My Fitness Blog

HCG Day 1

2010-03-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

From the time I was senior in high school, up to the time my first son was born I weighed about 175 pounds. I could eat cereal until the cows came home. I could play basketball for hours and hours with no side effects. When Kathy got pregnant with Tayson, and started gaining weight, I gained weight too. The problem was, when she had the baby and lost all the weight, I didn't. I slowly let myself get up to about 230 pounds last year. I started training for a half Ironman, started eating healthy, and did weight watchers, and got all the way down to 190. I felt great! I loved the comments I would get about how good I looked. Well, winter started, and my exercise stopped. Thanksgiving, Christmas, a Cruise later and I was back up to 220. A couple of months ago my sister-in-law Heidi started doing th HCG diet. She did the 26 day version and lost about 20 pounds. She looked great after had done it. So I started thinking, 26 days ... That would end the middle of April. Here is Utah, that is just when it starts getting nice enough to train outside. 26 days off would really help my aching knees and ankles recover. It could be a great kick start to a great summer. So I figured, why not?

I called around and found that Elase in Orem had the best prices on the initial consultation and the goods, so I called in and scheduled an appointment. I invited Kathy to come with me since she would be the one supporting and cooking for me. They gave me a paper that outlined what foods were acceptable and how much to eat when, and a printout of the original study. She said that it takes 3 days to really start working, so she could give me the first shot there in the office, which we did. Kathy gave it to me, and the needle was so small, I barely even felt that pinch you get when the needle pierces the skin.

Day one and two on the program are "Fat Loading" days, where you "eat to capacity". This seems counterintutive, but aparatly, its so during day 3 when I start the 500 calorie diet, it's not unbearable. I wish I knew this before my 4:00 appointment, as I was eating to stay under the 500 calorie mark for the day. I had a yogurt for breakfast and a handful of grapes for lunch. After finding this out we went to Chili's for dinner where I got the Chicken Crisper's and a full White Chocolate Molten Lava Cake. I also ate a bowl of cereal later in the evening.

Stay tuned for day 2

The Big Day

2009-09-18T09:57:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that tomorrow is the marathon. Holy cow.

Last Long Run - 8 miles

2009-09-14T10:36:00.001-07:00

Can I really call 8 miles a long run at this point? I don't think so, but it was on the schedule and tapering is feeling good. Saturday morning I ran 8 miles and my legs felt good.

I only have 3 more runs left until the marathon. Yes I am FREAKING out a little but as I look at the training program I've followed the program and done the work so now it's time to run the race and be done with this. I'm so glad that I'm still injury free at this point and I'm going to be careful to not hurt myself this week and try to stay healthy by eating good, drinking lots of water and going to bed a little earlier every night.

Catch Up

2009-09-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Saturday - 12 miles. As crazy as it sounds to me this was a pretty easy distance by this point in the training program. It was nice to only have to fill up my fuel belt once and not be sore after a run. I didn't even do an ice bath and felt fine...this taper stuff is feeling good :)

Monday - Easy run. I ran 3.5 miles after sleeping in since it was Labor Day. I ran around an 8:45 average pace.

Tuesday - Spin.

Wednesday - Tempo run. We did 5 miles total with 3 tempo in the middle. The training said to run it at 8:25 and we did it at 8:13. I felt pretty good during the run.

Thursday - Spin.

Friday - Spin.

Saturday I have my last "long run" until the race - 8 miles.

Speed Work - 7 miles

2009-09-03T08:13:00.001-07:00

Today's workout kicked my freakin' butt. Seriously, I was dying during it and still am. We did intervals today 4 x 1600 at 7:57 pace. We've done this one before and it was hard but we still managed to go faster than we were supposed to and felt good once it was done. I'm not sure if it is the lack of sleep I got earlier this week (thanks to work and kids) or the fact that my body is just tired at this point in the training.

We did our warm up and it felt just like always the first speed mile was ok we ended up right at 8:01 (fine by me) then recovered for a half mile. Second interval was killer and ended on an uphill (ugh) but we still finished it at 7:58. Third interval was right on target at 7:57, although we were faster than that until the slight uphill at the end of that one too. Then the fourth was just KILLER I had no energy left in me and my legs felt sooooo heavy. Of course we still ran it and were doing pretty good until Lola (Traci's dog) got caught on a mailbox then chased 2 bunnies which threw us off a little but we still managed to finish the mile in 8:10 so I am perfectly happy with the workout.

The hard part is just how tired I am right now. I didn't have much steam before I got up this morning and now I'm completely dragging. I got a diet coke was too early this morning and ate a huge breakfast of french toast so hopefully I'll feel better soon. :)

My Last Long Run

2009-08-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the last long run in the training program - the second 20 miler. Rather than figure out a new course we started at Traci's house ran most of our normal loop then headed out to the River Trail. We only overlapped on the trail for 6 miles (3 out - 3 back) so it wasn't too bad. For some reason this 20 was harder than the last one. We finished it at a 9:50 average which is right on with where we are supposed to be for the training (the goal was 9:57 pace). I didn't cramp up or bonk but I also didn't feel nearly as strong this time.

My nutrition was the same. No breakfast, accelGel at mile 8, shot bloks at mile 12, accelGel at mile 17. For the marathon I plan on pushing back the nutrition to miles 8, 13, and 18 and 23 if I need it. I took my endorolytes and did 5 water and 1 gatorade in my fuel belt.

I sat in my ice bath for 15 minutes instead of 10 just to make sure I got all the swelling out and during my bath I drank my recovery drink hot instead of cold. Traci gave me that sweet tip and it was fabulous. I stretched good and other than VERY tired legs on Saturday I wasn't sore on Sunday.

This morning we did a 3 mile recovery run and my legs felt fine. My left hip was pretty sore for the first 2 miles but then it finally let go. I really need to make sure I'm doing all my hip exercises to keep it strong enough for the race in 3 weeks. 3 weeks ..... OH MY GOSH!!!

Speed Work

2009-08-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this a few days ago....we did speed work on Wednesday. 5 miles total. First mile was a warmup then we did 3 miles at an 8:20 pace (we actually averaged 8:13) then a mile cool down. I didn't mind the distance at all since it was the shortest speed workout we've done in a while.

Tomorrow we run 20 again! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Recovery Run

2009-08-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Today's run was a little over 3 miles. My legs are actually not sore at all after the half-marathon and I felt good on the run this morning. There was even a good size hill towards the end of the run.
We have another 20 mile run this weekend so I'm very glad my legs are feeling rested enough.

Park City Half Marathon

2009-08-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

I ran the Park City half marathon on Saturday with the girls. This week is actually scheduled to be a recovery week in our training program and when we signed up a few months ago it sounded like such a great idea but as the day got closer I was dreading running 13 miles instead of 7 like we were supposed to. The goal was to run it like a training run so that we will be ok for our 20 mile run coming up this week.

I didn't eat anything in the morning and it was nice because we didn't have to take a shuttle just show up and run. The run was on a gravel or paved road up and back course. My feel got a little sore from the rocks - but luckily no blisters. The first 7 miles were pretty much all a gradual uphill but then it was nice to have the last 5 with a gradual downhill and only 1 uphill coming back. It felt good to stride it out and pick up my pace a little the last half of the race. I didn't cramp up at all and felt good even at the finish (much different from the Moab half). But my time was within a few seconds of the time I got in Moab - which is good since that time I pushed myself hard and hurt and this time I ran the same speed without hurting and pushing hard so I guess that means I've gotten stronger and faster during the marathon training.

I took 2 endurolytes before the run, drank about 30 oz of water/gatorade on the run, took and accelGel at mile 5 and shot bloks at mile 9 1/2. I drank my recovery drink after and walked around quite a bit after and stretched and I'm not sore at all today.

Recovery Run

2009-08-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Today was another 5 mile recovery run. My legs felt fine and aren't sore or tired anymore from the 20 miler. I'm loving my new shoes and I think they are a good part of the reason my knee and hip aren't tight anymore. I've also started taking glucosamine everyday just in case.

Spin - Endurance

2009-08-18T15:07:00.001-07:00

Today we did endurance in spin. We started with a 10 minute over-under hill. Move up the tension for 3 minutes then attack the hill for 2 minutes then up the tension for 3 minutes and finish with a 2 minute attack.

Then we moved into hi-lows (2 minutes hill sprint - 2 minutes flat road sprint then 1 minute of each twice)

We did this whole thing twice and it was a great endurance workout.

Recovery Run

2009-08-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

This morning was a nice easy 4 mile run. My legs took a while to loosen up - almost a full mile. My garmin is out of batteries so I have no idea what the pace was and honestly I don't really care. I just need to get a few miles in and stay healthy for a few more weeks.

Long Run - 20 miles

2009-08-17T12:30:00.001-07:00

Holy cow - I did it. I ran 20 miles!!!

Rather than do the same out and back that we have done for all our long runs Traci found a course from Wallsberg to Provo Canyon. We left around 5:30 am and started running right around 6. The course had a lot of rolling hills and some fairly challenging hills between 9 and 11 miles. We tried to take the "adventurous route" off the road and over to a path but there was a guy in his truck at the fence so rather than climb it when it was clearly marked private property we turned back and ran on the side of the road the whole way. The funny part is that I was being a "ninny" about going off-road so when we started on this very rocky trail I was mumbling to myself about how I was going to twist my ankle and Gretchen kept laughing at me with all my complaining :) The bad part about running on the road was that it was longer than we needed so we ended up walking about 1.5 miles to get to the car for our cool down. It was good for me but that doesn't mean it was fun.

I didn't eat before the run just drank some water (and had to pee by mile 3 - oh well) I did my first AccelGel at mile 8 then did Shot Bloks at mile 13 and another AccelGel at mile 16. I drank about 60 ounces of water/gatorade on the run. Took 2 Endurolytes before the run and 2 at mile 15. No cramping during or after the run. Woo Hoo!!

We did the majority of our run between a 9:20 and 9:45 pace then started feeling good at about mile 17 and picked up the pace the last 3 miles to about 8:30. It was a tough pace and there is no way I could have held it longer than 3 miles but I was so ready to be done running that there was no reason to slow down at that point.

When I got home I did a 10 minute ice bath, drank my Accelerade and hurried off to take 6 kids bowling for Tayson's b-day. My legs were pretty tired for a couple of days and the top outside of my quads are tight and tender when I use my stick to roll them out.

Now it's time for a recovery week!

Speed Work

2009-08-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday we did our speed work. 4 x 1600 at 8:02 pace. We started with a mile warm-up right about 9:30 pace and then did our first 1600 at 8:00 pace. Then we walk/jogged for a half mile then did our second one at 7:55 pace. Our third one was 7:47 pace and our fourth was 7:50. I was pretty darn tired by the middle of our 4th one but we just kept going to get it over with. Then we did our cool down. The full distance was about 7.5 miles. It was a very challenging workout but I feel like we went at a perfect pace and I felt pretty good once it was all over.

Recovery Run

2009-08-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Today we had a 5 mile recovery run on the schedule. We were all feeling good so we ran it a little faster than planned and finished the 5 miles right at a 9:02 avg. This week is our hardest week of the entire training program. Scary. We have an 8 mile tempo and 20 mile long run later this week.

I didn't take an ice bath after my 16 mile run last week and I'm still feeling a little achy. I'm going to try to stretch good the next few days so that all the soreness goes away before our long run.

Long Run - 16 miles

2009-08-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

We had another 16 mile run today. We ran it at a 9:31 average pace and it felt harder but not too bad. I did the usual - drank lots of water, 2 endurolytes before the run, hammer gel at mile 8 and shot bloks at mile 13. I got new shoes and they felt great. My left hip is still hurting a little bit but once I get moving it lets go and I have a tight muscle in my left butt cheek :)

Next week is our hardest week of training and I'm a little nervous about it.

Speed Work

2009-08-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday night Traci and I did our speed work since schedules are a little crazy this week. We started around 8:30 pm and it was still very hot outside. I drank water on my way over but I was still thirsty the entire run.

We did a mile warm up right around 9 min/mile then about 4.5 at 8:18 pace walked a little then ran back in around a 9 min/mile again. It was tough since we went faster than we were supposed to (8:40 was the goal) and it was sooooo hot.

Recovery Run

2009-07-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today we were scheduled for a recovery run. We usually do 5 or 6 miles at a normal pace on these days. Today was a little different. One of our crew couldn't make it to the long run on Wednesday and no-one should have to run 18 miles alone so we figured out a way to run as much as possible with her. 2 girls met up with her than ran up the canyon and I drove my car up to a parking lot and met them there and ran back with her. It ended up being about 8.7 miles today but it was a nice easy pace and I felt fine. Good times and good friends - that's why I love running.

Tomorrow we do a tempo run. 7 miles total with 5 at tempo.

18 Miles

2009-07-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Another all-time longest run for me. I did my normal routine. Lots of water the day before, half a banana, 2 endorolytes and a big glass of water before the run. I drank almost 60 oz of water during the run, did an AccelGel at mile 8 and Shot Bloks at mile 15. No cramping in the gut or my legs. Which is just so great!!! We averaged 9:49 min/mile pace. I had to stop to pee at mile 9.5 and somehow managed to run under 8:30 pace for a good half mile trying to catch up and it actually felt good to stretch out the legs a little.

I really need to get new shoes. Mine are old and worn down and I think that's why my left knee and hip have been hurting.

I did a recovery drink, lots of water throughout the day and a 10 minute ice bath after the run. I stretched several times throughout the day and this morning I wasn't too sore. It was nice to earn a rest day today and get to sleep in (although I woke up on my own at 6:30 and had to make myself fall back asleep).

Tomorrow - 6 miles easy pace

Speed Work - 7 miles

2009-07-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Today was a freakin' long tempo run. It was 7 miles total with 5 at tempo (8:40 pace). Mentally on a Monday morning I wasn't excited...thank goodness I was meeting some awesome girls to get me out of bed.

I drank lots of water yesterday and a big glass before the run this morning. I also took 3 endurolytes. At mile 3 (mile 2 of the tempo) I took 3 Shot Bloks to keep my legs moving. We finished the 5 miles at 8:30 pace (faster than we needed too - woo hoo). The last 1.5 miles we kicked it up to about an 8:00 min/mile which helped our overall pace.

My left hip (inside) was killing me when we first started then after about 1/2 mile during warm up I felt ok until we stopped at the end of our 5 miles at tempo. We walked for a few blocks then we when started running again my hip hurt so bad I could barely run. UGH!

This week we have our 18 mile run!

16 Miles

2009-07-15T09:23:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it. I ran 16 miles this morning and I felt good. No cramping at all. WOO HOO!!! We took it nice and easy (avg time was just over 10 min/miles) which is exactly where I training says we should be.

I ate 1/2 a banana, took 3 endorolytes and drank water before I left. Took an AccelGel at mile 7 and Shot Bloks at mile 12. I drank 20 oz of water and 10 oz of Gatorade. This is the first time I haven't cramped up during or after a run. Yesterday I drank and drank and drank water until I almost floated away. (I think that helped too).

I was super late for work (10 am...oops!) so I didn't have time for an ice bath but I did ice both of my knees when I got home and drank an Accelerade recovery drink. Tonight I'll stretch and if I'm sore I'll take an ice bath.

I'm feeling good about the marathon. I know I have 10 more miles to run and couldn't do it today but I feel like I'm figuring things out and feeling better every run we do. We still have lots more long runs before the race. My next hurdle (besides running 26 miles) is to figure out my perfect outfit. I'm going for function, comfort and at least a little bit of sassy.

Tomorrow I rest then Friday we do our easy 4 mile run.

Tempo Run

2009-07-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Today for speed work we did a tempo run. 6 miles total with 4 at an 8:40 pace. After the warm up the first 2 miles was tough then once I got the rhythm it felt much better for the second half. We finished the last 200 meters pretty fast so we walked for a block then jogged back home. The run was tough but felt good.

Tomorrow: spin

Wednesday: long run 16 miles!!!

Long Run - 14 Miles

2009-07-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today I ran the furthest I've ever run. I know I'll be hitting this milestone a lot for the next few months but it was still cool. It really sucked to run alone but at least the beach had lots of interesting people to watch and I had my iPod.

I ate a banana and took 3 endorolytes before I left with a big glass of water. I did an AccelGel at mile 6 and Shot Bloks at mile 10. I brought my fuel belt with water and Gatorade and alternated between them. I felt good on the run and never felt cramps or like I was going to bonk. I did have a few issues when I got home but for the most part my cramping was much better today. I made a big effort the past 2 days to drink extra water which I think helped.

When I got back I drank a recovery drink, more water and finished off my Gatorade. Then I went to find the kids down at the Bay and stood in the freezing ocean water up to my waist for a little while instead of doing an ice bath.

I feel pretty good and hopefully the long drive home won't make me stiff or sore.

One thing I am doing for sure is getting different bottoms for long runs. I am so chaffed it's ridiculous. No cute skirt for the marathon that's a 5K kinda outfit :)

Wednesday Workout - Speedwork

2009-07-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

I did my speedwork at the beach on my own. It wasn't very motivating but at least it was easier than normal thanks to being at Sea level. The workout was a warmup then 3 speed miles with a half mile cool down between. I ran my first mile right at 8:00 the second at 7:55 and the third at 7:45. I slacked a little on the cool down and didn't do a full mile. :)

Surf City 5k

2009-07-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

I ran my July run in Cali at the Huntington Beach 4th of July run. It was a great race. I finished in 23:29 (7:32 min/miles). By far my fastest time since High School. The elevation was sweet but it was hot and I ran hard. I felt a bit nauseated by the end :)

Today's Workout - Spin

2009-07-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

I subbed for James today and taught a 1 hour spin class. That extra 15 minutes makes a big difference. We did lots of intervals today and my poor legs were still so tired from the long run yesterday - but I'm feeling much better now so I think it pulled a lot of the lactic acid out. Hopefully it will make me run faster in my 5K on Saturday :) ha ha

12 Miles

2009-07-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

This morning we did our long run since it's a holiday weekend and will be traveling over the weekend. We started bright and early at 5:45 am. My biggest issue these days is my gut and how much it hurts on long runs. I did quite a bit of research online and here are some findings from the mayo clinic:

Often, simple dietary changes can help prevent runner's diarrhea:

At least one day before running, limit or avoid fiber and gas-producing foods, such as beans, bran, fruit and salad. If you run every day, experiment to find a tolerable level of fiber. Otherwise, simply eat high-fiber and gas-producing foods after you run.
At least one day before running, limit or avoid sweeteners called sugar alcohols — most often found in sugar-free candies, gum and ice cream.
For three to six hours before running, limit or avoid caffeine and high-fat foods.
For at least two hours before running, don't eat anything at all.
Before, during and after running, drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration can lead to diarrhea. Avoid warm liquids, however, which can speed food through the digestive tract.
While running, use caution with energy gel and energy bars. In some people, these products can contribute to diarrhea.
If you're lactose intolerant, switch to lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk and milk products.

So this morning before my run I didn't eat and wore my fuel belt with 20 oz. of water. I drank lots of extra water yesterday afternoon and night. I felt good on the run and didn't cramp up at all during the run. I felt great all the way and strong at the finish. I did have some "issues" after the run but not as bad as my last run so maybe it's helping.

We ran it nice a easy around a 10 min/mile pace. I took 3 endurolytes before we started, did an accelGel (no caffeine) at mile 4.5 and shot bloks at mile 8. I drank all 20 oz of water. I forgot to drink a recovery drink and didn't have time to do an ice bath.

I'm feeling a bit tired and I'm sure I'll need to stretch really good tonight.

Monday Workout

2009-06-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to be a nice easy 5 miles but since Sherry is in town she came with us and helped us keep our pace up. It wasn't too fast or too hard...but a good 30 seconds faster pace than our normal easy Monday runs. My left leg is tired from water skiing so I'll need to do some serious stretching before our long run on Wednesday (12 miles .... UGH).

Tomorrow I spin.

Workouts

2009-06-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

This week is recovery week. Every 4th week of our program is a recovery week so we can rest and recuperate. Hooray for recovery week!

Monday we did a nice easy 5 miles. Our training program says to go at a 10:15 pace but we averaged a 9:20 pace. I figure it's fine to go where we are comfortable. I never felt like I was pushing it and could have held it longer.

Today was spin. We started with intervals (1 min on 30 s. off 30 s. on 4x) then did a nice 10 minute hill with isolations followed by some endurance work. For endurance we did 2 min. moderate (RPE 6.5) 2 min. attack (RPE 8) 2 min. moderate 3 min. attack 2 min moderate 4 min attack then 1 min moderate and all out for 1 minute to finish up class. The workout felt good.

Tomorrow: 5 miles easy

10 Mile Run

2009-06-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

This morning Kami and I ran 10 miles. We averaged a 9:05 pace the whole time and felt pretty good. I drank before, at mile 4 and 7. I did shot bloks at mile 4 and 7. My tummy started to cramp up a little and hurt right around mile 8 but nothing too bad. It hasn't been hurting as much as it did last week. My legs aren't as tired as last week - which could be due to the fact that this wasn't a downhill run and I wasn't going as fast. We'll see how they feel tomorrow.

It took us exactly 1:30 and somehow I still managed to get to work before 9:00. Sweet!

Tomorrow: cheer on Todd and Timmy at the Provo Tri and try to get in a short bike ride. Weather looks bad so it will probably not happen...but here's to hoping.

Slept In...

2009-06-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

I totally couldn't motivate myself to get out of bed when the alarm went off this morning for spin. It was raining outside and I was all warm in my bed....so I went back to sleep.

Oh well....there's always tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow - it's a long run day I have to put in 10 miles. I don't know how I feel about this whole training for a marathon thing. It's a serious commitment :)

Speed Work

2009-06-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Today we did speed work. We ran the first mile at an easy pace. Our first speed mile was supposed to be at 8:05 which we maintained the whole time until the last 1/3 mile which was downhill and brought our average to 7:55. Then we walked/jogged for a half mile before our second one started. We were supposed to run the second one at 8:00 and stayed right under it the whole mile even with the slight hill at the end and finished it with a 7:57 average which is great considering how much harder the second mile was than the first not including how tired I already was. All-in-all I felt good and I really do like how much speed work helps me with my pace.

Tomorrow: forecast looks rainy so I'll hit spin instead of try to ride outside.

Tuesday Workout - Spin

2009-06-16T13:30:00.001-07:00

This morning came a little too early for me...but I can never sleep in on spin days so I got my butt out of bed and hit the gym.

We did endurance today. Alternating between RPE 6, 7, 8 and 9 the whole class. My legs felt better today than yesterday. Hopefully one more day of stretching and I'll be good to go.

Tomorrow: Speed work. Warm up 1 mile, 1 mile speed (8:05 min/mile), walk/jog 0.5 mile, 1 mile speed (8:00 min/mile), walk/jog 0.5 mile, cool down 1 mile.

Mondays Run

2009-06-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest I was hoping for a text this morning when I woke up saying everyone was too sore to run today - cause man are my legs tired. Last night I took "the stick" to my legs and the inside top of my knees and my shins were surprisingly sore. My quads in general are still very tight. I don't know if it was the downhill or the pace (or both) but I am more sore than I was last time we ran 10.

I'm glad I got up and ran though. We did an easy 4 mile run today (I didn't even wear my Garmin). My legs really ached for the first 1/2 mile then they loosened up. They hurt bad going downhill and still really hurt if I walk up or down the stairs. I'll stretch them really good again tonight and hopefully they will recover.

Tomorrow: Spin

Riverwoods 10 Miler

2009-06-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

First long run since the Moab Half-Marathon. I've done a few 7 milers and one 8 mile run since then but the focus has been on biking so I was a little nervous how I would feel running this far. I wore my new Athleta running skirt and it was very comfy the whole 10 miles...I think I finally found a skirt that will last for a marathon.

We ran a pretty fast pace for a long run (we averaged about 8:28 min/miles). It was hard to readjust our pace off the hills and honestly I felt pretty good so why slow down. I'm sure I wouldn't have started that fast normally but Jill set a great pace so I just ran. I did shot bloks at miles 3 1/2 and 7 and drank about 3 big gulps at each of the aid stations (3 of them). I walked through them while drinking to make sure I got enough liquid and just drank water.

I'm super sore today though. I'm not sure if it's because of the hills, the pace, the fact that I didn't stretch or do an ice bath or all of the above. I did drink a recovery drink when I got home and that helped me get my energy back. My gut hurt pretty bad when I got home for a few hours but I was feeling better by dinner time.

Things I would do different: I forgot to take my endorolyte pills before the race (they help with lactic acid and cramping) and I would ice bath and stretch before I get this sore.

Monday: short easy 4 mile run

Tuesday Workout - Spin

2009-06-09T09:44:00.001-07:00

Today I was really worried about my legs being jello and sore...but to my surprise I felt great. I didn't have to take it easy on the climbs or slow down on the sprints. WOOT! I guess the ice bath, stretching and recovery drink did their job.

Tomorrow: speedwork

Little Red Riding Hood Century

2009-06-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

The century went great. I posted the fun details on my other blog. But this blog is for even more details that I want to remember.

Nutrition wise I did cytromax in one water bottle and straight water in the other. I went through 5 water bottles total (2 cytromax). I did 1 1/2 packs of shot bloks (black cherry of course...yummy) and 2 accelgels (1 w/caffeine and 1 w/o). I tried to eat about every hour and drink about every 15 minutes. I also did 3 endurolyte pills two times (sadly I lost my awesome hammer pill bottle and wasn't about to stop to get it). I ate about half my sandwich with lots of pickles and some fritos (salt was very yummy) with a coke and half a cookie at lunch. I never felt like I was hitting the wall, I think I managed to keep ahead of it with hourly nutrition.

After the ride I stretched, drank a recovery drink (eundurox) and took a 15 minute ice bath. Today I'm not sore at all.

I'm going to try going for an easy run tonight then tomorrow is spin.

Wednesday Workout - Run

2009-06-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Today I did a very light run. I ran just over 3.5 miles at a 9:15 average pace. This is a rest week to get ready for the Century in 3 days.

Tomorrow - sleep in and rest my legs :)

Tuesday Workout - Spin

2009-06-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

My legs finally felt fine while on the bike this morning. We did some great endurance interval sets followed by a 15 minute endurance hill climb. Hopefully the fact that my legs didn't burn means I'm rested enough for the century this weekend.

Tomorrow - easy run 4 miles

Saturday Workout - Biking

2009-06-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

We needed to get in about 30 miles on Saturday so Timmy and I did Southfork. We only got half way up the canyon though because it was pouring rain and we were drenched and didn't want to go downhill on slick roads. As soon as we got out of the canyon the rain stopped. My legs were still really tired - I'm guessing from the 75 miler still which worries me a little.

Monday - easy run

Friday Workout - Tempo Run

2009-05-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I woke up with a pounding headache so I slept in. I went for a quick bike ride around 5:00 pm with Todd and Timmy. We did about 18 miles all flat by the lake. It felt good going out then when we turned around we hit a headwind...UGH! No wonder I felt so good going out.

This morning we did a tempo run. 5 miles total. 1 mile warm up - 3 miles at 8:20 pace - 1 mile cool down. I felt good on the run and the tempo is getting easier every week.

Tomorrow - bike ride

Memorial Day 10K

2009-05-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Me, Jill and Jen

I did my first 10K on Saturday. The run felt good. We kept it right around 8:40 pace. Drank at miles 2, 4, and 5 (just a sip each time) and did shot bloks at mile 3. My legs felt good the whole race.

Today's Workout - Run 8 miles

2009-05-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

This morning started bright and early so we could get 8 miles in before 7:00. (Man I love that it is warm and light out in the mornings). We ran a new loop today out to Will's Pit Stop - down University - the up past Provo High and over to Grandview. I didn't love how long we were on University Ave. but it was a good loop and exactly 8 miles (well....7.99 on the Garmin). I took an Acel Gel at mile 4 and felt pretty good the whole run.

Tomorrow....morning bike ride

Summer Training 2009

2009-05-27T10:59:00.001-07:00

I've decided that I'm going to have this blog be a place I can put our weekly training schedule as well as how I feel during and after workouts. We have a lot of events going on right now and I want to keep a journal of them and have something to look back at when I need motivation.

And the Winner is...

2008-12-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

We did our final weigh in, took our measurements, and pictures.

Kathy Lost:
Weight: 19.5 lbs
Inches: 12
Body Fat: 5.7%

Timmy Lost:

Weight: 24 lbs

Inches: 12.5

Body Fat: 4%

So the problem is....who is the winner? Timmy won 2 of the 3 but the rules were body fat % and I won that. I think we'll call it even and just be so dang happy that we both lost so much weight.

It feels so great to be back to pre-prego weight within 4 1/2 months. It's a record for me. Now we have to maintain through the next month of holiday parties.

It's been a while

2008-11-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's been way too long since I've posted updates on here. We are just about to be finished with our contest. Next week is the official end so we'll take "after" pictures, do our measurements and one final weigh in.

I am down 18.6 pounds total
Timmy is down 22 pounds
Todd graciously left the contest when he got his new job - traveling didn't work well with his diet - maybe next year...

Broken

2008-11-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

Our brand new scale hasn't been working so we haven't weighed in for a few weeks....Timmy got it working tonight so we're back on track for a weekly weigh in this Friday!

10 Secrets of the Effortlessly Thin

2008-10-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

I liked this article.

Here is the summary with my comments on the side:

1. They don’t diet (I usually don't diet - only after a baby)
2. They keep track of their weight (I always know about what I weigh)
3. They exercise regularly (definitely - I LOVE exercising)
4. They don’t solve problems with food (nope I use shopping to solve my problems)
5. They stop eating when they are full (I'm pretty good at this)
6. They don’t surround themselves with temptation (I try to keep good food in the house)
7. They allow themselves treats (oh heck yeah)
8. They eat breakfast (I have to eat breakfast cause I'm starving after 6:00 am workouts)
9. They move, stand and fidget more (I am a fidgety person)
10. They don’t skip meals (I'm usually too hungry to skip meals, but I do it sometimes)

Weigh In - Week 5

2008-10-10T11:29:00.001-07:00

WOW! This week was BAD!!!! I ate ice cream pretty much everyday and since I didn't shop last week ate out way too many meals. And now I'm leaving for Vegas for the weekend so I'm not starting off next week very good either. Oh well.

Kathy: I didn't gain any weight but I didn't lose any weight.

Todd: Up 2 lbs (traveling for work all week will not make this easy)

Timmy: Down another pound this week - way to go!

Weigh In - Week 4

2008-10-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

I was VERY stressed about our weigh in last week....I had a hard time sticking with the diet but I still ate pretty good and only had a few extra treats. And I worked out HARD last week. I'm getting stronger so I get more out of my workouts.

Kathy:
Lost 2.5 pounds

Timmy:
Lost 2.5 pounds

Todd:
Same weight as last week (he's going to rededicate himself)

Weigh In - Week 3

2008-09-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

I am down another 1.5 lbs (10 down total!!!)

Todd is down another 2.5 lbs

Timmy is down another 3 lbs

Looks like I'm going to lose this contest. Oh well I fit into my favorite pair of pre-prego "skinny" jeans yesterday so I'm not complaining. I still had a nice fat roll on top but they buttoned comfortably and weren't tight on my legs or butt at all. Yippee!!!

Weigh In - Week 2

2008-09-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Todd and I weighed in this morning.

I am down 3 more pounds. Which means I have lost 8.5 pounds and have 8.5 pounds left to go....I'm half way there. The best part is that I feel GREAT! My clothes are fitting better (I'm not even wearing my girdle right now) and this morning in spin I honestly felt stronger than I have in a very long time. I still have a very happy and full baby so I don't have to feel bad about trying to lose the weight. It was a good week.

Todd lost another 2 pounds and he is feeling strong and looking buff and H.O.T. HOT!!!

Timmy is down 3 more pounds and is proud to report he is back at his drivers license weight.

Things are going well for us and we only have 10 weeks left!

Is it really almost Friday?

2008-09-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is week 2 weigh in.

Am I ready?

Have I gained or lost weight?

I hate the anxiety of getting on the scale. I haven't weighed myself since Monday, I am trying hard to only step on the scale once a week. It's hard to resist, but I know I'll see better results by doing it once a week at the same time instead of everyday.

I've been good this week. I ate healthy and followed the program. I have run twice, lifted, taught spin and am going to do yoga tonight....so I should be good. I guess I'll know soon enough! Off to do yoga.

Grab a buddy

2008-09-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I simply CAN NOT workout by myself. I have no motivation when I'm going solo. Luckily I have a workout partner who is dedicated and likes to do all the same stuff I do. We are a perfect workout match! I don't know what I would do without her. You're the best Traci!!!

I love the social aspect of working out with other people - the more the better. I love to chat while running/biking/lifting. I push myself harder when I'm with other people (pride I'm sure) and I really enjoy myself more with others. I've always been a gym rat because you get to see other people, make new friends (that's where Traci and I met 4 years ago), and everything is right there for you.

Since the contest started I've noticed that doing double workouts 3+ days a week hasn't been hard because I'm working out with Traci in the morning then at night if Todd is working out there isn't any reason why I shouldn't join him.

The Weekend

2008-09-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

Dieting over the weekend is sooooo hard. Saturday I went on a 3 hour bike ride (up southfork) and it was so much fun to be back out on my bike. Then I was running errands all day so it was hard to keep on top of preparing and eating healthy snacks and meals. It took quite a bit of extra effort but I managed to eat healthy meals and just skipped my snacks.

Yesterday was a totally different story. We have church at 1:00 so we slept in ate a yummy scrambled egg breakfast late, skipped lunch, hate a small snack when we got home from church (which took a while because the minivan battery died so we walked the half mile home) then went to my brother's house for dinner. Sunday dinners are a big deal to us and we love being with the family. Dinner consisted of hamburgers (off the grill...yummy), pasta salad, and fruit salad (which Kami left the yummy whipping cream off part of it for us). Rather than gorge ourselves like we normally would on such a delicious dinner we just ate normal portion sizes. Then my SIL made dutch oven peach cobbler with ice cream. Rather than suffer watching everyone else eat it I had a smaller (not too small though) portion and it was DELICIOUS!!!

So this morning I decided to do a extra weigh-in just to check the damage and I was the same weight as I was on Friday and when Todd did his check he was actually down another pound. So I guess our small cheat wasn't too bad after all.

The Boys Weigh In - Week 1

2008-09-13T21:49:00.001-07:00

Todd is officially down to 211 lbs (that's 8 pounds lost!!!) and his body fat percent is down 1.1 %

Timmy is down to 191.4 lbs (5 lbs down) and 2% body fat

They are both doing great with their programs and it shows. If they keep this up I'll never be able to beat them!

It's been so much fun doing the P90X workouts together. I am a very social worker outer (is that a word?) so this group effort works well for me...and I think Todd is so dang hot when he's working out - hubba hubba

Weigh In - Week 1

2008-09-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

The first official week is done. I lost another 1.5 pounds and my body fat is down a little over 2% - woo hoo!!! Todd and Timmy will both be doing their weigh in's tonight....updates will come later (hopefully from them since they should be posting too).

How did the first week go for me?

Overall it was good. I enjoyed the food and never felt hungry, but spending so much extra time at the store and in the kitchen is going to be very hard when I go back to work full-time. I guess we will just have to eat a little later at night.

My body is starting to get used to the workouts. I've been doubling up quite a bit because I can't give up my morning workouts (I need the girl time while running and chatting and since I teach spin I can't give that up either) and I've been trying to do the P90X workouts with the boys at night. The plyometrics and weights kicked my trash, and the yoga was tough but difficult to follow. Doing yoga from a dvd is always hard because you can't hold the pose and look at the tv and no-one is there to correct your form.

I've been thinking about what advantages and disadvantages I have in this contest. So I thought I'd jot them down.

Advantages:
- I'm already used to working out daily
- I'm starting in fairly good shape
- I know what I'm doing with nutrition and fitness
- I've successfully dieted before (4 times to be exact)
- I hate saying I'll do something and then not doing it
- I don't gain weight easily (so what comes off usually stays off with little effort)

Disadvantages:
- I'm the oldest
- I'm a girl (and those darn boys always lose weight faster)
- I just had a baby so my body isn't as strong as normal
- I can't starve myself for quick results (or my sweet Sophie will suffer and that's definitely not the goal)

P90X

2008-09-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

I know this is Todd's program for the contest but I've been cheating and doing a lot of it too. I figure if I'm going to spend half my day in the kitchen cooking food for him I'd might as well make it for myself as well. The whole family is doing P90X dinners so that I don't have to cook 2 meals. So far they have been healthy, filling and yummy.

Tonight all 3 of us did the P90X Plyometrics video and HOLY COW that thing was tough. The crazy part to me is the fact that because my legs weren't strong enough to really get into deep lunges I didn't work half as hard as I was supposed to. I guess that's why it takes 3 months to finish the program. Hopefully it will get better each week. I just need to BRING IT!

Weekly Weigh In

2008-09-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

So my first full week is done and I am now down 4 pounds from my starting weight. Yippee!!

The boys still haven't started their programs but I am counting these towards the final numbers or I'll never stand a chance of beating them. We bought a new scale that measures weight, body fat percent and water percent. The scale will be the main indicator of the winner.

Before Pictures

2008-09-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

I just can't post them yet....it really is too depressing. I know for some people they are motivating but it just depressed me when I saw what I really look like. I guess I must always suck in when I walk by the mirror because I didn't realize just how big my belly and hips are.

Don't worry I wore a tank top. No-one needs to suffer by seeing all my stretch marks on my belly. :)

Post Baby Weight Loss

2008-08-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's time for me to get serious about losing these extra baby pounds. I'm no spring chicken so it never comes off as easy as it goes on. :) I need to lose 17 pounds to be back to my pre-prego weight. I know I should take a "before" picture but it's just so depressing to think about doing that. I am going to take some measurements since the scale only says so much.

Here are my goals:

Track daily caloric intake (my goal is 1600 - 1800 calories)
Track exercise
Run 2-3 times a week
Spin 2 times a week
Weights 2-4 times a week
Weigh in once a week (Fridays)

Shout out to Danny

2008-05-12T14:45:00.001-07:00

My brother Danny did his first triathlon of the season (the St. George Tri) and came in 7th overall in the Olympic distance race. Way to go!!! Hopefully I'll get to see him race at least one race this summer, but with the baby it could be a little tough.

I hate that race season is here and I'm not doing any races this year. It's always fun for me to go cheer on my family and friends, but I really miss being out there training and racing. Next year! This year I just have to keep training for childbirth :)

Weekly Workout Schedule

2008-05-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

Monday: Spin
Good workout!

Tuesday: Elliptical
40 minutes of cardio then stretching and abs

Wednesday: Spin
We did endurance drills today - ugh!

Thursday: Weights
Lifted upper body and abs

Friday: Spin
I actually got up and went and did the full hour today!

Saturday: Walking

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-04-29T10:52:00.001-07:00

This Weeks Workouts

2008-04-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

Monday: Spin
Great workout...my heart was pumping and I felt great

Tuesday: Elliptical and Abs
Felt good - I wouldn't say I worked too hard but I got up and did it so that's what counts at this point

Wednesday: Spin
I love spin. I can still get a good workout and it's over by 7:00 am

Thursday: Lift
We lifted upper body, abs and of course our hips (adductor, abductor)

Friday: Spin
Slept in....GNO kept me out too late, but it was worth it!

Saturday: Walking

Sunday: Rest

Why do a Fitness Blog?

2008-04-28T10:23:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to stay motivated through the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy and if I am accountable to record what I'm doing to stay in shape it will help me keep working out. And I'm going to need lots of motivation in a few months to get the baby weight off and hopefully I will be in the habit by then and we can all laugh and cry together with good days and bad days.