Training Recap: Week 16 (and more!)

A few days late, but here it is. It's late because there is not much to report. I was not feeling well all week, therefore, I worked out very little. I felt all week as if I was getting the flu. Achy, tired, grumpy, sore, hands and feet swollen, stomach upset.....it was weird.

On Monday I worked out and did my Abs, Hips and Thighs class. I forgot to wear my knee brace to class and irritated my knee when we did our running. That on top of the feeling yucky, meant I didn't go back until Thursday. Struggled through an hour of cardio, just so I could get out of there. I thought sweating for an hour would make me feel good, because you know, it's an addicting thing. Sweating until your drenched, that is!!

Anyhoo - thought I would feel better. But wonders never cease, and after an hour of light to moderate work, I couldn't get into a good sweat. 6 months ago - I would of been dripping - I think my 37 year old, overweight body is actually getting to like this work out thing. And I didn't have it in me to work any harder, as all I was thinking about was "could I go home and sleep?" So, it was a bummer work out, but made me feel good anyway. Not in the I am a drippy mess and feel great way, but in the I just did cardio for an hour and still am barely sweating - WOW! kind of way!

I did start feeling better by the weekend, but then it was the weekend. I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend. We spent the weekend doing this: school picnic, garage sale, mowing the lawn, baseball game, digging a garden, planting flowers, going out to eat, hanging at friends' house for burgers and beer, a little shopping, and assembling a Tiki Bar!

Needless to say, there is no weigh in this week, as I don't even want to look. No work outs + holiday weekend eating (though I don't think I was really bad) = no scale this week for me! I'll be back next week with a weigh-in and stories of sweat dripping!!

I'm off to the gym - I've got a week to make up for!

Play Ball

Baseball season has gotten underway here at our house!! We are 3 weeks in and spending lots of evenings at the ball field. I did get a camera there for their 2nd game.

C has moved up leagues this year. From T-ball to an actual pitching machine, 3 outs and real innings. It's quite a change from last year! C is enjoying playing catcher, though he can only handle it for a couple of innings. Then he's ready to be out in the field. The pitching machine is proving to be a challenge for him. He has hit real well during practice, but when it comes to a game, he struggles to hit the ball. Just this week, he did get his first hit!! I am so proud of him! And he is doing really well when he is catching behind the plate. He's learning not to be so afraid of the ball!

K also moved up a league, to a little faster pitch, stealing bases and only 3 pitches. His first game, he had an incredible first game. He had two hits and then caught the game winning 3rd out pop-fly!! And to top it off, he was handed the first "Game Ball" from his coach!!

His second game didn't go so well. Apparently while they were warming up, he took a ball right in his lip. Blood everywhere, ice, and a swollen lip were the highlights of Game #2. He did get out on the field and play, fat lip and all!!

We are in baseball season for another month or so, and I've got to admit - I Love It! I love watching the kids play baseball. They have such an enjoyment for it.

Unless, of course, you've been hit in the lip. Then it's not so fun!

Training Recap: Week 15

This one is going to be short and sweet. The last few have been kind of long and I'm having blogger guilt. I have blogged about NOTHING else, other than training, for 3 weeks. You, my 10 of readers, deserve more. I'm sure you're just dying to know what the kids look like in their baseball uniforms, or what has been coming off of my sewing machine, or what our "garden" looks like! So one of my goals for this week is to blog about something else!

So, in a nutshell, I present to you: WEEK 15

Sweat
Running 5 minute increments
Sweat
Stair mill (hate you, mr. stairmill)
Sweat
Sweat
Elliptical
Sweat
Running 5 minutes
Sweat
Arc Trainer
Sweat
Treadmill at 10 incline
Sweat
Running 5 minutes
Sweat
Scale: 196.2lbs

This week weight loss: 1lb.
Total weight loss: 5.2lbs

It's not Biggest Loser numbers or anything, but it's loss. FINALLY!!! And my trainer is very happy - she assures me that Biggest Loser numbers are not only unrealistic, but not a healthy way to loose. So, I'm taking my 5.2 lbs and jumping for joy!! And working out more, because I like this dropping weight thing!

And today, I'm off to shop. Capri's are falling off of me, and although I have plans for more weight to drop, I don't have plans for the entire world to see my pants fall off my butt, so a cheap pair of capri's that will stay on - that's on the agenda for today!

Training Recap: Week 14

So how many of you have seen the new Hannah Montana movie?? Did you like it? What did you think of the music???

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I've seen it twice. (Except that I have publicly announced my weight to all who have the World Wide Web....so why on earth should I be embarrassed by Hannah Montana?) And yep, you're right, I have boys. Why on earth would I have seen it twice?? Well, my youngest does enjoy Hannah. And personally, Miley Cyrus cracks me up and I think she's rather talented. So the first time was with a friend and her daughter, and the second was with my boys. K only went for the free popcorn, though.

What does Hannah Montana have to do with my training, you ask??? Her music. One particular song, actually.

The song at the end, The Climb, to be exact.

If you haven't heard it, please find it and take a listen. It really is one incredibly inspirational song.

I can almost see it,
That dream I'm dreamin', but
There's a voice inside my head sayin'
You'll never reach it.

Every step I'm taken,
Every move I'm make feels
Lost with no direction.
My Faith is shakin'.
But I, I gotta keep tryin'
Gotta keep my head held high.

My training is going really good. I was only able to get to the gym 4 days last week, but I still feel really good about it. My trainer has my schedule for to workout 5 days a week. 3 days of running, combined with a weight lifting workout. She started me with: 4 minute run, 3 minute walk with 4 repetitions and a 6 minute warm up/cool down on each side. Then 3 different weight exercises, spread apart by a walk or jog around the track or lunges down the gym.

There's always gonna be another mountain,
I'm always gonna want to make it move,
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about whats waitin' on the other side,
It's the Climb......

The other 2 days I have 60 minutes of cardio. Her definition of Cardio and mine are two totally different things. Usually it consists of walking on the treadmill at about a 3.4 mph at an 8 incline. (Next week I move to 10, then 12). She also puts in there the Stair Mill. Basically a set of stairs that keep rotating around so you can just keep climbing. My first set, in which I only did 15 minutes, I think I climbed 25 floors or something crazy like that. Other machines might include the elliptical, the Arc Trainer or an upright bike. Anything that will keep my heart rate up. Some days it's 2 machines for 30 minutes each, and sometimes it 3 machines for 20 minutes each.

The struggles I'm facin'
The chances I'm takin'
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No, I'm not breaking.
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember mostly
Just gotta keep going and
I, I gotta be strong
Just keep pushing on

I have moved this song to the beginning of my Workout Playlist on my iPod. And either it plays when I'm doing my warm up on running days, or on the days I'm just doing cardio, I start it on my way out of the locker room. The words resonate so strong to me. It reminds me everyday, that it's not about the race in August. It's not about how I will finish that day. (or if I'll finish:-)) It's not about my time in the race. It's not over just because I have bad days. It's not over if I miss a workout or eat a bad meal.

It's about the journey. It's about the fact that I'm doing this to be a healthier wife and mom. I'm a happier person now. I feel better about myself. I feel better about my life.

And to top it all off this week, I weighed in today.........

drum roll please...........

197.2lbs!!!!!!!

My official weight from my trainer when we started was 201.4. That means that I've lost
4.2lbs!!!!!!

I can not tell you how happy that makes me!! :-) I almost jumped up and down right there on the scale!!

There's always gonna be another mountain,
I'm always gonna want to make it move,
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about whats waitin' on the other side
It's the Climb.........

Thanks for taking this Climb with me...........

Training Recap: Week 13

WOW!!

Every week I look at that number and can't seem to believe that I've been working toward this goal so long. Then I think that I should be a whole lot closer to completing that 5k than what I am. Then I think that who cares how long it takes me to finish the 5k, as long as I finish. And don't puke. And aren't last. Then I think about the scale. Then I want to yell. Then somebody tells me I look great - am I losing weight? Then I'm happy again.

See what kind of weirdo I am???

Anyhoo - onto the recap. First week with the trainer. So, you know that after Abs, Hips & Thighs Class last week I was unable to walk. It took me 2 days to be able to sit down without a wince. But alas, the muscles felt better and didn't explode or anything! I went back to the gym on Thursday and Sunday to workout. (I didn't get in as much time as I would of liked this week to be at the gym- had some things happening around here that I had to attend to, so it took away from gym time. But that's ok - it was much more important than gym time anyway!)

My workouts went really good. I did a little running and a little weight lifting. I didn't start my actual schedule from J because of the time constraints. But I'll tell you what - I proved to myself that working out is becoming a stress reliever for me. And almost a spiritual time. Is that crazy?

It was a fairly stressful week, and I found myself actually craving to go to the gym. There is something about dripping sweat from your forehead that is very stress releasing. Something about pushing yourself to that point of "hurt" that makes you feel better. It's become great time for me to have time of self reflection, chats with the Him, and just plain clear my head.

Yet.......

There are so many days where I don't want to go. I want to stay home and sleep. Or clean house. Or go to work. ANYTHING, except go to the gym. I want to eat whatever I want. Drink whatever I want. Be 50lbs lighter without trying.

But I can't. This is good for me. Physically and mentally. I know this.

So, I read all your comments. I playback conversations in my head that I've had with my dear friends. I get my motivation and back I go. And once I get there I enjoy it. I feel so much better after being there.

This week I'm starting the actual schedule from J. I've got 2 days complete, and next week I'll tell you all about what I've done. Maybe we'll even have a weigh in. Hmmmm.....

Katie Jump Rope

This pictures are long overdue. As was finishing this quilt.

Amanda and I bought this fabric ages ago. I don't even remember how long it's been. But we both fell in love with it. And then it sat. and sat. And finally, I found the perfect use for it when Amanda did her first quilt a long. I used all fabric from this line for my Quilt a Long Quilt, and absolutely LOVE how it turned out. But once I finished the top, it sat for quite a while, because I didn't to ruin it by quilting it.
When my dear friend Amanda offered to quilt it for me, I jumped at the chance. She is way more talented at this than me, has a much better machine, and I KNEW it would turn out way prettier if she did it - so when I went to visit her last April, I took it with me.

She sent it back to me last fall. It is beautiful. I love it. All I had to do was attach the binding. No problem, right??

I let this beauty sit for months before finishing it. I don't know why. But I did. Then, finally, I finished it. And let me tell you - I love it.

The original plans for this quilt was to be a gift. I figured I have no place in my home for a quilt with white sashing all over it, so I was going to give it away. But those plans have changed. I am in love with these fabrics, I love how it came together and the fact that Amanda quilted it for me just sealed the deal that this one is staying in my house.

Thank you Amanda for your help on this one. And I'm really happy to say that this project can (finally) be marked: DONE!!!