Spiders

Spiders are industrious little creatures. I wiped spiderwebs and dust off of my grandson's outside toys just a few days ago, only to find spiderwebs on them again. This time I wiped off the webs and the spiders, hosed off everything, used soap, scrubbed and rinsed. Just so you know, spiders don't stick well to Dawn dish soap, and I used gloves, sticks, and long handled cleaning brushes. Even though spiders do have their place in our ecosystem, they just creep me out.

I was going through some pictures from the first cruise my husband and I went on. It was about 5 years ago, and I think that's at a turtle farm on Grand Cayman Island in the Bahamas. The thing that struck me is that I had some muscles going on in my arms, even though it doesn't show up in well the scanned picture. Where did my muscles go? There's always something to work on, and I know to get those arms back I need to do some heavier lifting. It's not gonna happen with high reps and low weights, which is all I can do right now. This picture got me thinking to how things were for me just 5 years ago. I was physically in the best shape of my life, and probably the most healthy I had ever been. I'd like to get back to that point again, preferably before 50, which is just about 9 months away. The whole injury/surgery thing really set me back. Prior to all of that, I was doing OK. I know I had things to work on, but I felt good. I'm not sure what steps I'll take to get back on track, but I know I need to stick with some plan. So much to ponder. So much to research. I did Body For Life in the past, but since I really can't be doing high intensity interval training, I need to figure out something else. Nutrition is the easy part for me. It's the rearranging the weight training that will be the key. After my surgery several people told me that I would lose weight. I didn't lose weight. I didn't really gain weight, either. I only lost muscle. I know getting back to where I was just 5 years ago will take time.

Yesterday's song:
Gotta Keep Moving - Kellie Pickler

PEACE

Torn Between Two Lovers

For the first time in several days the sun has graced us with its presence on the coast. It was a perfect day for gardening. When the house first closed escrow, the first thing I did was plant seeds for flowers and vegetables. I had everything well planned out in nice, neat rows. Everything went well until the blistering heat wave in July last year. My garden was toast. There was nothing I could do to save it. This year I had plans to have an orderly garden, with neat rows and everything well marked, just like last year. I did plant a couple rows of zinnia flowers. I thought it was peculiar that they didn't come up because just about anybody can grow zinnias from seeds. It turns out the dog had her own ideas and dug where I planted the seeds. There are now sprouts of zinnias in the pattern of where the dog dug up MY efforts. I spent yesterday and part of today transplanting the sprouts to where they are supposed to be. As for the vegetable garden, that's developing all by itself. Without trying, the bok choy that didn't come up last year, yellow squash, cucumbers and sunflower seeds are poking through, and not in neat rows, either. I must say that the bok choi is beautiful and I am anxious to use it. The garden is growing just fine, orderly or not, weeds included.

I am somewhat torn on which direction to take my athletic goals to. I really enjoy running. It gives me a sense of being centered when everything else in my life is chaos. I also REALLY like what weight training does for my physique. I'd like to get back a lot of the upper body strength that I know I've lost, not to mention more toned arms. Running was not my very first cardio of choice, swimming was, but to drop body fat more effectively I needed high intensity cardio in addition to intense circuit training (with free weights) to get everything in gear -- Oh yeah, and paying attention to nutrition helped. It worked. It has been three years since my first marathon, and now closing in on a third, and weight training as I used to do, prior to running life as I know it now, has taken a back seat. I wish I could successfully meld the two (weight training and long distance running) without needing help. My weight hasn't been a big issue for me in a long time, but I'd like to see a lower body fat percentage. I know how hard it is to do heavy duty weight training and train for a marathon. There are some people who can do it. Since this is now year three of marathoning and long distance running in general, maybe now I have the endurance to bump up the weight training to how it once was. The question I keep asking myself about the weight training/running thing is "can I do both without killing myself?" The only way to find out is to just go for it. I plan on kicking my own ass with heavy duty weight training and running starting in July, once the buzz from the SDRNR Marathon is over.

Peace

Last Dance

Yesterday, at my chiropractor appointment, I asked if it were okay for dancers to become runners. I have heard that it's not a good idea for dancers to run long distances from my daughter, who is majoring in dance education. He said that dancers need a broader range of motion, and that the running motion (going forward running form) limits range and muscle flexibility. Long distance running for dancers is probably out, but shorter distances (like a 5k) would probably be good for endurance purposes... HOWEVER, it's probably a good idea for runners to take some dance classes because it will help with flexibility. My chiropractor works on a lot of dancers from the college, competitive cyclists and a few runners.

I'm planning the final 20 miler for this Saturday, so I'm not running or working out until then.

On Overstock.com I found a book "The Ultimate Guide To Weight Training For Running." It was pretty cheap so I ordered it. I'm not sure what to expect since I couldn't read excerpts of the book, but, what the heck. I'll post about it once it comes in.




Peace

Counting Blue Cars

Upper body circuits with resistance bands - biceps, shoulders and triceps 3 sets of 20 each.

My workout this morning seemed kind of whimpy, probably because we had a hard time getting to sleep last night due to the aroma of skunk wafting through the neighborhood... It sort of figures, though. We're having dry, summer-like weather and I was looking forward to sleeping with the windows open a little. My poor dog kept looking at us, as if to say "do something about that horrible smell!."

I'm also at the feeling very fluffy stage of marathon training. I'm now up a good 7 pounds. It doesn't seem like a huge weight gain but it's making a difference with how my clothes are fitting, especially after a good carb load. I'm also debating trying to fit in another 20 mile run this week. The muscles in my legs are feeling stiff from the run this weekend. I normally do my LSD runs with 10 minute mile average, more or less. I ran the 8k in the 8 min/mi range, with my first mile in 8:54. Granted, it doesn't sound that fast, but I haven't been doing much speed training, so I'm now feeling every muscle in my legs.

Other stuff:
We bought me a new car. We were going to get something like a lease return, but we ended up getting a new 2007 Jetta. I was driving a 2002 Volvo S80, but that vehicle is heavy, has lousy visibility, plus the gas mileage isn't great. I didn't need/want another foo-foo car. Besides, in a couple of years the Jetta will probably be my son's car, anyway, provided that he can pay for insurance and maintanance. I just get to drive it first.

We did say good-by to our beat up 1989 Honda Accord, and donated it to charity.

And on a final note...

A very good friend of mine and his wife welcomed their first child, a daughter, into the world today. Welcome Alessandra!

Peace

Good Day

Today's workout was high reps/low weights UBW circuits and abs to failure. Yoga stretches finished the workout.

All's I have to say about today is "calf DOMS."

Four run events down now for my goal of one event each month for this year. Now I have to come up with something for May. There's the Union Tribune 8K Race for Literacy on May 6 that I'm considering. There's also a kids event the day before. It would be fun to enter DGS in the 3 and under race. We'll see. My brother is pushing for me to join him for the Bay To Breakers 12K event in San Francisco on May 20. I'm not sure about that one because it's during my taper for the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon, which is heavy on my mind at the moment. I have up to the day of the race (for B2B) to decide if I want to run it, but I would need to figure in air fare. Decisions, decisions.

Dori (She Do Run Run) had asked me about the hills between miles 7 and 10 of the SDRNR Marathon. This is what the elevation chart shows:

It look scarier on this elevation chart than it actually is, well, at least for me, since I live in a neighborhood with killer hills... The incline seemed gradual. I know some people thought it was tough. Personally, it was the little ramps that went over roads between miles 19 and 24, because I was super tired by then, and I was amongst the walking wounded... I hope to make it to the end, running the whole way, not walking, even if it is slow run. I still have work to do.

Peace

Living In The Past

Gym workout today. It wasn't pretty but I did it. I did light weights, high reps for my UBW. I attempted the treadmill, but the one I happened to use kept shutting off. I think I only got in a full mile. I was trying to do speed intervals, but when I attempted to go faster, the machine would slow down or shut off.

April marks the anniversary of when I decided to take control of my well being and get fit through exercise and proper nutrition, and not go on a "diet."

It has been about 7 years since I've decided to live a healthier lifestyle. This first photo, with my brother, was taken on Father's Day -- about a couple of weeks after my 39th birthday and being in a car accident. This was THE photo that made me realize I should do something before I let my weight and health get out of control.

This next photo was taken a few months later, sans cast, while on vacation at Fallen Leaf Lake, near Lake Tahoe, CA. Those shorts I'm sporting in the photo were a size 10, and I was barely squeezing into those. My weight was topping off at 150+, and I'm only 5'3"... It wasn't THAT bad (in my mind) but prior to weighing in at 150+ pounds and squeezing into a too small size 10, I was wearing a size 6, even after having 2 kids. How did this happen to me? How did I get a fat gut, butt, and back fat????? For me, this was another photo showing me that I needed to do something, even though my dear husband said both photos weren't that bad... I knew otherwise. I was loosing control of my weight and only I had the power to do something about it.

I became fit the old fashioned way, through exercise and proper nutrition. There was no magic pill or special diet. As I had mentioned in the past, I had followed Body For Life. I did hook up with a personal trainer with my gym membership, but it was up to me to do the work. It took me a good nine months to lose 30 pounds. I had gained muscle, felt more healthy and energetic than ever, and fit comfortably into a size 2. I had never EVER been a size 2 before. I'll never forget being in the dressing room trying on size 2 pants for the first time. I was so used to my fat ass barely getting into a 10, and now I was sliding into a 2. Only stick figures wore a 2. I wasn't a stick since I was now carrying arond some lean muscle mass, and I weighed more than I had in the past, before kids. I had to keep rechecking the label to make sure I wasn't halucinating. I think I did my own little happy dance in the dressing room.


The running thing evolved out of being more fit. I never did team sports as a kid or in high school. I did enjoy swimming, but the running grew on me. It was something that I could do on my own, and I eventually began to run in events, and my hubbie began to run with me.



7 years later and I'm still sticking with a healthier lifestyle. It doesn't mean that I won't splurge from time to time, or that my weight won't go up and down, or that I expect everyone else to jump on board with me. It's not like that. I love chocolate cake/candy and an occasional martini, I can gain and lose up to 10 pounds in one week when carb loading for a run, and if someone wants to run or exercise with me it's great ~ but if not, it's okay.

PEACE

Rock And Roll

I had a date with my Bowflex today... I got in lat tower exercises, incline flys, row seat attachment exercises, bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and as many crunches as I could do during AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap." I don't know how many crunches that was, I lost count, but I sure am feeling it now.

Anne - Run-DMZ informed me of a 15K event just near by my house, at the bay, and that she would be volunteering at the event. Since there's no real time limit, I signed up for it! I'm pretty excited about it because I've never run in a 15K event before, all of the women participants get a rose, the t-shirt is tie-dyed, and best of all I get to meet Anne. I might get my hubbie to go with me, but it's an early run. He's not a morning person... I just hope the weather will be kind that day.

Here's where the run will be:
This is the photo I took with my cell phone last week. The path is right on the other side of those palm trees.

Also, on Saturday, is a coworker's birthday/bridal party. We're doing a spa afternoon! It just doesn't get any better than that!

Dustin at Home Depot called and got the refrigerator situation settled! They're going to call in a couple of days to set up delivery! Yay! And Whew! I still don't understand why GE/LG didn't do a swap in the first place... There's nothing like great customer service. Time to write a letter to Home Depot. If I'm not mistaken, I think the employees get brownie points or recognition for happy customer letters.

Peace

Lift Me Up

It's back to the weights, real weights, not moving boxes and heavy furniture. I wasn't expecting my weight workout to be as easy as it was, which indicates that all of that heavy box lifting did keep my muscles alive. I kept today's weights light, so there would be no surprise strains. I guess I can bump things up heavier next time. I worked on shoulders, biceps, triceps and abs. I did need to throw in some chest presses, but I'll save that for next time.

I've also been searching for a new marathon training plan. I've followed the outline in Marathon Training For Mortals by John Bingham twice, and followed the Smart Coach outline from Runnerworld.com for my half marathons. I know there are several plans out there. I did find one that outlined only 3 running days per week and two cross trainging days: "The Less Is More Marathon Plan," which is sort of how I modified the "mortals" running plan when I was having extreme knee pain for marathon #1 in 2005. I'll still surf the web and see what else I find. I'm pretty sure that hubbie and I will run in the 2007 San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon on June 3. I just need to sign up.

Peace