Tinkerbell FINISHED

The Tinkerbell half Marathon is in the books, Finished, Done, Completed!

Check out my new blog at http://thefitladychronicles.wordpress.com for more information and photos.

Thanks,
gina

Daring Greatly

I am reading an Awesome book right now by the  name of Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.
And from the moment I read the jacket of the book I knew it was going to be a great book. This quote is my new favorite quote and I am sharing it now. It sums up what this year has been for me.

 

 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the

man who points out how the strong man

stumbles, or where the doer of deeds

could have done them better.

 

 

The credit belongs to the man who is actually

in the arena, whose face is marred by dust

and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly....

who at the best knows in the end the triumph

of high achievement, and who at the worst, if

he fails, at least fails while daring greatly."

-Theodore Roosevelt

 

 

 

This year has been about Daring Greatly. Which meant facing the past, seeking help, fighting through, becoming whole again, learning to open up, focusing on my family and myself.  Throughout this year I learned over and over again how strong I am. Not just physically but mentally/spiritually. Deep down I had always known this about myself but had never really pushed myself. This year I pushed myself and it felt good.

As 2012 comes to a close in a few days I look back and I am happy to see it go. But I look forward to 2013 with extreme gusto.....lets get this party started. Welcome 2013 Bring it On!

A little of this a little of that

Today is a bunch of stuff. A little of this and a little of that.

Blood/med levels today checked out great. And I don't have to go back for another check until next Friday....wooohooo!  And the kids did great sitting and waiting nicely in the clinic. There was one small escapade of spilled water. Stupid self serving water containers that are kid magnet!

All in all it was an Election day miracle.

Which leads me to Election day - Today. You are not going to change my mind that has been made up for a few weeks now. Your adds are not doing anything but irritating me. And don't even get me started on all the crap arriving daily in my mailbox - a waste of trees. All the stuff flying around on Facebook is so disturbing. Why is it that if my opinion doesn't match with yours I am called a bigot and intolerant?  What happened with accepting the fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we are not going to agree all the time? I have a dear friend that I do not always agree with and we are still friends. We have at times strongly disagreed (envision screaming match) BUT we still respect one another and our opinions.

I love this quote by John Wesley 10/6/1774
"I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them, 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy: 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against: And 3, And to take care of their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side"

I think this about sums up what Election day should be about. Right?

And finally - I am thinking of changing a new blog hosting domain. I have been a faithful Blogger fan since my first blog back on May 7, 2005 .  I have come a LONG way with my blogging. Blogging about being Single, Running, Bus etiquette, Meeting Bill, babies and life. (There are some fun blogs - go read some of the old ones) Blogger has been a fun ride but I think I am ready to grow up and move on. Once I figure out things I will for sure post it on here. 

New normal

This past week has been hard. Hard trying to settle into a routine again, Hard trying to clean the house again, Hard trying to maintain at the level I am used to, Hard getting back into the exercise swing of things, Hard because I am still going 2/3times a week for blood draws to check on my blood levels, Hard admitting that I still cannot do it all and Hard being okay with that.

HARD

However, I am getting through each day with less and less pain.  And this experience has been a test of my humility and strength. I know the Lord knew what he was doing when my minor surgery veered off course.

I am having to daily focus on what my body can do and not what my brain says it can do. Because my brain says that I can do 3 loads of laundry & carry it up the stairs, sweep/mop floors, cook fabulous meals for my family and still have time to do a puzzle or craft with the kids.

BUT

My body says - "ahh, 1 load of laundry is good and it can wait to go upstairs till Bill gets home" and "lets just lay on the couch for a few minutes"

Honesty, things are going smoother.  The kids have really stepped up helping. The house actually looks good a bit dirtier than normal. Ahhh, did I just type that???

The most frustrating part of this recovery is proving to be the blood clots. The 2/3 weekly trips to get my blood drawn to check the med levels in my blood are getting frustrating and time consuming. This part of the process is where I am finding it hard to see the big picture. And it seems every time I go in I find out new information on blood clots or the medicine I am on. Yesterday, I was told "increased activity will increase your med levels" - WHAT??
I might have said something along the lines of "Then what am I suppose to do sit on my A%$ for the next 3months?"

This New Normal thing is hard work! But I am trying ..... just keep swimming, just keep swimming

Minor surgery turns major - part 2

At the hospital I was sent to the Vascular Clinic. And it is here I met a great team of nurses, ultrasound techs and doctor who would diagnosis and start my treatment.

What is a blood clot?  A Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that has formed in a deep vein. They more commonly occur in leg veins and when they do they originate in the calf. The blood stops flowing properly and begins to pool together thus creating the "clot".

What causes DVT's?  Risks of forming a DVT include prolonged sitting, bed rest or immobilization, recent surgery or trauma, fractures, childbirth within past 6months and the use of medications like estrogen or birth control pills. The doctor who treated me said that 1 out of 5 knee surgery patients will develop blood clots.  Crazy!

How do we treat a DVT or in my case 3 DVT's?  Treatment usually lasts 3-6months and the factors surrounding timing have a wide range. I was given an immediate dose of Lovenox - which is administered by injection and of which I have been giving myself daily since being diagnosed. And orally by mouth the drug Coumadin. The Coumadin will be my main form of medication once my blood thinness level reaches a INR of 2.0 - 3.0. The Coumadin takes about a week to get to peak level in your blood and "thin" it. So they combine the treatment in the beginning with the drug Lovenox.  Most everyone has a blood "thinness" of 1.0 or lower. But when you have a blood clot you need your blood to become considerably "thinner" to help break up and disperse the blood clots & get the blood flowing in the affected veins. And the BEST part is my new sock that I have to wear from the moment my foot hits the floor in the morning till bed......a medical compression sock.

What does this mean for me?  Until my INR blood levels get up to 2.0+ I will be giving myself the injections and oral amt of Coumadin. They will monitor me by taking my blood when I visit the Anticoagulation Clinic. I will be visiting this clinic daily till my levels get stable and stay stable. After they are stable I can visit 1x a week until my treatment is over. My levels reached a 2 today and I have to go in tomorrow for another blood draw. I am hoping to drop down my visits this week and not have to go every day.   I also have to have an ultrasound every week of my calf until the blood clots are gone and have not moved.

A few warnings come along with the meds & condition:

- bruise more easily (yep, I have bruises from each injection on my stomach & each blood draw)
- bleed for longer when cut
- no dental work while being treated (risk of bleeding gums)
- no aspirin or aleve products
- no over the counter meds and most antibiotics
- you have a lower immune system - we'll see how this goes with 3 little kids in our house
- cannot high amounts of foods with Vit K (think dark green veggies, blueberries, pumpkin)
- should not drink alcohol or limit it (great there goes Thanksgiving!)

 Once I am stable & clots are gone we will have to figure out what a new normal is for me. I am thankful that I listened to my gut and called the doctor. I am thankful for the care I am receiving and that it is treatable. And even though I know it's silly I have found myself asking "Why?" So for now I am trying to trust in the Lord and recognize that He has a bigger plan for all of this.

A minor surgery goes major - part 1

Monday was the day of my "minor knee surgery" to repair my torn meniscus. I met with the surgeon the week before and we went over what to expect/not expect after the surgery. He did say at one point "The MRI only gives me a general idea, I wont really know how bad it is in there until I get in there".

The surgery time was 3:15 Monday afternoon. Bill and I worked out a plan that he would take girls to school & work (I work at their school on Mondays to offset tuition cost) and I would stay at home with little man. Little man had a speech evaluation that had been scheduled for weeks. And going to the girls school with the smell of coffee/food in the church cafe probably not a great idea for me.

After school was over I took a little nap while Bill fed the kids and his parents arrived. And then we headed into Seattle for my "minor knee surgery".  I had told everyone "It's not a big deal, it's an easy surgery" and normally it is. I should've known when they hadn't taken me back at 3 that things were going down hill.  Bill finally asked and they said "OH, the doctor is running behind we will get her back in 20mins"

Finally, at 3:30 they came for me and I got to get all dressed up in my fancy gown, socks & hat. Yes, they made me wear this funny knit hat thing. They took me back shortly after that. The operating room overlooked Seattle skyline & it was raining. So it was kinda of cool to see from the operating room as I laid down on the table - which was heated by the way! The anesthesiologist numbed my arm and tried to get my vein for the iv. After 3attempts he finally found a vein in my wrist that he could use for my iv. Thank goodness for that numbing agent or else I would've been dying. (I have deep vein issues, veins that roll & disappear and result in my arms being human pin cushions.)

I woke up in recovery a little after 5 and they soon got Bill for me. I got a little sick from the anesthesia but they were able to keep me from a huge puke fest. Good thing. Sadly their parking lot didn't fair better though! The doctor said the tear in my meniscus wasn't as bad as he thought but that the other cartilage damage in my knee was worse than he had expected. He sent me home with some nifty pictures. Let me know if you want to see them.

After stopping to get my pain meds we were home and I was in bed by 9pm. I didn't sleep as well as I had hoped even being on pain meds. And again this should've been a sign they say. By 6am I was wide away (only sleeping 3hrs) and having a charlie horse in my calf under the bad knee. Bill got me some more water and a banana. By 8am I was still having the charlie horse pain and I jokingly said "Maybe it's a blood clot" and Bill said "It's not a blood clot, stop saying that" and we laughed it off. By 11am I called the doctor's office and left a message with my symptoms. I also still wasn't able to sleep either no matter how hard I tried.

At 3pm the call came from the nurse. She asked me several questions and then I heard these works "How fast can you get back here?" and I said an hour. And she said "You need to get here as soon as possible we believe you have a blood clot and you need to be seen immediately"

We called the in laws who met us at the hospital and we went into the Vascular center within the hospital to be seen. An ultrasound on my leg revealed 3 blood clots. Three of the four veins in my lower calf were blocked with different size clots. And this is where the story gets fun. This is where a "minor surgery" has rocked my world.

The Results......Torn Meniscus

I have been waiting till I knew for sure but today I got the call. Yesterdays MRI  confirmed what my doctor and I suspected. I have a torn Left Knee Meniscus. To tell you the truth until my doctor told me what he suspected I didn't  truly know what a Meniscus was.  But boy do I know what one is now!!  Thanks to Google OR not.

The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that provides a cushion between your thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). There are two menisci in each knee joint. They can be damaged or torn during activities that put pressure on or rotate the knee joint.

I have a "medium to severe" tear. I do know that is bad, bad enough to cause the "locking" up of my knee that I have been experiencing when I run or go down the stairs. OR even lying in bed the other night I moved just right and my knee locked up. Luckily it doesn't stay locked long but enough to get my attention. When you have a bigger tear you get the locking issues. The "tear" flaps over inside the knee causing the knee to lock up because that meniscus should be flat all the time so you bones can glide over on another. When they cannot glide, you cannot move your knee = the locking.

See aren't you glad I did some research for you?


So what does this mean? It means surgery to fix. It's a day surgery so not too terrible. I meet with a surgeon on Thursday.

Want to know the crazy thing?  So there are 3 of us in my running group. And my buddy Karen has the EXACT same thing going on with her right knee. She met with her surgeon yesterday and is having surgery next Thursday.

We have been keeping each other positive and sharing our research/doctor knowledge.

The good thing is the surgery recovery time isn't that long & you can start exercising pretty quickly afterwards. In fact it's encouraged so you can get your knee working again. The nice thing about this surgery is once the meniscus is fixed you're good to go. It's not like repairing a muscle or tendon. Where if you exercise to quickly after surgery you can hurt it again. Once the meniscus is fixed, it's fixed.

 It's the Best worst case for a sports injury.

And yes, I am still planning on doing the Tinkerbell in January. The doctor said I could be up and running for it. I wont finish in a stellar time but hey I wasn't planning on a wonderful time. It's my first half so no matter what I will PR, ha!

Inspiration

Do you need inspiration? When you do where do you get it from? Friends, spouse, kids, a book, prayer or better yet Google?

Well I have been in need of inspiration for awhile now. Training for this half marathon makes me have to be up to speed in the inspiration department.

The Tri was completed with the inspiration of my family. Seeing my kids faces as I passed by & hearing them cheer me on. Completing a goal and setting an example for my kids was my inspiration.

But the half marathon is for me. Plain and simple it's for me. For me to be able to say I did that, I ran 13.1 miles. And I am not the most optimistic person in case you didnt know.

I have been having to dig deep for inspiration for this half training. Yes, I have searched for inspirational quotes, browsed training websites & read the begining of some motivational books.(thank you kindle)

So I reach out to you, the blogging community.....

Inspiration - what does it mean to you, where do you get it and what makes you keep going - and it doesn't have to be in running.

"It is still a mile"

The Tri was 3 weeks ago tomorrow. And for the past 3 weeks it's been hard to stay motivated and on track. Before I was exercising every day and being careful with the food I was consuming.
That all fell to the side once the Tri was finished!  Working out has been there but not with the same intensity. And eating well, it's going - everything in site into my mouth!

It's not like I have a half-marathon to train for or anything, oh wait I do!

My knee has been bothering me on and off since the Tri. I messed it up royally again during the Tri and I have been paying for it since. The deep bruising has finally disappeared but the pain/ache/tightness still plagues me almost daily. I am trying to ease back into working out. Ease back into running but it's hard. My runs have been less than stellar. And then I found this post on my Facebook wall from a friend the other day. Let's just say it spoke volumes to me............

 

I have to keep reminding myself that no matter how long it takes me it's okay. I am still out there, I am trying & I am doing more than I did last year at this time. I guess till I am completely healed slow and steady will have to be my mantra.

 

Tomorrow I have my first long run in awhile. We are running 5.5 miles and I am scared to death. This will be the longest I have run in more than 9years, Yikes! I will keep you posted on my timing and how my knee holds up.

Mission Completed!

Yesterday was the day. Yesterday was what 9months of training came down too. The day of reckoning - my first Triathlon. 

The night before we had to go down to the park and pick up our race packets, get marked and of course our swag. Inside our packets were our number (518), swim cap for our heat and other misc things. It was upon this packet pickup that I began to get really, really nervous. I mean like a deer in headlights nervous. And when I get nervous I get a bit pissy, I know me pissy seems a little un-real, Ha!

I had a freak out about a spare tire tub kit that I did not have and so Karyn stopped at a store and we gathered all the things I would need in case of said tire blow out. (didn't need it Thank God!) After I rushed the sitter home, picked up Teriyaki, put kids to bed, laid out all my items for the race and ate the said Teriyaki it was after 9pm. I was tired, stressed and my knee was killing me.

I crawled into bed with my ice packs and ibuprofen to try to get some sleep. At 10:00 I may have been still awake and a friend messaged me on facebook saying "go to bed". I fell asleep shortly after that and slept until 4am. I had set my alarm for 4:45 to get up, get ready & eat a hearty breakfast before my Tri buddies arrived to pick me up.  Getting up so early gave me this time to relax, eat, have coffee, drink my water, Gatorade and mentally prep. And I felt good when they arrived. Relaxed and ready to tackle this Tri.

With my knee taped like I was going into battle I kissed my hubby and kids goodbye heading to check in. Promising to see them along the way. Bill, the kids and our friend Melinda were coming down to cheer us on along the race route.  A few of our other friends came down to cheer us on. They made great signs and screamed, yelled and offered so much support to each of us as we swam, biked and ran by them. At one moment on my 2nd lap of the bike as I was riding past them I got all teared up.

The Swim was great and I finished better than I have during trainings. I am not going to lie looking out at the bouies and seeing the actual swim course was a little intimidating but I knew I could do it. Luckily my pre-swim jitters and nervous pee didn't stop me from swimming a good race. I was out and to the transition area. We wont mention that before I pulled my bike off the rack I put my helmet on the wrong way, ha!  Got it on and was on the road for the bike.

As I have gone over the race in my mind and in discussions with Bill I have come to realize the bike was my downfall. I honestly wasn't ready for the bike. My issues with the bike started weeks ago when I tore my hamstring by using a bike that wasn't suited for my body. (too tall for it's frame) I quickly found another bike to borrow. And although this bike fit my frame I wasn't familiar with it and learning to ride an unfamiliar bike in a few days is harder than you'd think. I just never got the hang of how to use the gears on that bike correctly and make the ride more fluid. It may seem like riding a bike is easy why would this be a problem. However, in a bike race knowing when to shift down/up or go into a high gear/low gear is very important - especially for hills!  Don't even get me started on hills.

The bike route was 4.5miles long with 1 big hill and several smaller "mounds" and we had to complete the course 2x.  More than half the course was on a newly paved and flat road so that wouldn't be the hard part of the course for me. And lets not forget our awesome cheer sections positioned along this route that helped give us our motivation. Now only if they could've been on the hills, ha!  On the first lap my bike chain fell off midway up the hill thanks to my awesome shifting abilities. A race bike "fairy" drove by and saw me trying to mess with it. After about 5mins he had me up and ready to go. At this point I may have said "I'm just going to walk the rest of the way up this hill " and he said "Yep, probably not a bad idea now"  And I was on my way again. Passing by the cheer squads I may have been heard saying "This sucks" and someone said "Not as much as we do, you're doing this, we aren't".  The chain issue plagued me again on the second lap but at least it was at the top of the hill this time. I was able to get it on myself and thankfully so because there was no bike "fairy" to help me.

I cruised into the transition area glad to be off that bike and ever so grateful to not be biking anymore. I got my footing and immediately felt my knee pop and the hamstring pulling. Yep, the run was going to be difficult for sure. I paced myself and walked/ran the first 1/4 mile or so. I passed Briana on her final 400 yards of the run and cheered her on. Excited to see her almost done, but also knowing that meant Karyn was already done. I was officially the last of our Tri Trio on the course. But sorrow did not set in. I looked at my watch and said "You can do this and you can finish before 10am" and the self motivation talk started:

You can do this
You are strong
You are a fighter
This injury will not define you
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
I picked up some speed, got some high fives from a few elites who were on their 2nd lap of the run (they completed the entire course 2x) and finished before 10am. In fact I finished the run in like 18mins with a torn hamstring! 

My final race time was 1:41 03 - and my Family and friends were on the other side cheering me on. I found Bill and embraced him with tears coming down my face. I had completed the race. I had set a goal and I had finished it. I had overcome a torn hamstring & bike issues to complete my first Tri and I was alive!! 

I had said all along it wasn't about a time it was about finishing the race. Setting a goal and completing it. But who was I kidding, in my head I had made my own little competition and time. However, on the bike that 2nd loop I began to face the reality that I wasn't going to make that time and  now more than ever it was about finishing.  I am happy with my time. I am happy that I overcame everything to still finish.  Plus, I can now say ........

I am a Tri-athlete!  I finished a Triathlon. 
Bring on next Tri season - bring it on.

Yep, you heard that right, this off season while I am training for the Tinkerbell I will be also eyeing down that 1:41 - I will squash that time next year, just after I get my own road bike!

And let's not forget about my girls. The ones who saw me through till the end. Who were there through all the tears and sweat. Who never said "No" and who completed this Tri with me. Karyn and Briana - You are both Amazing & Strong women who I am proud to have trained and raced alongside. Thanks for joining me on this wild & crazy ride. I love you both!

The Final countdown

This is it, this is the "Final countdown" to the Tri on Saturday. All the training, blood, sweat and sore/torn muscles are for this. This is what 9months of prep and training has lead to. This week started out with a Bang! I drove my first tractor and shot my first gun. I will finish the week off with the Tri. Guess it cannot get much bigger than that right?

To say I am nervous is a HUGE understatement. Yesterday, as we drove home from my husbands Aunt & Uncles Farm I started getting weepy eyed. Reality set in BIG time

I am scared to death!! 

The reality of what is coming at the end of the week hit me hard. I started nervously talking, giving excuses and quite literally freaking out. Why hasn't this come before now? I guess I should be glad right?  My friend Briana said she has been dreaming about the Tri for the last few nights. It's haunting her day and night. For me it's just starting and  I feel like I have to poop all the time (TMI).  And these are no little butterflies in my stomach! 

I know in my heart of hearts I can do this, I know that it's going to be tough and it's going to challenge me like nothing before. I know that I am just nervous because of my torn hamstring (which is getting better) and because it really will be the accomplishment of a HUGE goal. I will run across that finish line into my husband's arms and my smiling children's faces and all the fear will have melted away. And suddenly it will all be worth it. I will feel accomplished and sore.

So here's to a week of Firsts!! And a few pictures of my mad shooting & tractor driving skills.

Success defined

Success does not come to you......You go to it.

With this statement I have found success. I have found the ability to push through even on the hardest of days. Sixteen short days from now I will wake up on a hopefully sunny day, dress in my sexy Tri shorts and head out to complete my first ever Triathlon. This day has been a long time coming and it will be a completion of a goal. A BIG goal!

I have been thinking about goals a lot lately. I have never really completed a goal that I can think of. Besides my goals of getting married and having kids, if you can call those goals. I have set many goals in my life but like many other things they have never been accomplished. Like the nursing degree I never got or all those diet goals that never shed those unwanted pounds.

Why is it that I have never accomplished a goal? I think my own fear has held me back from completing any sort of goal. The fear of my own body, fear of what people would say, fear of getting hurt and the fear of failure. However, something clicked inside my head/heart this year and suddenly I am not afraid of failing. 

On this goal journey I have learned a few things:

1. I want to compete & finish this Tri so bad I can almost taste it
2. Training for this Tri has been hard work & has taken more commitment than I thought
3. You have to mentally be ready to attack your goal
4. There will be good and bad days as you aim for your goal but you cannot let the bad days bring you all the way down

In January I decided to complete this Tri to prove to myself that I could do it and to show my children that you can do anything you set your mind to.  And by golly they have seen my blood, sweat & tears as I have trained the last few months.  With many  "Are we going to the Y again?",  "Mama are you going swimming or biking today?" and "You're sweaty mama" they have seen me working hard on this goal.

The morning of Sept 8th will bring me excitement, nerves and determination. And it will be all 3 that will carry me across that finish line to complete my first goal.

What's your goal? Do you have one? Why not?  What's holding you back from completing your goal?

You will never know your limits 

unless you push yourself

to them 

26 days and counting

The countdown till the Tri Tri Tri Again Triathlon is officially counting down. 26 days till I will swim 1/4 mile, bike 9miles and run 1.6 and finish a HUGE goal.

However, as the clock winds down I am getting nervous....no terrified better sums it up. Until this point I have been fine and constantly cheer leading my Tri buddies Briana and Karyn. But that all changed on Saturday when we went to watch the Lake Tye Triathlon.

As I stood there watching the competitors dolphin dive into the water, then run to their bikes & jump off to run I began to feel the butterflies. I began to want to throw up just a bit. The "What the H*#$ was I thinking  began creeping into my mind.

Training has stepped up just a bit and is involving more brick workouts each week. Last week was just a hard week for me training wise and so I barely managed to workout 3 days. Which may have played a role in my freaking out a bit on Saturday.

Yesterday we did a brick workout that consisted of 1/4 mile swim and then a 20min run. With the weather so beautiful and summer finally arrived in the NW I decided to swim without a wetsuit. And I am wrote this post so I survived!  The water felt great and the swim came very easily to me.
BUT then today I completed another brick workout. A 4.5 mile ride followed by a 10min run, where we completed almost 1mile. My newly "revamped" Huffy mountain bike did well. Yep, I am riding a mountain bike in my Tri and not just any mountain bike but a Huffy. "Don't you wish your bike was hot like mine?"   I did get it outfitted with street tires and am going to get some cage pedals hopefully this week. (my pedals are too small for cages so we are ordering new ones or Bill said "you will have cages one way or another, that's why God invented power tools")
A quick update on WW as well needs to be addressed - or rather I feel it should. I haven't weighed in since 6/23 when I had lost - .8. But I made Bill take me to face the scale today. And I was up +.6. And you know what I was actually okay with that! Ha! I have been training & eating what I want, whenever I want. And that may or may not have included a few Magnum bars. So I basically have maintained for almost 2months and that was OK with me. My goal of loosing 50lbs before the Tri wont be met but that's okay, because my body is more in shape & 31 lbs down is fine with me.

Yesterday, while waiting on my bike to get fitted I walked around downtown Snohomish and saw a cute sign that I loved and am going to post in my house......

 It took more than

a day to put it on,

it will take more than

a day to take it off.





Mojo gone

The title of today's post describes how I am feeling lately when it comes to eating right & staying on track. Blah, blah, blah. I weighed this morning and it says I am up 1.5lbs. I haven't weighed in at WW in 3 weeks just at home and am in a weight loss slump.

It's hot and all I want to do is eat ice cream and drink icy drinks. But that obviously helped in the weight loss arena this week.

I heard someone say this week that she doesn't weigh herself at all. She judges how her clothes feel and how she feels about herself. I wish I could be one of those people that doesn't focus on the number on the scale but I am that person. I do, I do want to see that number going down. And when it isn't I get discouraged and upset.

Working out has been hard too this past week. My kids got sick and so that kept me from being able to go to the gym. I did manage to complete TRX training this week & run 4miles with my running buddies Briana and Karyn. Which is the longest I have run since before Bill came along.

I am hoping that this coming week things turn around. I am going back on WW full speed ahead. I also got new running shoes and somehow they are calling to me. They are saying "put me on, run like the wind" - not really of course but somehow I am feeling a pulling towards them. And did I mention they are super cute looking for running shoes. Teal, grey and white. I love them!

I need to find my Mojo again and fast because the Tri is in 55 days. 55 days till I have to swim, bike and run. 55 days till I complete my first HUGE goal. I know I can do this!

Swim clinic & Tinkerbell

Last night was our "official" swim clinic that we paid for and by 4pm I was so nervous. Even after telling Briana that morning "I'm good, not nervous at all" - Yeah, right! Let's just say my nerves affect my bodily fluids/solids and many trips were made to the restroom before the clinic.

Anyways, now lets chat swim clinic.

1. Sleeveless wet suit = BETTER!  So much better. My arms were cold but I warmed up. You don't have as much buoyancy but I'd rather have range of motion & no pain in my shoulder than buoyancy.
2. Rusty - the Tri coach was great. Great at explaining techniques, answering questions and making you feel confident.
3. I swam further & longer last night in open water than I have yet in my training.
4. We learned how to swim around buoys - who knew that would be so hard and that you can waste so much energy swimming around them.
5. Learned the "dolphin dive" into the water for starting - see this great link to an Awesome video. Once you enter the water after the dive, you dig your hands into the sand. You're going to pull yourself forward using the sand as an anchor point. I need to work on this & get it perfected but this will be helpful. This is a great article to read if you want to know more on dolphin diving - ya know in case you decide you want to train for a Tri too. Ya never know who is reading this ;o)

After last night I am feeling more confident in my swimming abilities and the fact that I can do this part of the Tri. Plus, meeting other newbie Tri competitors was great too. We had fun bonding, sharing ideas & techniques. A fun clinic for sure & very helpful.

And for the Tinkerbell news - I registered for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland on Jan 20, 2013!!!
Yep, as if I'm not crazy enough I have already added my next BIG race to my goal sheet. I mean what's another 13.1 miles to run, right?

A week of First's

This week was truly a great week. Bill was worked late on Tues and was off Wed/Thurs so it was like having him home for 3 days. It was great. And we have gotten in workouts every day this week.

However, the most exciting part of this week has been so many first's:

1. Running around the lake this week = 1.6miles without stopping
2. Completing an hour long spin class = first time in over a year for a total of 12.3 miles
3. First time wearing a full body wet suit
4. First time swimming in open water in said wet suit across the lake and back

The swim was eventful for sure. When Briana called me and said "Martin (local bicycle shop owner, training for Ironman, member of Snohomish Tri team & she watches his daughter) and a few people are going to Lake Tye to swim tonight, he invited us to go with them" - My initial answer was "ummm, I don't know about that".  But with Bill's convincing and Briana's encouragement we decided to do it & that way next week when we go to our actual Tri swim clinic we will not look like goofballs. And boy are we glad we went.

First, putting on a wet suit is harder than you think!!! Then add to that trying it on in small bathroom together with your 2year old son under foot = fun times! Sweat was a pouring for sure along with laughs & lots of grunting noises. We managed to get them on and off was so much easier. Like someone said on my Facebook page - "Good thing they don't start timing us before we get them on" - For sure!

Next, we had to do it again 2hrs later when we met them at the lake. We put ours on in the bathroom while the rest of the "professionals" put them on at the waters edge. And my hubby snapped this picture of us as we walked to the water.

"Sexy and we know it"

Swimming in open water is more difficult than the pool for sure. The water is choppy, cold & dark. I mean you can't see much when you put your head under and then throw in the occasional patch of seaweed. Yikes! I seriously kept saying to myself  "just keep swimming" - that is my official motto for this Tri - Just Keep Swimming.

We managed to make it across and back without any major issues. Well, except for the hundreds of other swimmers who will be swimming at the same time. But I am choosing to not think about that right now.
The Swim Tri coach said we most likely managed to swim our 1/4 of a mile. Awesome news!  The real clinic is on Wed, will post about that later next week.

Took my measurements this week:
Arms = 15 3/4 " -3/4 of an inch loss from last month
Hips = 53 "  - no change from last month
Waist = 40 1/2 " - +1 inch from last month And I am not sure how that is possible 
Bust = 43 1/2 " - no change from last month


Weigh in tomorrow - hoping for good things - last week I gained .4ounces. Darn it with the gaining!

Feeling Strong

In just under 12 weeks I will be completing my Super Sprint Triathlon at Cottage Lake. This past weekend they held the first in the series of two races. It's called the Tri Tri Again race because you can do the one in June and then again in Sept to try to beat your time. That was NOT option for me. I decided to  drive by the park on Friday night and check things out. After seeing the swimming area with the big buoy out in the water I called Briana my Tri buddy and said "We can do this". Seeing it with my own eyes mentally gave me new perspective. 

Then today I ran all the way around Lake Tye in Monroe. Bill chose to work out on the elliptical and I decided to workout outside. Given the choice I would rather workout outside than inside. And to be honest I needed to complete a 20min run outside to be even with my running buddies who ran for 20mins straight on Sunday evening. I ran 1x around in just over 20mins for a total of 1.6miles and 2x around is a 5K.  Our first 5K this year is 7/7 so in just a few weeks. We got this!

You wouldn't believe the pep talks I was giving myself today while running. A friend spotted me running and shouted out her car window "Way to go Gina" - which helped pep me up. And I did have my fabulous 90's rap mix playing on my ipod. But all in all it wasn't as bad as I thought. Compared to a month ago when I tried to do this and couldn't run more than 2 light poles at a time. Such an adrenaline high to be able to finish & finish strong.

 I am definitely changing both physically & mentally. My body is reshaping itself and finally looking like 30lbs has been shed. Enough that in the last week I have had several comments from people saying things like "Wow, you are looking good" - which I will admit feels good.

 As each week passes I really do feel stronger and stronger. Physically I am stronger today than I was last Sept when I ran the Iron Girl 5k with a group of friends. Which just encourages me to keep going. Not for the compliments, although they are nice, but because of how it makes me feel. I feel so good and that is why I keep pushing on. "Just keep swimming"

And finally I leave you with this - my new haircut. I decided to go short, shorter than my husband has ever seen on me. And can I just say I LOVE it!! So easy to do & keep up with. Why didn't I do this sooner?

I am a Runner

A few days ago I asked "What makes me a runner?" And then my husbands cousin sent me this quote via FaceBook.     I  loved it instantly. And after running in the dark & the rain last night I have decided I am a Runner.
I run because it's good exercise, I am training for something bigger than me, it makes me stronger, it actually feels good to run and I like it. Yes, I like running. There is just something about it that calls to me. Now, I don't know if I will ever be a marathon runner but I do know this now................. I am a Runner!

Sweat like you love it

As I sit here at the computer I stink. I stink like BO and it feels good. Am I weird? I must be because I am also now writing about it too. Yesterday and today I sweat so much that my shirts were wet front & back. The below picture is the back of my shirt yesterday. But in my crazy rational brain sweat means I worked out hard, sweat means that I am getting healthy and so in my view Sweat is good and I am going to Rock it like there's no tomorrow.

Yesterday, I took my 2nd Power Pump class and oh my gosh was it hard. I thought the first class was hard but this class was equally hard. We started this class with those huge workout balls. Have you ever tried to exercise holding those things in the air, twisting around & moving side to side still holding one? First, they don't weigh much at all, maybe 2-3lbs max. Second, they get heavy VERY fast!  I barely made it through the 2 song warm up. And we aren't talking about U2 songs here, were talking about some techno 2.5min song. My arms were dying 5mins into the class. The class continued with cardio/lifting intervals and I worked hard during all of it the entire time. I love that feeling of pushing myself to the max when my arms or legs are shaking as I lift & lunge. And just when I think I cannot go on I push through to finish the set. Gosh that's an amazing feeling. Workout high, YES - that's me.

Today, I got on the treadmill to do my 2nd run this week. I have been neglecting running & biking the last few weeks as I have tried to focus on swimming. So this week I determined that I am going to run at least 3x. As I got on the treadmill I told myself we'll just do the week 4 of Couch to 5K program. (5min walk warm up followed by 2.5min, 5 min, 3min runs & then repeat runs).  However, after my 2min warm up I started to jog at a leisure pace of 3.7. And after 7minutes I was still feeling strong but my bladder wasn't. I kept going until 10mins of solid jogging and my bladder I am sure said "get off now or I am going to let it rip" After my quick trip I was back on and started right back into jogging but at speed 4. I continued to jog - feeling good. Somewhere around the 20minute mark, still jogging I could feel myself getting strong. I know those reading are thinking - CRAZY - she likes sweat, she is jogging - she is crazy.

Now my ability to jog for 28mins straight could be contributed too:
A. Bill was at the gym today with me and sent me a cute text that said "You're doing Awesome"
B. My super old school Eminem, LL Cool J and Fifty Cent play list I was rocking out too
C. Watching Kathy Lee & Hoda on the treadmill TV talk about a man's private - but pg for TV - interesting


One question that has been crossing my mind this week is - when does jogging cross into running? Is there a guideline? Was I jogging or running today, hmm?

 Tomorrow - Weigh in day followed by swimming and Sunday an outside run - lets see how I do with that.

And I leave you with a picture of Bill and I after our hard workout yesterday. Love this man and so proud of him for joining me on this journey!

TRX and Muscle definition

Big news! Today in my boot camp class while doing the dreaded wall sits as I ran my hand down my thigh I felt a muscle. No a real muscle - muscle definition. I rubbed it again, yep still there, "seriously is that my muscle?"  "Am I imagining this?" - nope still there. By golly I am forming leg muscles - or at least they are getting definition, woohooo!  And I lost 1.2lbs this week at weigh in = 28lbs down. Another bit of news is that Bill has joined me on this journey!  I cannot tell you how excited I am to have him along with me and not just cheering me on. He went to the gym 4x and lost 9lbs this past week. Way to go honey!!

This is a picture of my newest exercise regiment. This is TRX - Suspension Training. They just got the system at the YMCA I work at. So I tried a free half hour session last Friday to see what it was all about. (Big shout out to my friend Tara for giving me one of her appointments because they went fast & I didn't get one.) 

I got there and I saw the bar attached to the wall holding three sets of resistance bands and I immediately start thinking 1. Is that going to hold me? and 2. The other two people better be smaller than me or we are in big trouble.  I didn't know what to expect from this little half hour session. But boy was my world Rocked in that little half hour!  First, the bar held me, which is a good thing. I did find myself asking the trainer, "Are you sure this is going to hold me?" and my partner was a tiny little thing so it all worked out. Second, I have never felt my muscles work during a push up or plank like I did using the TRX. By the time I had completed 4 push up reps my arms were shaking, I mean shaking like a leaf. And that's when I knew, this was for me.

After discussing with Bill over the weekend and even though I could barely walk or get out of bed I decided to take the plunge. Today I signed up for four 1hr sessions with up to 2 other people in my group. I am super excited to see what will happen in the next month to my body & my strength. I am really trying to push my body & not get stuck in an exercise rut. I figure with all the cardio I am doing (biking, swimming & boot camp classes) I needed some muscle lifting & toning. Boy do my arm wings need this!!

Another bit of news is that I have my first open water swim clinic next Wednesday - yikes! I am already feeling scared and excited at the same time. I don't know if I am more afraid of getting tired, water going in my mouth with bugs/debris or the cold. Heck, lets be honest I am afraid of it all. What I am fairly certain is that next Wed is going to  give me a good idea of what I have to look forward to on Sept 8th. And this is going to either be a good thing or a bad thing.