to attempt such a distance with so little preparation ever again. Yikes.

could be interesting

2008-10-10T21:25:00.003-04:00

well if not for already sunk money in a registration and a non-refundable hotel room, I probably wouldn't be in Baltimore this evening. I am without a doubt the least trained and perhaps the most out of shape I have ever been prior to attempting a long race. I am taking comfort that the Baltimore half-marathon advertises itself as being walker friendly and allows 330 minutes for walkers to complete the course before opening the roads back up to car traffic. Barring any significant physical ailment that develops during the race, I am sure I will finish (gotta get that medal after all :) . However, I am almost as sure I will be embarrased by my time. My goals for tomorrow are: 1) finish the race, 2) run an aggregate of at least half the distance , and 3) complete the 13.1 miles in something near 3.5 hours (yes, I am that out of shape).

September 2008 Assessment

2008-09-17T18:44:00.002-04:00

as of 10 September

weight: 173 (and holding)
waist: 40.25 inches
diet: minor improvements (little more water consumption, a little less soda and fast food)
push-ups: 13 (barely)
running: I'm getting reacquainted with the endeavor

back on the road

2008-09-13T10:52:00.003-04:00

completed the Race for the Cure 5k today in Scranton Pa. I, of course, alternated between walking and running and took just over 43 minutes to finish. I'm thinking I'm really glad the Baltimore half-marathon is billed as welcoming walkers. I might need the better part of their established 5 1/2 time limit for the half. ::shaking head:: This being out of shape just stinks.

bike bonding

2008-09-08T21:51:00.003-04:00

biked 4 miles today on a dirt road and found myself much more comfortable with the bike. the seemingly, made-for-bikes, flat roads near the beach are a teeny tad different of an experience than riding rolling hills of my home area on roads that quite often don't have much of a shoulder. And dirt roads are full of potential problems not found on nicely paved roads. Quickly remembering that a fast downhill aids in the following climb, I added some speed downhill and actually surpassed all of 25 mph at one point. I admit that had me a bit nervous given my bare legs and the, albeit sparsely, gravel strewn road covering. However, I managed to avoid any mishap and built up quite a bit of lactic acid trying to get up the hills. I'm thinking my legs will be a bit sore tomorrow.

triathlete

2008-09-06T21:41:00.004-04:00

my last day of beach vacation, I managed to get myself out of bed and onto the beach in time to witness the sun surfacing from the Atlantic Ocean and proceeded to run/walk on the beach for I'll guess a total of a mile or so. I then went back to my hotel and got my bike out of my car and rode on the boardwalk then to the state park covering around 8 miles all together. When I returned to the hotel I then went for a swim (a couple hundred meters at most :) . OK so I won't be entering any triathlons any time soon, but I had fun.

crossing the line

2008-09-03T12:57:00.004-04:00

as part of a weekend trip to Boston, I had the opportunity to cross the Boston Marathon finish line.....a few times. The first time was part of a vehicle tour of the city. After the tour was done, I mentioned to my friend who lives in Boston that I would have liked to have taken a picture of the finish line. She said it was just a block or so away and off we went on foot. So while trying to get a decent shot of the finish (void of obnoxious sun glare), I crossed the finish a couple more times.

Someday I hope to be able to cross that line after actually running the proceeding 26.2 miles.

attempt made

2008-08-25T20:02:00.002-04:00

only got out 8 push-ups this morning. I'm saying trying to do a push-up before 6:30 am just isn't right and my body knows it!

daydreaming

2008-08-23T23:06:00.003-04:00

only 12 push-ups today, but covered another 3.5 miles at the reservoir, again alternating between walking and running. This time I did take a watch and it took me nearly 52 minutes to make the trip around, which gave me lots of time to daydream. Initially I was thinking of running in the Olympic Marathon but then my thoughts turned to imagining myself anchoring the 4x400 Olympic relay in which during the last 100 meters, I find an extra gear and run past the only runner ahead of me and win gold. Given my 14 and half minute mile pace today, I certainly have a good imagination!

day off

2008-08-20T20:15:00.003-04:00

took a day off from work to mentally digest a monday evening car accident that probably totaled my car (the appraisal was done today, but the insurance company hasn't gotten back to me) or at least that's the opinion of the garage where the car is currently. Other than a rather minor headache, I'm physically fine and perhaps just to prove the point, I did another 13 push ups today (whoa, that's twice in the same month) AND I went to my regular 3.5 mile loop around a local reservoir and actually ran. I haven't a clue how long it took me as I didn't take a watch. I'm sure it took near, if not all, of an hour, but hey I was actually engaged in aerobic activity today.

August Assessment

2008-08-14T22:11:00.002-04:00

as of August 1st

weight: 173 *swear word*
waist: 40.5 inches
diet: whatever...
push-ups: 13 (barely)
running: um....I have fond memories....

soda free...

2008-07-30T18:09:00.001-04:00

...for four days straight and I haven't collapsed. Very odd indeed.

running on the beach

2008-07-29T21:11:00.003-04:00

can't get myself to engage in any aerobic activity during everyday life, but take a little vacation and I not only pack my running sneaks, but I also use them - two days in a row. Granted, I wasn't out very long and walked as much as jogged, but hey it's something. Just couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy the sand, sun, and salt air.

July Assessment

2008-07-02T20:21:00.002-04:00

weight: 171.6
waist: 40.5 inches
diet: lots of room for improvement, has been worse
push-ups: 13
running: haven't attempted any in over a month

deepening commitment

2008-06-30T23:06:00.002-04:00

not only have I put up the registration fee for Baltimore, I've now put in for the day off from work the day before the race. It's a significant step for me to spend the cash on a registration, but it's a whole other category of commitment to use a coveted vacation day.

all signed up

2008-06-29T23:01:00.002-04:00

well I've officially registered for the Baltimore half marathon in October. Nothing like forking over 70+ dollars to try and get a reading on the motivation scale. Basically three months to train - ok, I can do this...

reflection

2008-06-25T21:39:00.002-04:00

so I started this blog around a year ago with the hopes of motivating myself into a healthier me and instead have ended up with a record of my devolution into an even worse physical state of being. I got on the scale at the beginning of June with the intention of posting my usual monthly assessment. When the scale showed another couple of pounds added to the previous month's reading, I didn't bother considering any other measurements. I haven't been back to the scale in the past three weeks. I haven't completely given up on getting a grip on my diet, weight, and physical fitness, but, I sure feel like doing so.

sigh

2008-05-12T21:24:00.002-04:00

sittin here at 9 in the evening drinkin a Dr. Pepper. The good news is that it's the first soda of the day. I so need to get this diet under control...

more options

2008-05-06T20:47:00.002-04:00

sometime after I first went off to college, I developed an interest in acquiring a mountain bike. At the time, there wasn't enough money to buy much food, let alone any non-essentials. Every now and then over the course of a decade plus, I found myself looking into and/or wanting to purchase a bike, but I never got around to doing so. A couple weeks ago, I was talking with a friend who likes to bike and of course, has her own bike. I had just received my tax refund and finally followed through on the desire to own a bike. I am now the proud owner of a Trek Navigator 2.0
Now I have another form of exercise available and boy do I need some exercise. This past friday-monday, I rode a few miles each of three out of the four days. Given my recent history of exercise regularity (non-existent), that's an amazing accomplishment. I'm hoping I can find a way to ride this bike into some semblance of fitness.

May Assessment

2008-05-06T00:12:00.003-04:00

weight: 170.4
waist: 40.25 inches
diet: crap
push-ups: 12
running: recently completed 1/2 marathon, completed 5 miles in an hour

no worse for wear

2008-04-27T22:40:00.004-04:00

went for a little run yesterday on a abandoned railroad trail. Probably covered about 2 miles, half of which I walked, but I surprisingly felt pretty good. After finishing the half-marathon a week ago, I've felt a renewed desire to get out and run, and yesterday was much more enjoyable than previous runs that have felt more like an obligation that underscored my out-of-shape state. I hope I can ride these post-race endorphins long enough to get back in the habit of enjoyable, regular running.

fully finished half

2008-04-20T12:14:00.006-04:00

Yay for me! I completed the half-marathon in Salt Lake City yesterday. While I realize my finish time was rather slow by most runners' standards, I'm so happy I crossed the finish line. The muscles are a bit sore today as to be expected, but not as sore as I thought they would be given my complete lack of preparation. The course had a lot of gradual downhill which was very helpful to this overweight, out of shape individual. I ran the first 5 miles of the course non-stop in just under an hour. That alone is a big accomplishment for me since I haven't run even three miles consecutively (as in without any walking mixed in) in like 9 months or longer. And a 12 minute mile pace for those first 5 (I slowed quite a bit later on) is encouraging because 12 minutes was my standard, long run pace when I was 20 pounds lighter. Since I'm wanting to return next year and do the full marathon, I think now (after a little recovery time) is good time to start some actual training.

the good, the bad, and the...

2008-04-14T23:40:00.003-04:00

the bad news is that I am in absolutely no condition to run a marathon. I know I could cover the distance walking, but that would take me half a day. Good news is that the marathon people say I can change my registration to the half-marathon. I'm not in shape to run a half-marathon either, but I did complete a 15k trail run 3 weeks ago on a much more difficult course. So while I know I'll be one of the last participants to finish (which is usually the case anyway) and there will be quite a few runners who finish the marathon before I finish the half, at least I know I can finish well before lunch (7am race start) and I'll still be able to walk the next day. And I'm looking forward to the trip.

recovery

2008-03-31T19:20:00.003-04:00

my rest from my 15k trail run turned into a week long convalescence as I hardly got out of bed all of last week due to a rather fatiguing cold. I feel nearly human again and am looking to April as a good month to get back to regular physical activity.

survival

2008-03-26T21:01:00.002-04:00

despite being overweight and under-trained and despite coming down with a nasty head cold the night before, I survived the 9.3 mile trail run last Saturday. Four days later the muscle soreness is gone and I'm left with the same cold and some bruising here and there (slight sprained ankle and couple other falls). When they say unimproved trail they really mean unimproved trail.

on second thought

2008-03-19T22:20:00.001-04:00

maybe trying to regroup while I'm PMSing just isn't a good idea.

time to regroup

2008-03-16T21:00:00.005-04:00

I believe I've come to terms with my weight and am ready to forge ahead with the dieting plan. I don't know how much damage I've done the past 10 or so days with my self-medicating, stress eating and I don't plan on paying much attention to the scale for the next couple weeks. Just gonna concentrate on the food intake and exercise - and hope April is a better month. I did get out on saturday and ran/walked 7 miles and am feeling comfortable of participating in the 9 mile trail race I've signed up for next saturday. The marathon the following month is a completely different story.

fallout

2008-03-16T21:00:00.004-04:00

so the realization of my actual weight hit me hard mentally. Up until the past year, my highest weight ever in my life has been right around 150. As I began putting on more weight this fall and was struggling dealing with life in general and eating out of stress, I knew I had solidly surpassed 150, but decided that 160 would be my limit. So as I saw myself arriving awfully close to that 160, I was capable of making efforts to stop the increase and I hovered near that number for a few months, before deciding to dig down and get serious about losing some weight. Imagine how defeated I felt as I began to lose weight and then find out that when I had solidly surpassed 150, I had actually surpassed 160. And when I was awfully close to 160, I had actually been close to 170. I believe the miscalculation culprit is a throw rug that I put down in my bathroom and then put the scale on top of that. Previously the scale had sat firmly on the tile floor. I know between September and November I wasn't paying much attention to my weight and I think that's the same time period when I added the throw rug. For the past couple weeks, I've abandoned dieting completely and sulked in frustration, convinced that had I known I was going beyond 160 at the time, I would have curbed eating habits right then and there. There's just something psychologically, back-breaking to me about being beyond 160. And thinking about the amount of extra work involved in losing that additional 9lbs is just discouraging.

March Assessment^

2008-03-16T20:59:00.004-04:00

weight: 164*
waist: didn't care to know
diet: mixed
push-ups: 18
running: well, I can cover 7 miles at a very slow pace. My "easy" mile pace now seems to be at 13 minutes. Maybe, I should just start walking.

^assessment made on the 4th of March 2008.
*weight increase reflects a 9lb correction in previously incorrect scale readings from Nov., Dec., Jan., & Feb.

weighty concerns

2008-02-26T20:23:00.003-05:00

when I stepped on the scale this morning it read around 3 lbs heavier than yesterday and I knew that just wasn't right. I moved the scale a little, and came up with a number that seemed more in line with what I expected. Suspicious of the differing results, I moved the scale to a completely different spot on the bathroom floor and was mortified at the nearly 10 lb increase shown. So tonight after my aerobics class I stood on the big, doctor's office like scale in the weight room. Back home, I tried my scale again in the different floor positions used this morning and compared the results to the gym scale. In a very disheartening moment, I determined that the usual placement of my scale produced a reading that left me thinking I am 9 lbs lighter than I really am. I'm trying to remind myself that I did, in fact, lose two lbs last week. But even so, that still means I did not start the week at 155, but rather 164. I just feel rather deflated and in huge need of some junk food. The higher number actually makes much more sense given my current body appearance. Earlier this week I was thinking how at 150 I could wear a number of pairs of pants that don't currently fit (based on prior pant wearing experience at 150). At the same time, I was trying to figure out how losing 5 more lbs was going to sufficiently take care of the current belly bulge so that such pant wearing would be possible. Well now I know. IT WON'T. Nope, I need to lose 14 more lbs in order to allow that part of my wardrobe to be usable. Ugh. I am just frustrated right now. Lesson learned - when you purchase a new scale at the same time you move into a new place, you just might want to check the accuracy of the reading. I just need to stop thinking/whining about this, go to bed, and regroup tomorrow. Yes, I now realize I won't be able to get to my goal weight in time for the SLC marathon, but the goal is reasonably attainable by Memorial Day. And summer will feel better being slender.

initial success

2008-02-25T19:43:00.004-05:00

my first week of structured dieting has resulted in two lbs of weight loss. Crossing my fingers for week two. Seeing how I got out and ran/walked another 7 miles today, I'm thinkin the week's off to a good start.

day three

2008-02-21T22:50:00.002-05:00

I think the diet is getting easier. Course I wasn't terribly stressed today and I'm a stress eater. Perhaps, my body is adjusting. Perhaps, I've just become delirious.

day two

2008-02-20T21:06:00.002-05:00

ok, I'll admit it. I had a candy bar today. However, despite this egregious departure from the prescribed meal plan, I did otherwise stay within the 'rules'. I sure could use a bacon, cheeseburger about now.

desperation strategy

2008-02-19T22:48:00.002-05:00

seeing how I pretty much am hugely lacking in sufficient calendar pages to allow for a thorough preparation for a marathon all of two months away, I am left realizing that the most help I can give myself to increase the odds of surviving 26.2 miles with no more than moderate physical damage is to drop some serious weight. Hence, for the first time in my life, I am, starting today, following a commercial diet plan for the next four weeks. I'm hoping after that time period I can maintain appropriate food control on my own without the aid of prepackaged, metered out food portions. Knowing I was about to embark upon this endeavor, I consumed a soda and candy bar yesterday before my run. Fortunately the candy bar wasn't all that gratifying, but jeepers I enjoy my carbonation. ::shaking head:: Could be a long four weeks.

back to back

2008-02-19T22:22:00.003-05:00

unless I'm hallucinating I have engaged in aerobic-like behavior on two consecutive days. whoa. this could get out of hand. Yesterday, I took advantage of a work holiday and went to the same course I've been running this month - only I ran it twice. Actually, I alternated between walking and running, but in the end I covered 7 miles. Yay.
Today, I managed to get in the seemingly rare kick boxing aerobics class.
And after a two-week hiatus (otherwise known as laziness) I returned to doing some push-ups, but predictably could only muster 15.
I think I need to be sedentary for the rest of the week to recover from all this activity. ;)

unusual

2008-02-16T21:02:00.003-05:00

I had a candy bar today before my run. That was the only candy bar consumption for the entire week. As much of an accomplishment as that is for me, I actually (and I'm not sure how) pulled off one better - 7 straight days without a single ounce of soda. Wait. Do I have a fever? ;)

three in a row

2008-02-16T20:44:00.002-05:00

got out and ran the same path as the past two saturdays. On one hand, I'm kinda pleased that I've been outside running every saturday three weeks in a row. On the other hand, I'm thinkin that running once a week is probably not gonna get me marathon ready.

wonderful ideas

2008-02-12T22:54:00.003-05:00

yeah so the kick boxing aerobics class idea....Great idea, but jeepers I can't get any momentum here. Originally the class was suppose to be twice a week, but one of those days got canceled due the instructor having a scheduling conflict. Then a class was canceled due to the instructor's inability to get to the building, another class I get turned away cuz the class is "full", and tonight a winter storm led to everything in the area being closed and/or canceled. In five weeks, since the class started, I've attended twice and not for lack of trying to be there. Two aerobics classes every five weeks is just not gonna help much.

take two

2008-02-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

yesterday I went back to the scene of last week's running crime. The morning had produced a couple inches of fresh powder snow. Fortunately the ice was gone and footing was greatly improved. At the start, I fell into a pitter-patter, small, but quick pace that I knew I could never keep up for the duration of the run; however, I figured I'd just go with it as long as I could. That lasted for about a mile. In the end, I finished the 3.5 mile loop 13 minutes quicker than last week. Crazy how much not worrying about falling on your arse helps your time :)

fat tuesday

2008-02-05T23:02:00.000-05:00

well I certainly helped today live up to it's name. Let's see, my food consumption included: a hamburger, fries, a candy bar, three sodas, a piece of king cake, a ham & swiss sandwich, and miscellaneous pieces of chocolate.....Good thing I actually got to attend an aerobics class tonight (and did my 20 push-ups this morning).

note to self

2008-02-05T22:44:00.000-05:00

since I can never remember from month to month exactly where I'm measuring my waist, starting this month my waist measurement is officially defined as the average between the measurement taken directly over my belly button and the measurement taken over the tire two inches below my belly button. The narrowest part of my torso is just below my rib cage, but that measurement only allows for continued denial of the fat accrual in lower regions. Now that I have a standard measurement, I have less ability to fudge the numbers. On the flip side, any future success can be enjoyed as authentic.

February Assessment

2008-02-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

weight: 156.8
waist: 38.5
diet: a mess
push-ups: 20 (the only number I enjoy seeing increase)
running: I'll get back to you on that...

not so helpful

2008-02-02T21:02:00.000-05:00

with predicted, partly sunny weather and temps near 40, I figured I'd go out to an old favorite running path of mine - an approximately 3.5 mile, asphalt, access road surrounding a reservoir. The water company kindly allows the public to use the access road for walking and running. Unfortunately the sun never found its way out from behind the clouds and the freezing rain from yesterday had turned the path into an ice rink. I was able to get in some running here and there where the side of the path had not been cleared of snow and allowed for some traction, but the majority of the time I was walking carefully trying to avoid ending up in worse physical condition than when I started due to falling or straining something from trying to avoid a fall. By the time I finished (an hour and 6 minutes later) I was more frustrated than anything. So much for getting in any real exercise this week. ugh.

can I get a little help here

2008-01-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

only managed 19 push-ups yesterday, but actually got on my treadmill - running a whole ten minutes and then walking another ten. I went to the kick boxing aerobics class tonight only to be told the class was full and they (starting tonight) were only allowing 32 people in the class and it was first come first serve. Had I known that I would have shown up earlier. As it was, after a very mentally draining day at work, it took a whole lot of mental effort to get myself there this evening. Upon hearing the bad news, I was completely deflated, frustrated, and feeling defeated and just went home. Well, actually, I first went to the store and stocked up on candy. Yeah, that was helpful.

mirrors

2008-01-23T21:24:00.000-05:00

job stress pushed me over the edge today and I just had to have a soda. One soda in four days is actually very good for me. And I am still maintaining my candy bar free week though I had a close call today. Despite my stress and rather bad mood I went to a basic aerobics class this evening. I'm thinking I shouldn't attempt aerobics when I'm in a bad mood. I'm not an uncoordinated human being, but you wouldn't have known that seeing me today. Then I happened to notice myself in the mirrors and I was, well, disgusted. Yeah, not feeling so good about myself today.

defining fast food

2008-01-22T20:20:00.000-05:00

um, does Dunkin Donuts count as fast food? well, still no soda or candy bars this week :)

two days and counting

2008-01-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

I'm on day two of no soda, candy bars, or fast food (um, I'm not counting the left over pizza). So far I haven't had any mad cravings; however, tomorrow I'm back to work and could run into some serious problems there. Be strong little self, Be STRONG!!!! Another 20 push-ups today. I love being able to say that :)

another day

2008-01-19T22:17:00.000-05:00

20 more push-ups today. Probably should do about 2,000 to work off the amount of pizza I've eaten in the past 24 hours. Yeah, the new year's positive changes in diet were very short lived. I'm thinking this coming week I need to go cold turkey off the soda, candy bars, and fast food. This could get ugly.

cross-training

2008-01-15T21:29:00.000-05:00

in an email from my university I noticed yesterday the aerobic schedule for the spring semester and the kick boxing class caught my attention; however, being a "non-traditional student", I wasn't all that keen on bouncing my overweight, out-of-shape, self around in a room full of 18 and 19 year olds. A chance conversation at work today provided me with the knowledge that three of my coworkers were planning on attending this kick boxing class (none of whom are traditional students) and so I made plans with one of them to hitch a ride with her to the class. The other two coworkers bailed on the idea shortly before quitting time, but my ride and I went anyway. Ok, yeah, I am so out of shape, but FUN!! My legs fatigued early and my calves were already starting to feel stiff when I got out of the car after getting home. My arms faired rather well though (all those push-ups :) and I am looking forward to the next class. My companion in this adventure pointed out afterwards that we were, in fact, the oldest ones there, but she continued by making note of what I was thinking before she said it - some of those present were obviously having a tougher time continuing through the workout than us "old" women. I am optimistic regarding the outcomes if I actually make a habit of attending this class. We shall see...

it's official

2008-01-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

got out another 20 push-ups today. very sweet :)

can I count that high?

2008-01-13T01:18:00.001-05:00

so I think I hit my randomly chosen benchmark of 20 push-ups. Normally this would be cause for some personal excitement, but I can't help but wonder if maybe I counted wrong. Did I maybe skip some numbers somewhere? See, the past couple weeks I haven't gotten out more than 16 push-ups at a time. Usually when I have a surge in push-up performance I improve by two push-ups, not four. Well, I'll try again Monday....

stop the press

2008-01-08T20:08:00.000-05:00

I haven't eaten a candy bar in at least three days. I haven't eaten fast food in at least four days. I ate a can of green beans today. Maybe I'm still sick. :)

little run

2008-01-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

unseasonably warm temps (60 F) and nothing left of my cold but a little cough resulted in finally hitting the pavement for my first run of the new year. Actually ran some make shift trails through deserted coal fields and introduced my brand new running shoes to some fun mud and yuck. Did a little off roading as well and picked up some friends. Fortunately the little burrs weren't prickly enough to go through my running pants, but they sure are buggers to get off. Had a pretty good time for being out of shape.

technical difficulties

2008-01-06T19:36:00.000-05:00

so yeah a new year provides a great reason to regroup and make another effort at reclaiming physical fitness. I was all set to take advantage of the calender changing opportunity; however, family decided to share illness with me and I have been spending a lot of time in bed this past week. Arghh. But I believe I'm on the mend and Mr. Weatherman is predicting unseasonably warm temperatures tomorrow, so...

January Assessment

2008-01-02T20:33:00.000-05:00

weight: 157
push-ups: 15

new year prep

2007-12-31T19:44:00.000-05:00

here I am at the end of a year that was pretty much a bust for me in terms of physical fitness. I was all enthused about the idea of going out and running today to get a "jump start" on being more fitness committed in the coming year. The sky was beautifully clear and the temps in the 40's. Great day for running. So of course I have the nastiest cold I've had in months. Kind of a perfect way to end my year of not so good physical fitness outcomes - lying on the couch, box of tissues close at hand and enough congestion to make New York City rush hour look tame. However, in looking ahead to the coming months, I am encouraged that I do have a habit developed of doing push-ups and I did complete two 9 mile races during the past year. So while my appearance is suspiciously close to resembling a couch potato, I have not completely succumbed to a life of inactivity. Here's to a new year full of putting distance between me and the couch.

December Assessment

2007-12-02T23:09:00.000-05:00

weight: 159.0 (ugh)
waist: 38
diet: fast food and junk food (as is obvious from the preceding numbers)
push-ups: 16 (given the extra weight, I'm actually pleased with that number)
running: hey, I actually covered 9 miles and one of those was done in 10 minutes (course it was all pretty much down hill, but still...)

thanksgiving run

2007-12-02T00:19:00.000-05:00

Running for 9 miles last week was probably one of the most enjoyable runs over 5 miles that I’ve experienced. I had mentally prepared myself for fatigue and near physical misery knowing full well just how long 9 miles is, knowing I hadn’t run 9 miles in over seven months, knowing the furthest distance I had run in the last seven months was just over three miles and that happened nearly two months prior, and further knowing I had run all of maybe a dozen times in that seven months. So how the heck did a 9 mile run turn out so enjoyable? First of all, the weather cooperated splendidly. Thanksgiving in the northeast is suppose to be rather cold, but this year the temps were in the mid-50’s at race start and moved into the 60’s before I finished. The air remained precipitation free and the winds only gusted a bit here and there. Secondly, I think I simply ran smart. I knew full well going in that I was not properly trained and quite out of shape. I didn’t head out fast. I stuck to the middle of the road as much as possible, avoiding the natural rounding of the road sides that has been known to aggravate my IT band around my knees a number of times in the past. Mentally, I respected the distance (there’s always a few at every race that you just know they decided to run on a whim, thinking, “oh, it’s only however long, I can push through that.” But they don’t have a clue just how far even a single mile really is when you’re running the thing.) And I was familiar with the course so I knew that yucky hill in mile three would last the entire mile, but after mile four, I could look forward to rolling hills with a decent amount of net loss in altitude. I also had no shame in walking those hills. Due to past race experiences, I am quite familiar with the feeling of forcing myself to keep “running” up a hill that required an incredible amount of effort only to end up so spent that by the time I got to the easier parts of the course I had nothing left with which to take advantage of the downhills. Yep, there’s a lot to be said for mental preparation. Over 1,100 people finished the race and I was one of the last 100, but I did finish ahead of 50 people or so, with a time of 1:51 and change and zero injuries (gotta love that). Since my usual goal is to finish a race a few hundred yards in front of the trailing ambulance, I did really well. Now that I know my body can still get through 9 miles without completely rebelling, it’s time to get back to some regular training. There’s a spring marathon calling my name….

Thanksgiving success

2007-11-28T21:29:00.000-05:00

I did actually complete the 98th annual, Run for the Diamonds, 9 mile race last Thursday. The experience was much more pleasant than anticipated. I hope to write more regarding the run before the week is over.

gotta start somewhere

2007-11-12T22:49:00.000-05:00

Laced up today to see if the legs remembered how to run. All in all the endeavor was successful.

wrong direction

2007-11-05T23:05:00.000-05:00

I started this blog weighing 152. I got down to 146 sometime between then and now, but on November 1st, I weighed 156. This morning the scale said 158. ::sigh:: um, this is not the direction I intended. I suppose that should be obvious, but I'm reminding myself since I've apparently forgotten.

November Assessment

2007-11-05T23:01:00.000-05:00

weight: 156
push-ups: 15

unpleasant first

2007-11-05T22:54:00.000-05:00

Last month I bought a new pair of pants. I usually enjoy buying new clothes. This occasion, however, was necessitated by an expanding waistline. Not really any fun at all.

arghh

2007-09-19T21:58:00.000-04:00

while standing on the scale this morning, it stared back at me with a face that said, "152".
::huge sigh:: I find the universe incredibly unfair. I mean how can a person who takes a couple months or longer to lose 6 pounds be able to gain all 6 back in a single month? (inner wise voice speaks, "um, yeah the multiple daily sodas and trips through the drive through just might have something to do with that." Shut up, inner voice. I'm not in the mood!)

September Assessment

2007-09-17T20:58:00.000-04:00

this is getting posted way late due to way more excuses than I care to type out, but this was assessed on the 3rd of September.
weight: 150.0
waist: measuring tape is packed in a box somewhere not yet unpacked after moving (convenient excuse, but also true)
diet: to hell in a hand-basket
push-ups: 18 (just two away from the magical 20. I don't know what's so magical about it, but I like the sound of, "I can do 20 push-ups.")
running: can't remember the last time I ran for more than 5 minutes

Race For the Cure, Sept 8 2007

2007-09-17T20:49:00.000-04:00

I actually ran in another road race. My main goal was to actually cover the 5k standing. My hope was to get finished in under 40 minutes. Since I hadn't laced up in over a month, I wasn't so sure how my body would react to such exertion. I finished in 37:14. Go figure - my fall back standard, long-distance run pace of a 12 minute mile. Well, at least I can still handle 3 miles at a time.

uh oh

2007-09-17T20:44:00.000-04:00

I did it again. I went out of my apartment wearing running shoes and actually jogged around the neighborhood for 20 minutes this afternoon. That's twice in three days. Maybe I'm serious about running a marathon next spring...

my legs remember

2007-09-15T21:43:00.000-04:00

life has been crazy. actually, probably hasn't been too much crazier than usual, but I've been much more stressed about it all than usual and lots of things like blogging get neglected when that happens. today however, I left the house with a new pair of running shoes on my feet and actually ran/explored the streets surrounding my new residence for all of 15 minutes. obviously I didn't get too far in that time frame so there's much more for me to explore in the future. Here's hoping I do just that.

so now...

2007-08-26T20:41:00.000-04:00

last week I got back to doing push-ups on three different days and was able to do 16 each day. that would be the only positive part of my weekly workout/diet synopsis. Thursday was somewhat psychotic and I consumed 3 cans, yes 3, of Dr. Pepper and a bottle of Sunkist. Friday, I toned it down to only 2 cans of DP and a bottle of Sunkist. Holy Cow what am I doing?? I did do a lot of physical work on saturday as I packed up the belongings of my apartment and unpacked them into a new one. of course, both apartments our on the second floor. lovely leg workout. Now that I'm in my new place, I have access to my scale. this could be ugly. I'll wait till tomorrow.

crash

2007-08-19T20:03:00.000-04:00

I’m not sure what my problem(s) is(are) this week, but man the last half of the past week was a complete disaster with respect to diet and exercise. And I don’t have any excuses. No vacation schedule messing me up, completely wrong timing to even try to pretend I’m pms-ing, and no holidays or special events going on out of the ordinary. The past couple of months I’ve not had more than a candy bar a week, but I think in the past 72 hours I’ve consumed 5 servings, shall we say, of chocolate – not to mention a few bags of chips and a number (to remain undisclosed) of sodas.

I started the week getting back to my previously achieved 16 push-ups. Then I didn’t do any physical exercise the rest of the week. In my defense, I am in the process of moving so I’ve been carrying a lot of heavy boxes of stuff up and down stairs the past couple days. That’s gotta count for something, right? My scale has been moved to my new apartment where I am not yet staying. As a result, I have not weighed myself recently and I’m glad cuz I’m pretty sure I’ve gained a couple pounds back and knowing that for sure would depress me. Hopefully I can get a hold of myself this week with my eating and get in some exercise. Doing that, combined with more moving (including all furniture) this week and maybe by the end of next week when I get back on the scale I won’t be any heavier than last time I checked. ::fingers crossed::

need for routine

2007-08-13T21:09:00.000-04:00

so what does going 50+ hours with only 4 hours of sleep mixed in (broken into three different flight segments) do for a weight loss program? certainly doesn't do anything for a person's energy level. Over the past three weeks, I have taken 2-3 days each week to vacation in different places. The last of which ended with non-stop moving from place to place for 50+ hours. Crazy. Both my exercise and diet programs (if you can call them that) have been nearly forgotten. Soda consumption has skyrocketed and vegetable consumption is at previously near non-existent levels. I've managed to get in some push-ups here and there, but the running continues to be mostly absent in my life. I've recently got the idea that I might want to do a spring marathon, which would require the institution of regular running into my schedule ASAP. My body is yelling for a little routine to return. I think I'll start with some routine sleep.

August assessment

2007-08-04T22:12:00.000-04:00

so this one's a little late, but I was doing the vacation thing:

weight: 146.2
waist: yeah, not in the mood to measure
diet: (excluding the not-so-good, vacation diet) soda consumption down, veggie consumption up
push-ups: 15 (yes I did recently hit 16, but after 10 days of neglect (vacation excuse again), I could barely muster the 15.)
running: hmm, wasn't this the main reason for starting this blog? yeah, still struggling with this...

curse the vacation

2007-07-29T21:39:00.000-04:00

I so love actual vacations but jimminy crickets they do a job on a person's attempts at dieting and exercise. last week saw all of one day where I did push-ups. while at the beach I went out running three days in a row for which I am quite pleased; HOWEVER, the running lasted no more than 10 -15 minutes as I ran out of interest and was busy collecting shells. and forget the diet. I am not looking forward to getting on the scale again.

continuing

2007-07-23T20:23:00.000-04:00

reached push-up number 16 today. I only did my push-ups twice instead of three times last week, but I figure once every four or five weeks it won't hurt to blow off one day. ran on saturday for all of half an hour. (one day this blog title will actually be accurate, I hope) haven't been able to get the squat exercise integrated into my daily routine yet. and the veggies haven't quite made it into my daily diet, but I am getting 5 & 6 days out of 7 which is so much better than never.

5 and another 15

2007-07-16T21:43:00.000-04:00

it's taken me precisely two months, but I have now lost 5 pounds. certainly no fast track weight loss going on here. and I was able to get out another 15 push-ups today. had I not done so last saturday, I think today I would have stopped at 13, but I wanted to reach that new level again just to prove it wasn't a complete fluke (0r that I wasn't asleep while counting). I'm heading in the right direction, I just got to keep on....

what?!!

2007-07-14T10:08:00.000-04:00

this morning I cranked out 15 push-ups. yes, that's right - 15. where on earth did they come from? it's not like I've been taking it easy on myself other days and stopping before my muscles are straining. maybe it was the extra day in between (mon.,wed., & fri. are usual push-up days, but I ignored them yesterday.) maybe it was the the solid 9 1/2 hours of sleep I got last night. maybe I counted wrong....
I did notice that when I got into the push-up position this morning it finally felt right as opposed to a little awkward/off. perhaps after 7 weeks of doing push-ups my body has gotten used to the form of push-ups (about freakin' time). previously, the entire process has been a struggle - including holding my body straight (too much gut and butt). perhaps my back muscles are finally strong enough to keep a straight back despite the gravitational pull on my round front side.
whatever the reason, I DID 15 PUSH-UPS TODAY!!!! HOORAY FOR ME!
it'll be interesting to see if this feat is repeatable come monday...

yeah well

2007-07-12T23:42:00.000-04:00

my food intake has been not so good the past couple days. yesterday was the worst with a couple candy bars and a soda, besides other stuff. today was a bit better (no candy bars or soda). man, pms food cravings are rough. but this month's pms diet was significantly better than the usual week long, junk food binging to which I'm accustomed. progress, however small, must be celebrated :) !

love the veggies

2007-07-09T21:26:00.001-04:00

at this point in my diet alteration program, my favorite from-the-can vegetable is french-cut green beens. I was reading the label on the can and did you know that a single 1/2 cup serving has 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of fiber, 4 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of fat? but best of all, that little serving has all of 20 little calories. dag, I could eat the whole stinkin' can and only consume 70 calories! dude - I think I'm gonna need to eat more of this stuff.

inching on

2007-07-09T21:22:00.000-04:00

made it to push-up number 11 today! at this rate I might reach 20 before my chronological age reaches the point in which my physical ability begins to significantly decline :0
But gosh darn it, I'm gonna reach that 20...