Sunday, December 18, 2011

Races for 2012

I'm stealing this idea from my friend Jessi. She lists her races on the side of her blog (will run for beer). I'll at least list the races that I am planning on running or thinking of running in the first part of 2012 here (with links to web sites for anyone that is interested). I'll then update it with additional races and how I did in each race.


1/7/12 - Watchung Winter run - 10 mile or marathon - whether I run may depend on the weather. Didn't run this race despite the awesome weather. Worked the aid station at start-finish. Ran the hash (2.5 miles)

1/21/12 - NJ Trail Series Winter Series #3 - 10 miles; there's a fourth race in the series on 2/4. I haven't decided if I'll run the last race. Ran this after helping out with registration. Getting to the race was eventful because of the snow. Ran 10 miles in 3 hr 24 min in cold (about 24 F) and snow. There was ice underneath parts and fell during the 1st loop. Oh yeah - and I finished 3rd over all and 2nd female for the 10 mile race. A bunch more people started the 10 mile race and dropped to the 5 mile race after running one loop.

2/19/12 - Hudson Mohawk Marathon Registered - I think this will go better than my last marathon in October. I've started a running streak and have only missed 2 days since December 28. My longest run so far is 11.8 miles and plan to run longer this weekend. How well I do may just depend on the weather. Last year was damn cold! I only ran 9.3 miles last year and will definitely run much longer this year.  
       Well the race did not go well. The weather was perfect - about 32 F at the start, sunny (should have put suntan lotion on!) and a slight breeze. I only ran 20.7 miles in 4 hrs 25 min. My left IT band and ankle were giving me issues. I definitely need to get back to weights and the hip exercises. And I need to be better with my training. My longest run was 11.8 miles and did a 10 mile trail race in several inches of snow in about 3 hrs. I probably went out too fast - I ran the first mile in 9:30 but tried to stick to running 10 min and walking 1 min. Felt pretty good for the first 2 loops (9.73 miles in 1hr 50 min) but the wheels started falling off in loop 3 (5.99 miles in about 1 hr 10 min) and came completely off in loop 4 (5.99 miles in 1 hr 25 min) so I didn't bother with loop 5. I also had another issue (intestinal) that I've had in the past with long races & some other hard efforts that I really need to figure out & resolve! Still this is the longest run of the year and part of my training for the 50K in March. I am in much better shape and have run more this year than I did last year so that bodes well for the 50K. Bonus was watching my friend Jessi crush the course record and her PR for the marathon by finishing in 2 hr 58 min and some seconds! Its amazing to watch her race and run and I really need to start adopting some of her training approaches and life style. But of course with adjustments since she is 17 yrs younger than me and far better built for the longer distances and faster speeds than I am.

2/24/12 - Febapple - running the 10 mile race and hopefully another run later in the afternoon. This year the weather and course will be much better than the ice, snow & bitter cold of last year!
   I was asked  by the race directors to help out with registration in the morning. Which meant getting there by 6 AM! Not being a morning person, I told Jenn, the race director, I'd get there as close to 6 AM as I could. I showed up before 6:30 AM with coffee for Jenn and Rick - as close to 6 AM as I could get! I stood around in the cold and WIND helping with registration for a little over 2 hrs before the 9 AM start for the 10 mile race. The 10 mile and 21 mile racers started at the same time - but the 21 mile participants had a 1 mile loop to do before getting to the 10 mile loop. The 10 mile loop was set up as a figure 8 - a 4 mile loop back to the start-finish and then a 6 mile loop. The course was marked with flour - which sometimes could be a little difficult to see due to the rain storm the night before. All that rain also meant that mud was pretty much a guarantee on the course! The first 4 miles were pretty hilly and rocky so it was a bit slow. I don't know what my time was for that loop as my watch battery died and I was running the race based totally on how I felt. I walked the hills (some were pretty steep - don't know how steep) and ran the flats and most of the downhills (unless it was too rocky). Stopped for some aid (1/2 pop tart) and then continued with the second loop. This part was much more runnable. I tried to keep it at a steady pace so I didn't crash and burn. I also wasn't sure if the IT band issue would come back as I still hadn't really done much of the stretches or exercises that I need to do. There were 2 guys that I was always encountering on the course - they jokingly said I was stalking them. They were taking it easy and taking pictures with a stuffed lion (who has his own Facebook page).  I knew they were running the 10 mile race so my hope was to at least finish ahead of them so I wouldn't be DFL. Made it to the aid station and had some orange slices and Jelly Bellys (Yum!). As I only had about 3 miles left I tried to pick up the pace. My goal was a decent time and not to finish last. The last bit of the course went through a field - which was pretty soft, wet and muddy! Actually had a bit of a sprint to finish in 2:19:15 (13:55 pace). And I didn't finish last! Eleven people finished behind me - including the 2 guys taking pictures. I finally passed them as they were taking pictures by the waterfall. The course is beautiful - especially the second loop. I want to go back and run that loop again. It'll be really nice when the flowers start blooming. I'll have to bring my camera. The IT band didn't start bothering me until the very end. But it did tighten up so I definitely have to keep an eye on it. Didn't run a second time that day as I had to do work for my courses for the week. I felt pretty good about my effort. I think I might be able to run this faster - eating a little more closer to the start of the race would be a good idea. I was HUNGRY when I made it to the last aid station though I was eating during the run. But I think I have to eat more of the Power bars and less of the fruit chews that I bring with me. And I may want to think about using gels. Though not on a 10 mile race but for the longer races.

3/3/12 - Seneca Creek 50K - not yet sure if I'll run this one Didn't register for this race.

3/24/12 - NJ Ultrafest 50K - last year it took me 7 hr 11 min to run. This year it'll be at a new location but the terrain should be the same. I want to run it in 6 hr. Registered Ran in 7 hr 34 min. Didn't make my goal but ran a strong last loop after a rough 2nd loop. Race report here.

4/7/12 - Mt Penn Mudfest - 15K trail race - I've run this race more than a dozen times (it's in its 18th year in 2012). Good thing its 2 weeks after the Ultrafest! Registered New course. Very little water or mud. Ran in 2:11:50. Felt good and was definitely strong during the second half. I might have been able to run this faster.

4/21/12 - Muddy Marathon - will register for the half-marathon distance again. Will I be able to complete the 1st loop in the time limit in 2012? New course and new time limit. Registered Run as a fun run. Missed half of the 1st loop. Had two beers before starting the 2nd loop with the hash.Completed the 2nd loop. LOTS of mud. But flat with the new location in Parsippany.

5/12/12 - 3 Days at the Fair - will definitely register for the 12 hr race but may think about the 24 hr race. This way I can sleep during the night. And I'll probably borrow someone's tent so I don't have to share. In 2011 I ran 31.7 miles - my longest distance to date. I wanted to run 50 miles but the chilly temps and the rain in the middle of the night proved too much. I definitely have to make sure I have better clothing/gear with me in 2012. Registered for 12 hr. Moving up to the 48 hr race but starting late.

6/30/12 - Finger Lakes Fifties. Registered for the 50K.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Importance of sleep for weight loss

From Everyday Health: Link between Sleep and Weight.

I think there is certainly some validity in what is stated in this article. I know that when I'm not sleeping as much as I need to, or not sleeping well (falling asleep on the couch first and then going to bed for as little as another hour of sleep), that I have no energy to work-out. And when I have a lot to do when I'm sleep deprived, I tend to eat more - like a cafe mocha and dessert from Starbuck's! The added calories always give me an energy boost to get through the day. And since I haven't worked out, all those extra calories are doing is going right to my fat stores - which I need to get rid of! It'll be interesting to see the results of the NIH study looking at whether getting a proper amount of sleep will help people lose weight.

This is why I have made one aspect of my weight loss program is to get enough and proper sleep. I know that I have not been as diligent as I need to about this. Which is weird since I always feel better when I do get to bed at a reasonable hour.

This week, my workouts won't be as consistent. I started not feeling well on Monday evening. Probably due to burning the candles at both ends. Saturday morning I ran a 25 km trail race on Staten Island in 3 hrs 32 min (and placed 3rd in my age group!) and then drove out to Parsippany to run with my group (ran a total of 19 miles on Saturday!!) and attend our holiday party. I didn't get home until after 1 AM that night! Then friends were over for pizza and beer on Sunday. But luckily I'm starting to feel better and hopefully will get a run in by Friday and perhaps go to the gym or do some yoga on Thursday. I'll probably need some sort of stress release. I have a ton of grading to do!

Here's another link that may be of interest to everyone. Exercise!!! is the single best thing you can do for your health: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

The diet the previous Monday-Friday was also pretty good as well. Dinner of fish and veggies and no beer during the week. Going to keep doing that as it seems to help me make up for my horrible diet during the weekends.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Week 6 - Another blown weekend

I'm not going to post my weight this week. Let's just say that I didn't lose any weight. And the weekends are proving to be my nemesis. This past weekend I ended up having five events - beer tasting on Friday, trail race Saturday morning, dinner in New York City on Saturday, a baby shower Sunday afternoon, and more beer with a friend at a bar on Sunday evening. Of course the trail race - approximately 6 miles run in 1 hr 36 min - did allow me to expend a fair amount of calories but I didn't do so well on the post-race foods and drink. This is partly due to what choices are available but I really need to stick to one post-race beer and not the two that I did have. One good thing that I did do was not have beer when we went out for dinner after Friday's beer tasting. Next weekend plans include a trail race Saturday morning and a Christmas party Saturday evening so hopefully I'll be better!

The week was pretty good for the diet (except for the weekend of course!). I drank hot green tea after dinner Monday through Wednesday instead of the beer that I've been drinking. However, on Thursday I decided to go to Copper Mine Pub to try some Sierra Nevada beers that they tapped since I don't usually find a SN beer besides their typical Pale Ale. I had a pint of the Southern Hemisphere IPA and a pint of the Northern Hemisphere IPA. At 6.7% alcohol, I wonder if these beers also have more calories? My dinner consisted of tilapia and broccoli. I'll be having a similar dinner this week - salmon and asparagus. I only had a piece of fruit three days this past week so I'll have to be better next week.

The work-outs weren't as strenuous as I need them to be for weight loss. My legs were still pretty sore from the almost 20 miles of running in four days that I did the weekend before and so only did 25 min of yoga on Monday. I was up late on Monday night so by the time I was done teaching on Tuesday I was too tired to go to the gym and took a 3 hr nap instead. I ran a total of 9.3 miles on Friday and Saturday. Saturday's run was good. I took it a little easy on the first part of the course to warm up. And there were some serious hills which required walking. It took me about 57 min to get to the aid station. The second half of the race, I made sure to push the pace and if a hill was short and not too steep I made sure I ran all, if not most of it. It felt really good to push the pace. I felt strong, passed several women, and completed the second half of the course in about 39 min. It also helps to not care about getting muddy or wet. ;)

This next week will have to be better in the exercise realm. I don't plan on running as much during the week and certainly no speed work. I will be running a 25 km (15.5 miles) trail race on Staten Island Saturday morning and want to be able to run it well (I have no idea what to expect with regards to terrain - except for the 2300 ft of gain that is listed on the website). I also need to let my right ankle heal a bit. I turned it during Saturday's trail race. I'll have to make sure to lift weights on Tuesday and not Thursday. My legs were still a little sore Saturday morning. I've incorporated lunges into my weight routine since the Essex County College gym is not that great and figured it might be better for my running that doing leg presses. And when I do lunges, I use a lot of the smaller leg muscles for stabilization. At some point I may actually perform a lunge without almost falling over!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Week 5 – Survived Thanksgiving (sort of)


My weight at the start of the Thanksgiving week was 155.2# and I had an average weight of 155.5#. I’m starting week 6 at 156.6#, which means any of the weight that I may have lost in the previous weeks has been negated by four days of eating and drinking. I know that some of that extra weight is going to be water weight - beer can be pretty bloating – but I still ate more than I should have. Though I am happy to report that on Thanksgiving I ate much less desserts than in the past – a single slice of very delicious carrot cake. But I think the reason I ate less desserts is because it was served right after dinner. Typically at my family’s Thanksgiving, there is some time between dinner and dessert to clean off the table and get the dishes washed, allowing for digestion and more room for dessert! For the most part, I did pretty well on the portion control for all the different side dishes that were served. Where I got into trouble was the turkey and mashed potatoes – I had 3 helpings! And using the excuse of not eating either of these items during the year is no excuse! The other contributions to the weight gain, of course, was the beer drinking on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday (can you see where I need to cut out the calories!??!).

So this week I really need to focus on the diet and keep exercising (again); I have 24 more miles of running to make it to my goal of 800 miles for the year, which I'll reach some time in the next 2 weeks. Today will have to be an easy day (yoga). During the Thanksgiving weekend, I ran 4 straight days for a total of 19.6 miles! Running is the only thing that has kept the weight from increasing more than it has. And I really need to start limiting the beer intake! So one of my goals this week is no beer Monday through Thursday. Even though I only would have one 12 oz beer on a weeknight it is still calories that my body does not need.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Week 4 - Discipline!


Control. Discipline. The ability to make sure you do the things that need to be done to reach your goals - even when you really don’t want to.

You need discipline to put in the training needed to complete long races, especially if you want to run them well. You also need control and discipline to make the changes in your life to effectively lose weight. And these are two goals that I have right now (race well & lose weight). However, control and discipline is what I sometimes lack and need to work on. This is especially true when it comes to desserts and alcohol. Hmmm – may have to rewrite that last sentence – it makes me look like I might be an alcoholic! But I think most of you know what I am talking about. You are out hanging with friends, having a good time, and the beer or wine (or whatever your drink of choice is) is flowing. And despite telling yourself you won’t have more than 2 beers you end up having 4, or sometimes more. And lately this has been happening on Saturday evening for the past three weekends! And now the holidays are just around the corner so I really need to focus on that control and discipline!

Despite the amount of drinking and dessert eating I did on Saturday, the rest of the week was better: 5 days of beer, 4 days of dessert, and 4 days of fruit. The previous week it was 6, 6, and 2. So this week I need to stop having a beer in the evening during the week and try to up the fruit intake more. The veggie portions weren’t great for week 4 either as dinner was Tuscan garlic chicken (http://www.food.com/recipe/tuscan-garlic-chicken-pasta-362590). I make sure to use whole wheat pasta but you can see that the only vegetable is the arugula. Next time I should have some steamed broccoli to go with this meal. I did work out 6 days this week, which included some speed work on Friday and a long run on Sunday; so the intensity of the workouts was a little higher than last week.

Start of week (Monday) weight: 153.8#
Average weight this week: 153.3# which is a 0.6# loss from last week’s average.

But I ran 8.1 miles on Sunday and was hoping to make-up for the extra stuff on Saturday but alas that didn’t work as the following Monday’s weight was 155.2#.  I wonder what I would have weighed if I hadn’t had as many beers or desserts on Saturday! And with it being Thanksgiving this week, I’ll have to more focused on the diet for the next couple of days.

Thanksgiving Day is always a struggle for many of us. I’ve been following a blog of a personal trainer and he posted some helpful hints for Thanksgiving: http://www.fit2fat2fit.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-day-rules/

Specifically:
            Rule #1:  This is Thanksgiving dinner, not Thanksgiving Week, Month, and Year .

Rule #2: You don’t get bonus points for only having one meal. Drew is advocating the
6 small meals a day type of diet. The key thing here is to eat sensibly the morning of Thanksgiving and the rest of the days of the week. If you have only one meal on Thursday and skimp too much the rest of the week, your body adapts by decreasing its metabolism because it thinks its not going to be getting enough calories and nutrients and you end up storing more than if you just ate normally.

Rule #3:  Stick to a realistic definition of a “portion”.

Rule #4: One dessert.  Wait let me be more specific.  One portion of one dessert! Yeah this will be a tough one for me. This year I won’t be spending Thanksgiving with my family so I don’t know what dessert will be available – and how many different kinds there will be. Typically my family has apple pie, pumpkin pie, cookies, and brownies. And I usually have at least one of each, except the pumpkin pie, and probably 2-3 cookies. And this year will be just as tempting as my friend Jessi is baking a chocolate cake and I heard there will be carrot cake – two of my favorites!

Rule #5: Enjoy yourself! This is NOT a fad diet. This is a lifestyle.

Hopefully I’ll be able to go for a run Thursday morning. I need to start the day right before all the food and wine that will be consumed later that day! But still keeping in mind portion control!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Week 3 - back to normal!


I finally have electricity and am back home and on a more regular schedule. While I was without power, I stayed at friends’ houses who had early morning schedules, which meant that I was going to bed at a reasonable hour and waking up at my normal time. I’ve been keeping to that routine so far and hope to keep it up. Now that I’m home, I’m also working out more! And felt it for the first 3 days of the week. So here’s an over view of the good and the bad this past week:

The Good:
- Worked out 5 of 7 days! I should have run long on Sunday but ran 4.9 miles on Friday and 6 miles on Saturday so it will do. And I was in no condition to run on Sunday but I think a walk would have done me some good.
- Ate fruit on 2 of 7 days. This is actual fruit. I drink oj every morning that I have breakfast at home. I definitely need to eat more fruit!
- Dinner was salmon (about 5 oz), asparagus, and skim milk (Mon – Thurs).
- Afternoon snacks, if I’m hungry, have been celery with humus.
- I was in bed before midnight most week nights. I felt good every day last week and better sleep certainly contributed to that. It will also allow me to workout more and more intensely.

The Bad:
Some sort of desert 6 out of 7 days AND a beer every night of the week except Sunday. And waaayyy too much beer on Saturday.

Weight
- Monday morning: 156.6#
- Avg weight Mon – Fri: 154.1#
- I didn’t measure my weight on Sunday morning as I nursed a hang over all day. And since I only had one meal on Sunday, Monday morning's weight was pretty good (153.8#).

So I’ve been getting a few more fruits & vegetables in the diet – yeah! And was consistent with the workouts. But still eating desserts and drinking beer – boo!

So some progress on the diet and exercise. I’ll want to step up the intensity of some of the workouts. This will be including longer runs for training for my next 50 km race in March and hopefully some speed work as I need to get my pace down so that I can run my longer races faster.

The pounds aren’t really dropping yet but I have noticed in pictures and the mirror that I seem to be getting a little bit leaner. Hopefully, the pounds will drop soon.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Week 2 - no electricity and not much exercise

Well I certainly didn’t meet my workout goals this week. Sunday morning a transformer blew and I’ve been without power ever since! This is now day 6. Luckily I have been able to stay with friends so I had a warm place to sleep and a hot shower. I’ve had to eat out a lot, and ate with friends so the diet would not have been typical. I’ve been able to see what others eat for dinner at home and now have a couple of ideas of what other foods I can eat - spaghetti squash! I should also look at other recipe resources as I’d like to eat much more vegetables than I usually do. The one good thing about sleeping at other people’s houses is that you end up following their sleep schedule. And my friends get up quite early to work out so they go to bed early! Hopefully I’ll continue with that trend when I am finally back in my own home and bed. It would allow me to workout consistently and more intensely. Also, I’ve read that lack of sleep contributes to weight gain and the inability to lose weight. Something about hormones. I should look into that so I have a better understanding. At least I’ve noticed that my weight has stayed the same. No gain is better than gaining if I’m not able to lose a few pounds this week.

This weekend I’ll be traveling to Albany NY with a friend to visit another friend. Marie is having a wine and appetizer party. Hopefully I’ll get a run in this week before I travel. So far this year I’ve been able to run at least once a week. I’d like to continue that trend. And since I have run just over 700 miles this year (a new PR!) I’d like to get to 800. I won’t be able to run as far as my sister – she’s run 1000 miles this year! But maybe I’ll try to make that a goal for next year. All those extra miles should help with my running goals!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Week 1: October 24-30, 2011

Weight: 154 #
Monday - first day post-marathon; legs sore - especially front of left ankle. Going to try and do some yoga today (need to cut out the word try and just do it!).
   Breakfast (9:15 AM): 1/2 of a large bagel - half smeared w/butter, half w/blackberry preserves, 8 oz oj, 2 cups coffee with sugar and skim milk, 1 scrambled egg
   Snack (11:40 AM): granny smith apple with 1 tblsp chunky peanut butter
   Lunch (1:30 PM): 9.5 oz minestrone (100 cal), 5 saltines (60 cal) with butter, 8 oz skim chocolate milk
   Snack (3:00 PM): 1/4 french toast muffin (200 cal)
The 800 calorie muffin I won at the 5k race on 10/22. I've cut it into fourths; though I know I should toss it.
   Workout (4:45 PM): 25 min yoga. I know I need to do more strenuous workouts but its the first day after a marathon and I'm having issues with both ankles.
   Dinner (6:15 PM): One scoop of bean & vegetable chili (from Runner's World), 8 oz, skim milk
   Snack (2:00 AM): 2 pretzel rods, can of diet coke, 0.5 oz dark chocolate with hazelnuts

   Bed: Much too late to write down. This is something that really needs to change as I do it way too often.
   Trying to drink lots of water. Seem dehydrated (dry lips) - perhaps due to Sunday's race or might be getting sick (I hope not!)

Tuesday: Awake at 6:10 AM.
   Breakfast (7:30 AM): Eaten while driving to campus. Large Dunkin Donuts coffee w/2 Splenda and skim milk, untoasted cinnamon raisin bagel
   Lectured for 3 hours
   Lunch (1:00 PM): PB&J on whole wheat bread (2 slices), diet coke, Stonyfield raspberry yogurt (130 cal), 15 roasted/unsalted cashews
   Snack (4:45 PM): Starbuck's grande skim mocha (no whip cream), reduced fat cinnamon swirl cake
   Watched a movie at the NY Academy of Sciences - "No Dinosaurs in Heaven" about evolution, science teaching, and creationism.
    Dinner (9:30 PM - while watching the Biggest Loser): 1 scoop of bean & veggi chili, 8 oz skim milk
   Fell asleep on the couch before 11 PM, in bed at 1:30 AM
    Didn't work out today. I was too tired from being up so late so decided to stay on campus to work before heading into the city later.

Wednesday: Awake at 7:30 AM
   Breakfast (8:45 AM): 1/2 c homemade granola w/3 tsp apple sauce and skim milk, 8 oz oj, 2 cups of coffee with sugar & skim milk
   Lunch (1:00 PM): 9.5 oz minestrone (100 cal), 7 saltines with butter, 8 oz skim chocolate milk
   Snack (3:00 PM): Stonyfield strawberry yogurt (110 cal), 6 roasted & unsalted cashews
   Snack (4:30 PM): chunky peanut butter - eaten with a spoon from the jar so I don't know how much I ate
   Dinner (9:00 PM): scoop of bean & veggie chili, 12 oz beer
   Bed at 12:15 AM

Thursday: Awake at 6:15 AM
   Breakfast (7:40 AM): Breakfast (7:30 AM): Eaten while driving to campus. Large Dunkin Donuts coffee w/2 Splenda and skim milk, coffee cake muffin (probably one of the worst muffins by Dunkin Donuts you can eat - ~650 calories!)
   Lectured 3 hrs
   Lunch (12:15 PM): PB&J on whole wheat bread (2 slices), diet coke, Stonyfield lemon yogurt, 15 roasted/unsalted cashews
   Should have gone to the gym but was tired.
   Snack (4:00 PM): 12 oz beer
   Dinner (9:00 PM): scoop of bean & veggie chili, 8 oz skim milk
   Fell asleep on couch; bed at 4:15 AM

Friday: Awake at 8:15 AM
   Breakfast (9:15 AM): Breakfast (8:45 AM): 1/2 c homemade granola w/3 tsp apple sauce and skim milk, 8 oz oj, 2 cups of coffee with sugar & skim milk
    Lunch (1:30 PM): slice of mushroom pizza, diet coke, 1 oz dark chocolate with hazelnuts
   Workout (4:00 PM): 3 mile run in 34 min; some stretching
   Snack: string cheese; three 5 oz tastings of beer, chips, 2 cookies
   Dinner: 2 pints of beer; pasta with shrimp and moz cheese, 1 pc garlic bread. This is where I need to do a lot of work - need to make better choices when eating out (would have had a salad but none looked appetizing). Didn't see in the description of the pasta that there would be lots of mozzarella cheese.
   In bed before midnight

Saturday: Awake at 8:00 AM
   Breakfast (9:25 AM): 1/2 of a large bagel - half smeared w/butter, half w/blackberry preserves, 8 oz oj, 2 cups coffee with sugar and skim milk, 1 scrambled egg
  Lunch (2:00 PM): or should it be snack? 1 small gala apple
  Workout: if I ran 1/2 mile in the snow and ice cold water in the woods I would have been lucky
   Dinner: 2 beers, chicken & mozzarella sandwich on chiabatta, mashed potatoes (quite good, I forgot how much I liked mashed potatoes!), 3 french fries
   Snack: diet coke
Fell asleep on the couch while watching football. In bed at 12:00 AM

Sunday: Awake at 8:00 AM
   Power went out at 9 AM so rest of meals have been eaten away from home
   Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, 1.5 fat breakfast sausage, 1 pc wheat toast with butter & jam, home fries, 6 oz oj, 4 c coffee with skim milk and sugar
   Snack: Starbuck's grande skim mocha (no whip cream), reduced fat cinnamon swirl cake
   Dinner: filet mignon sandwich on garlic bread with mozzarella, roasted red peppers, & romaine, onion rings, 4 pints of beer (only planned on 2 pints but two patrons brought me beer).
   Bed at 11:30 PM. Slept on a friend's couch

Hopefully next week will be better - but the first couple of days likely won't be as the electric company doesn't expect to have electricity restored until Wednesday!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

exercise this week?

During my first week of trying to lose weight I haven't been very good about exercise. And I can only put part of the blame on recovering from a marathon. So far this week I've done 25 min of yoga on Monday and a 3 mile run on Friday. Had hoped to get a nice run in the woods on Saturday - in costume - but there was a freak storm that hit the East Coast. First it rained and then it snowed. A lot! Just getting to Great Swamp was quite an adventure. And getting home after dinner was even more adventurous! Lots of downed trees and power lines.

So what have been my excuses? Tired - a few nights of staying up late makes it difficult to work out. Wednesday was pure laziness. I should have gone to yoga at a local studio - I want this guy to succeed since his studio is close to me and his rates are really good! Thursday I had my gym gear to go to the gym and ride the stationary bike but by the time I left the office, I was tired and unmotivated. And frankly I am still recovering from the marathon. I wish I could have some of the energy and recovery capabilities of my friend Jessi. On Saturday she ran in the morning and in the afternoon. I won't bother posting her mileage - she runs ultra-marathons and does IronMen races - so the number of miles she ran less than a week after winning the marathon are insane. Plus she's 17 years younger than me so she can recover faster. But the one thing she does is she gets out there nearly every day and works out for 1 hour or more.

So here are my exercise goals for next week: (1) work out nearly every day; and (2) when I do work out, do so for 1 hour.

Friday, October 28, 2011

A marathon

I'm still logging my diet, sleep, and exercise. This definitely won't be a good week yet each morning my weight is a little lower than the previous day. Not sure why (you'll see why with my next post on Monday morning). Perhaps residual increase in metabolism post-marathon? Muscles recovering and using energy after all the running I've done? Don't know but I'll take it if the loss is maintained!

In the meantime, here's a link to my other blog and my race report for the marathon that I ran on Sunday: D-L Marathon.

Monday, October 24, 2011

The beginning

I've known this for quite some time and have only made feeble attempts at it, but I really need to lose some weight.


The minimum would be 10 pounds but ideally I should lose 20 pounds (goal is 135#). So I'm going to journal what I eat and do (including sleeping habits) and make it public. I am actually going to post my weight at the start of each week. So here it goes!

I'll take suggestions as to what I should change. Dave suggests lots of small meals every 2 hrs - and nothing after 2 PM! I know the no eating after 2 PM will not work for me. I'll be much too hungry in the evening and so hungry in the morning that I'll feel sick! Jessi & Dave suggests lots of fruits (I know I have to work on this) and vegetables, some protein, and cut back on the carbs. And yeah - minimizing sweets and alcohol. Of course working out consistently is needed for this to work.

Not sure how often I'll post updates. Every day? Or at the end of each week?

Today starts the weight loss. Beginning weight: 154#; Height: 5' 4"; BMI: 26.4 (that puts me in the overweight category). Will post a picture soon from yesterday's marathon.

Start of Delaware-Lehigh Heritage Marathon in Northampton PA, with Dave, Jessi, and Ron. I'm wearing #37.
Finishing last in the marathon in 5 hrs 24.5 min.