Strength Training

Today started my new 2 week training plan from Coach Kurt. 

(Maybe one day I will have big arm muscles too!)

Previously, I had been doing 5 exercises: chest press, shoulder press, row, bicep curl, and tricep extension. I did 2 sets of 20 reps each on a 1-1-4 count (push/pull for 1, hold 1, bring back for 4). The first week I spent most of my time messing with different weights to see what was too easy and what was painful. The second week I worked more on making sure my breathing matched my motions. I never realized how quiet and focused one could get while doing strength machines. It's like the whole gym turned into a giant white noise and I was left with only myself and my thoughts. The same thing happens when I run. I love it!

For the next two weeks, I will be doing all of the same machines, but I will be doing 3 sets of 15 repetitions (still on the 1-1-4 count). I also have to add in 3 planks, each a minute long (or however close I can get to a minute). After work today, I hit the gym and did all of my required strength machines and then decided to do 45 minutes on the ARC trainer. That machine kicks my butt! The last time I sweat that much, I was running the Princess Half in glorious Florida humidity! Sometimes, however, nothing feels better than a good sweat fest! It definitely helped me relieve some of my built up stress over the past few days.

Not too much else has been going on lately. I work, I go to the gym- in between those I find time to eat, sleep, plan a wedding, apply for graduate school, and spend time with friends and family. I wish they offered a master's degree in multi-tasking because I am a pro at that already. Woot!

For the First Time...

I felt like a real runner today.

Source

I was at the gym doing a 10k run for my current training. I ran the first 1.3 miles straight through, then walked for 3 minutes/ran 7 minutes for 90 minutes. I was pouring sweat, settling into a nice pace, pumping my arms when I needed an extra boost, and running through every excuse I had to stop or cut my run periods short. This chick managed to do 6.22 miles in those 90 minutes! Woohoo!!

I NEVER would have thought I could do that. EVER. And for the granted it's only about half of what I need to run for my half marathon, but the pacing felt good and I felt strong. It's the first time I've done a run and not been panicked about the possiblity of being swept off of the Disney Princess course.

I was, at one point, a week behind on my training, but now I am only 2 days behind. Thursday I am doing a short run of 3.1 miles and then over the weekend I am doing an 8 mile run. Once those are done, I will be back on track.

How is everyone else's training going? I stop by and read blogs when I have a free moment, I just don't always have enough time to actually sit down and write out a blog post of my own. Maybe once the holidays are done? Who knows, right?

Anyway, in other awesome news, I bought a pair of size 16 jeans at Marshall's the other day and I didn't muffin top over them! Plus, the size 16 jeans I bought at Old Navy on Black Friday are too big on me. I'm excited because while the number on the scale isn't going down, it is staying steady but my clothes are getting a little bit bigger on me. It makes me feel good. It makes me want to stick with my training because if I do, I might be able to squeeze into a 14 by the time I go down to Disney in February.

Here's a comparison just for fun, so you can see what I sometimes have a hard time seeing:

Myself and my friend Joe in fall of 2010 before I started running. Size 22

My boyfriend and I this past fall- after 2 years of running for me. Size 16

Here's hoping I can keep whittling myself away!

Pride and Running

I am kind of proud of me, if I do say so myself. 

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And I do.

I had a very long day running programs with all ages of kids today and it was gross outside. I mean, sticky, hot, walking through a wet blanket, gross. I got home and sat down on the couch, knowing that that was the wrong thing to do because I had to get in a run today. I sat there for an hour, talking with my mom while my brother made dinner, then I got off my butt and went to the gym. (Considering how hot it was, I decided a treadmill run would be best for my sanity.) I didn't want to go, but I made myself do it anyway. Hooray for NOT giving into temptation and getting my butt in gear.

The gym was pretty packed, but I managed to snag a treadmill and started my 3.1 mile run. Instead of doing just 30min. like I have scheduled on my training plan, I decided to sneak in the Firecracker Virtual 5k I had to do. Needless to say, I finished in 46:03. Not too bad. I was hoping to stay with a 15min/mile, but considering how tired I was, anything under 47min was okay by me.

My plan of action for this week is a 30min run on Wednesday and then doing my 8miles on Friday before work or Saturday early morning (depending upon weather and such). That will put me at about 13.1 miles total for this week. I gave myself a goal of 50 miles and then I would treat myself to a massage. As of right now, I am 19miles away from that. By the end of this week, I will be 9miles away!

Also, I haven't officially registered yet (I will when I get my next paycheck), however-  

 Source

I will be doing the Princess Half in Feb 2013!!. 

My boyfriend and I put deposits down on a Disney cruise for Feb. 17-21st and the race is on Feb. 24th, so we are going to stay at the Disney Caribbean resort after we get off the ship until it's time for me to race. I'm SUPER excited! I can't wait! Only about 214 days until I get to sail away! WOOHOO!!

 Anyone have any fun runs coming up?

Where, Oh Where, Has My Motivation Gone?

I'm depressed.

That about sums up the past few days of my life. I have no real reason to be depressed- my boyfriend is amazing and probably the sweetest guy on the planet, my job is time-consuming but fulfilling and fun, my family and friends are all healthy, finances are starting to straighten out... so, why am I depressed?

Because, despite all these other wonderful things, I've lost my motivation to do anything.
I've kept up with my bikini body boot camps, but I haven't done any other workouts. LAME.
I go to bed every night and think "tomorrow I'm going to get up and run", I even set my alarm and lay out my clothes. But, when that buzzer goes off, I reset my alarm and go back to bed. I can't seem to drag myself up and out. Not even down to the living room to do a quick workout video or anything. Ugh! I'm so frustrated with myself, I could seriously spit!

I keep giving myself little goals:

Run 50 miles and I will treat myself to a full body massage.
Get under 200 and I can have a shoe shopping spree.
Run any distance today and have an ice cream.

But, nothing seems to do the trick. I even keep trying to visualize different things to get myself going:

Being skinnier for my 10 year high school reunion.
Being a size 14 for 2013.
Losing another 10 pounds for summer.

Nothing. It's as if my brain gets what I'm telling it but my body refuses to take the message.
*sigh* I don't know. I'm at a loss. I was excited a bit yesterday because I bought something in a size 14/16 and it felt a little lose, but then some of my old clothes don't seem any bigger on me. And this morning I hopped on my boyfriend's scale. It said I had gained 15 pounds. I burst into tears. He tried to console me and tell me that the leg on one of the sides is broken so the numbers are wrong, but I know it's a lie. How did I gain 15 pounds in 2 weeks?! It's not like I've been stagnant- I'm still always up and about with work and rehearsals. I haven't even been eating as much because I don't always have the time to eat. Maybe that's part of the problem- maybe my wacky eating habits are killing me.

Either way, I just feel as if I worked so hard to get down to 207 and now this. I'm taking gigantic steps backwards and I don't know what to do. Even now, I just want to cry. I want to go to the gym while I'm still angry at myself but I'm literally working/rehearsing until goodness knows when tonight. And I want to wake up early tomorrow for a run before work, but I know I'm going to be exhausted.

Please help.  

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Well, ok, it was on Monday, but still! I actually had a great birthday weekend. My wonderful boyfriend took me down to MGM Grand at Foxwoods casino for the weekend. We stayed in a very fancy hotel room and wen to this restaurant called High Rollers. It's a contemporary bar/lounge area that also has bowling lanes! So, we were both dressed up (me in a dress and heels) while we bowled away the evening. We enjoyed some very yummy lobster dip (which I'm sure was completely awful for us- but darn was it tasty!). After we bowled for a few hours, we wandered around, taking in the sites and stopping to play a slot machine or two. As we headed back up to the room, we also picked up a slice of Junior's cheesecake. YUM!!

As it turns out, we didn't need to buy the cheese cake because the front desk clerk decided to surprise us both with a special Birthday gift (my birthday was Monday, my boyfriend's was Tuesday). When we got back to the room, we found these waiting for us:

Can you believe it?! All hand made chocolate and a dark chocolate cake in the middle! I know I'm not supposed to eat chocolate because it makes me sick, but I took a bite or two of my cake anyway. SO GOOD!

The next morning, we checked out of Foxwoods and went over to the other casino, Mohegan Sun, to do some gambling and such. We ended up eating at a very yummy BBQ place. And, because it was our birthdays we got a free dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, a free ice cream from Ben and Jerry's, 2 free Godiva truffles and so much more! Holy sugar high, Batman! Later that night, we met up with both our families at Joey Garlic's- this amazing italian restaurant that serves incredibly large portions. I got a gluten free pasta dish (yay!!) that gave me enough left overs to last me a few days. Then, they brought Anthony and I a tiramisu for our birthdays. After dinner, we went back to my parents for presents and were surprised with 2 different type of cupcakes, peanut brittle, white chocolate toffee, and a cheesecake! After this weekend, I feel I may need to go on insulin.

I have to say, I did eat a fair amount, but I did also try to restrict myself. I didn't have toffee or peanut brittle or cheesecake after Joey Garlics- I didn't have room. And I also took home about 3/4 of my meal from the restaurant.

To make up for all of that food though, I went to the gym after work yesterday and pounded out a 3 mile run. It felt great! Well, my tummy was a little unhappy with me, but everything else felt awesome. 3 miles in 43:33. Not my fastest time, but not too shabby either. I hopped on the scale, just to check in with myself, and saw that I'm down to 208! Woohoo! (Not sure how that happened over this past weekend- maybe it was all the walking we did, not to mention I did walk a good few hours in 6 inch heels- now THAT'S a workout!)

My plan is to get back to the gym tonight for another 2 mile run. Then, on Saturday, I'm going to do a 4 mile run and Sunday is the Jim Calhoun Cardioraiser where I get to do Zumba for Autism Speaks! Hooray!

Also, in case I don't get a chance to update before then- BEST OF LUCK TO ALL MY DISNEY PRINCESS RUNNERS!!! Have a great time! I wish I could be there with you!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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How did YOU celebrate your Valentine's day?

Personally, I celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday as both my boyfriend and I had to work late tonight. It was very nice on Saturday though! We had a nice dinner and exchanged gifts. I got him a Build-A-Bear puppy (since I couldn't afford to get him a real puppy like he wants) and he got me some gorgeous earrings. (Seriously, he spoils me like you wouldn't believe!)

In any case, I decided that since I wasn't going out to dinner or anything after work tonight (like most everyone else was), that I would go to the gym and get in a short run. The gym was practically deserted and I had my pick of treadmills. I hopped on one and got to it! I felt good for the first 15minutes but then I started getting a wicked cramp in my right side abdomen. I slowed down my pace but the cramp wouldn't let up. Eventually, it got to the point where it was uncomfortable to breathe because when I tried to expand my torso it was super tight. I slowed to a walk for a bit, but to no avail. I ended up doing 1.83 miles in 25 minutes. Not my best time, but not my worst either (and definitely not too bad considering the monster cramping in my abs).  

Anyone know a good stretch for the abdomen? 

Or what may have caused the cramping? 

I'm excited because only 11 pounds to go before I'm under my first goal weight of 2012! HOORAY!!
On the agenda for tomorrow I have a 2 mile run and a Zumba class. Just need to make sure I can drag myself out of bed in the morning again. But, I keep repeating my mantra to myself -Little black dress, Little black dress (my boyfriend says it to me as motivation also). 

Oh! As a side note- I'm still doing gluten free! YAY! I'm kind of surprised I've lasted so long. I just feel so much better not eating gluten. Less bloating and, definitely, much less lethargy after I finish a meal.

 It's a great feeling!

A Rant and Getting to Know Your Cupcake

Well, it has most definitely been a hectic week. And it's only Wednesday. OY!

I've been kind of down lately because I got on the scale today and I've gained back 15 pounds. UGH! I'm so angry with myself I could spit! Maybe some of it is because I'm suffering a visit from a not-so friendly friend (ladies, you get my drift). Maybe it's because I just haven't been able to find the time to get my lazy butt to the gym. I've been working so many hours that all I do when I get home is try to unwind a bit and then catch some sleep. On the up side, seeing those numbers on the scale has definitely re-motivated me to get up and get back to the gym more often. I refuse to back track all of the hard work I did last year!! So, tomorrow, I am getting myself up early and going for a run BEFORE work. I'm not a morning person, but it's got to be done.  End rant- now to the fun stuff.

Recently, I was tagged in not one, but TWO different blogs for the 11 Random Things post. So, I'm going to apologize in advance for the super long post - prepare to learn WAY too much about me!

Rules of the Post:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the post you were tagged in.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog, FB page, or wherever you can grab their attention and inform them of their obligation to the blogosphere.

11 Random Things About Cupcake:

1. I LOVE baking cupcakes (hence the nickname). Seriously, I delight in coming up with various and sometimes random recipes for people. Apparently my cupcakes are pretty good too because I even got asked to bake them for a wedding in May (Sweet!!) My favorite cupcake to make is my pumpkin spice caramel- sooo yummy and SOOO under 300 calories (as most of my cupcakes are).

2. I am addicted to Bath and Body Works. It probably doesn't help that I work there part-time. But I legit cannot help myself from buying up all of their products! The lotions, the shower creams,soaps, wallflowers, candles... everything!

3. I truly enjoy dancing but have absolutely NO rhythm or dance skills whatsoever. Except when it comes to swing dancing. I took 2 years of swing dance lessons in college and can totally jitterbug with the best of them.

4. My favorite late night snack is a large bowl of mixed fruit (grapes, apples, bananas, berries) topped off with greek yogurt and a handful of gluten free granola and some almonds. YUMM!!

5. I went to an all-women's college and I have never regretted my choice. I loved my school because it was academically challenging and set up in such a way that it helped mold me into the empowered and intelligent woman I am today. It taught me leadership, responsibility, the true value of sisterhood and SO much more.

6. My bedroom is currently painted to look like an ocean. I'm a Pisces- I love water, enough said. One whole wall in my room is a mural (painted by one of my mother's friends) and has dolphins, fish, a beach, a ship, etc all done on it. The opposite wall has the moon and some stars.

7. I love pirates. Not just the Johnny Depp looking ones either, but all kinds of pirates. y family encourages my obsession by gifting me with pirate themed objects. My favorite gift is rolling luggage in the shape of a pirate treasure chest.

8. When I was a young kid (around 9 or 10) I was part of a children's chorus group that was invited to make a cd with Jose Feliciano (the original singer of Feliz Navidad). I went to his house in CT and sang in a sound studio and met his family and everything!

9. I have a candle addiction. At any given time, I have about $250 worth of candles in my bedroom. Totally came in handy during the freak October storm where I was without power for a week.

10. I enjoy painting my nails. It's something I tend to do on my "Me" nights. It makes me feel all girly and pretty. I've gotten much better at doing my own nails also. I don't make nearly as big of a mess as I used to.

11. I have my bartending license. Yup. One of the things I did after I graduated college was get my bartending license. You never know when you may need a second job to help bring in some extra cash. Plus, I love mixing drinks more than I love actually drinking them.


11 Questions I have to Answer:


Questions from Becoming An Ironman

1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?  What do you want to be now that you have grown up?         I remember being in sixth grade and having to write down what I wanted to be when i grew up. We then had to hand in our answers and go around the room trying to guess who answered which job. I wrote that I wanted to be a comedian. I love making people laugh! Now that I am grown up, I still want to be a performer, just not necessarily a stand-up comedian.
2. If you came into a large fortune all of a sudden and were set for life, what is the first thing you would do?     I would pay off all my parents bills and make sure they were financially secure. Then, I would pay off most of my debts, donate a large portion of money to various charities and then put some into my savings. Sensible, right?
3. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?    If we are going original- vanilla. If you mean "out of the box" flavors- peanut brittle.
4. Of all the places you've been - vacation, work, or any other reason - which was your favorite and why?    I LOVED Italy. Probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my entire life. The way that the past and present is so intermingled in all of the cities is truly astonishing and absolutely breathtaking.
5. What is your favorite time of day to exercise?   Mondays. I feel it usually helps me get my week off to a good start.
6. Everyone has an innate fear.  What are you naturally afraid of?  I am truly afraid of disappointing people. Random, but it's true. I can't stand having people being disappointed or upset with me- it eats away at my heart.
7. Which holiday is your favorite?, and why?   Probably Halloween. Not because of the candy- but because I get to dress up and act silly.
8. It's Friday night and you have the whole weekend ahead of you, what do you do?   I would probably be out performing in a show or watching a live show somewhere.
9. What was the very last meal you ate?   Fish, brussel sprouts and some mashed potatoes.
10. What is your big race this year?, and what is your goal for that race?  My big race is another half marathon- The DIVA half (hopefully). And my goal is 3 hours.
11. What is the toughest aspect of training for you?  How do you overcome it?  My toughest aspect is finding the time and maintaining the motivation to keep running. I'm still working on overcoming it. I feel if I start to set smaller goals for myself I might be more willing to continue.

Questions from BabyWilt

1. When and why did you start to run and if you don't run, why did you start to exercise? I started running in the fall of 2010 because I wanted to cross "finish a race" off my bucket list.
2. Where was you last vacation?  My last "vacation" was to North Carolina for my 5 year college reunion.
3. What phrase or word do you tend to overuse? I say "you're welcome" and "I'm sorry" a lot. (The first one I got from Chelsea)
4. How many hours of sleep do you average a night? I try to get at least 6.
5. How many siblings do you have? Two. One brother, one sister.
6. What is you favourite food and why?  My favorite food is sushi. I love seafood!!
7. What do you like to do most in your "me time"?  I tend to put on either a movie or some music and chill out while I give myself a manicure.
8. Have you ever done something you thought (or were told) you could never do? Yes. I finished a half marathon.
9. What is your favourite post exercise meal or snack?  I love peanut butter and bananas after a run.
10. What is your favourite time of the day?  My favorite time of the day is about 11:30am. At least, that's my favorite time to go work out.
11. I work at home at my computer so check blogs/emails/twitter/facebook regularly; How do YOU organise the social media in your life?   I have an iPhone that helps me keep in touch with social media. However, I have been slacking on a lot of my social media outlets simply because I just don't have the time to respond/post/etc. 

People I am Tagging:

Wells L @My Story... Chapter 2
Amy @Pumpkin to Princess
Suz and Allen @Cows and Lasers and Everything in Between
Carly @Chubby Chicks Run Too

Questions They Must Answer:

1. What is your all-time favorite season and why?
2. If you could run a race anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
3. What is your fondest memory?
4. What is something that you have done in your life that makes you proud?
5. What is something that you are terrifies of?
6. If you were stranded on an island and could only have three things with you, besides a form of travel and food, what would your three things be?
7. What is your favorite animal and why?
8. Have you ever wished upon a star? If so, did it come true?
9. What is the most current book you have read?
10. What is your favorite piece of running gear? Why?
11. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Little Black Dress

Happy Happy Monday Everyone!

I am excited because, as you can see from my DailyMile tracker on the left hand side of my page, I got in a run tonight! YAY!!! I went to the gym with the intent of doing 45 minutes on the treadmill, no matter where that put me mileage wise. Right now, I'm still running by time and not by miles. I've decided my first 5k race isn't until March, so I should be alright doing minute-based training runs. I'm happy to report that I did complete my 45 minutes (even if it was a bit of a struggle). HOORAY!

I do have to put a big Thank You out there to my boyfriend. I was definitely NOT in the mood to run tonight and he gave me some awesome motivation! My mantra on the treadmill tonight was "little black dress" because that is what I want to be able to wear when we go to Vegas in October. And I'm super glad I had that mantra because while it felt awesome to run, my body was very sluggish. I'm surprised I finished 3.1 miles in 45 minutes. I kept pushing myself though- I ran the first 20minutes and then walked 2 minutes, ran 10 minutes, walked 2 minutes, so on and so forth (I also sprinted the last minute because I like to finish strong). When I started feeling like I wanted to stop, I would just start saying "Little black Dress" and "Vegas" over and over in my head. It totally helped. I may use that for a race some time.

I was a bit grossed out during my run though. The man two treadmills down from me was continuously hocking up a loogie whilest he walked on his machine. And it wasn't a random one-time thing either. I mean, there are times when I'm running or walking and I have some junk in my lungs that needs to get cleared out- but this was a bit much. It happened every 3-4minutes and it was LOUD! I could hear him doing it OVER my music. Grossness. 

After my run, I came home and made some gluten free pasta topped with sauteed mushrooms, spinach, diced onions and turkey. SO YUMMY!! I made enough to eat tonight and to bring to work for lunch tomorrow. Currently, I am enjoying an italian ice as my late night treat (normally I would have a large bowl of fruit and yogurt, but I'm all out of both- BOO!).

I do have to admit something, and I hope y'all won't think less of me, but I sort of fell off my gluten-free diet over the weekend. I know, I know! I'm a horrible person! I couldn't help it- sort of. I was at my grandmother's for my cousin's birthday dinner and she made spaghetti (she even got me alfredo sauce because she knows I can't do tomatoes). I felt horrible because she had been cooking all afternoon- so I ate it. I've decided that I'm going to tack on another week of gluten-free-ness in order to make amends.

Have you ever "fallen off the wagon"? If so, what did you do to get back on again?

It's Going to be a GREAT Day!

I know it's only about 10am, but so far, today seems like it's going to be an AWESOME day!

"But why?", you may ask. Well, mainly because I got myself up and out of bed at 5:30 this morning and went to the gym for a run. Yup. Even though it was only 24 freezing degrees outside and my car was a monster block of ice, I shivered my way to the gym for a run.

Want to know what makes it better though? My run was pretty epic! I did a 35 minute run and managed to do 2.6 miles! That's 13:27min/mile! That's about 40 seconds faster than most of my usual runs! AND (yes, there's still more!) I managed to run the 30:12 of the 35 minutes! Frigging sweet! My lungs still aren't too happy with me, but I've stopped caring. They're going to have to get on board with the rest of my body and start functioning at high capacity again. Darn slacker organs.

I'm also pretty psyched because I went to Ocean State Job Lot the other evening and scored a fair amount of gluten-free food for real cheap. Seriously- I got two boxes of pasta, 3 boxes of crackers, a loaf of bread and 2 huge things of coconut water for $10. SWEET!! The gluten-free challenge is getting better. I'm not having as many cupcake based dreams cravings as I was before. I think my body is starting to get used to the switch. I am proud of myself because I had lunch with a coworker at an italian restaurant yesterday- I can proudly say that I did not eat any rolls, nor pasta, nor even the croutons in my salad. I also ordered this amazing risotto meal with peppers and onions and scallops in it! YUMMY! I ate half and have the other half for lunch again today.

It feels good to be eating healthier again. Today's menu consists of:

Breakfast-  Oikos greek yogurt with blueberries on the bottom (and a handful of almonds mixed in).
Snack 1- Granny Smith apple with Bee's Knees Peanut Butter
Lunch- Left over risotto meal and a LARGE salad with cut up deli sliced turkey/chicken/ham
Snack 2- Pine nut roasted hummus and baby carrots

Haven't figured out dinner yet, but I'm sure it will be pretty awesome as well.

What are some of your favorite snacks?

First Run of the New Year

I got in a run today!

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SO EXCITED!!

My friend Tina and I got together and went to the gym today (probably not the best idea because it was jam packed with people working on their own New Year's resolutions- but I managed to snag a free treadmill). I was only going to do a short 1.5 mile run, but I hit 1 mile by 12:40 and I felt good, so I decided to keep going. Considering how out of shape my lungs are from this stupid cold-thing that won't leave, I'm actually pretty proud that I made it to 3 miles in 44:32. Not as fast as I would like, but not bad considering I am sick and I haven't really run in a loooooooooooooooooong time.

After my run, I cleaned my machine and headed to the weights. I focused on my back and shoulders today doing back extensions, lat raises and a few others. I decided to up my weights from what I had been doing so I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow. It's all good though- it was nice getting back into my old routine. Tina and I are going to the gym again tomorrow morning. I'm planning on another 3 mile run and then some bicep/tricep work. I'm trying to take advantage of as much running time as I possibly can right now, while at the same time trying to make sure I don't overdo my runs and wear myself down before I can really get started again. I'm still kind of disappointed in myself that I slacked off after I finished the half marathon. Especially because having had so much time off, my endurance (the little I had built up) has suffered. Grrr!

Here is my ideal workout schedule or this month (we will see if I can stick with it):

I am planning it for just one month to see if I need to update/change anything as I progress in it. My goal is also to do my workouts in the morning... which means I'm going to have to start getting up earlier. Boo!! Oh well, if I want to accomplish my fitness goals for this year, it needs to be done, right? Right.

A Run...And a Runny Nose

I FINALLY managed to get a short run in last Thursday after work.

Color me excited!!

It felt so good to be on the treadmill and just moving. I could feel stress start to instantly melt away.
If I hadn't been so crunched for time I would have run longer than 20 minutes, but alas, my life stops for nothing lately.

However, my running high was short lived. Boo! The next morning I woke up and I sounded like Barry White (sexy, right?). The cold I had been fighting finally won. My nose was stuffy and running and my chest was all congested. I dosed myself with a ton of Mucinex, Zicam and Emergen-cee (plus tissues and cough drops) and went to work. By the end of the day (right before my show- because the show must go on!) I started to feel a bit better, but definitely not close to 100%. I was able to do the show because, thankfully, my character's voice is in a higher register than my actual speaking voice so no one could tell I was sick. As soon as the show was over, I went home and climbed into bed. I was hoping that if I slept as much as possible before work the next morning, I would get better. NO SUCH LUCK.

I awoke Saturday morning even worse than the day before- Barry White was back for another performance. Needless to say, no work for this sick kid. I spent the entire day in bed, Netflix on the television, medicine on the side table, and going in and out of consciousness. I think I slept about 14 hours total. It was so nice. I woke up about an hour before I had to be at the theatre and felt a tiny bit better.

I really felt the best on Sunday. I was excited because my voice was almost back to normal and I wasn't coughing as much. However, I woke up this morning and I think the cold is trying to beat me again. My coughing started up again last night (but whether that's because I changed the type of Mucinex I was taking or what, I don't know). I wasn't exactly Barry White this morning, more like Elaine Stritch (points if you get that reference, double points if it made you laugh).

I'm hoping to get a lot of rest this week so I will be better by Christmas. I am going to do another 20 minute run on Wednesday, though I don't want to push myself too much if everything is settling in my chest (no bueno for my lungs).

Anyone have any home remedies they use that work pretty well? I'm up for trying anything!

11 Miles Later

Ok, so remember that 10 mile run from hell I had? 

I just blew it out of the water!

KABOOM!!

I, literally, just got home from the gym where I did my 11 mile run. So many amazing things to report!!

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? (After all, it's a very good place to start. And extra points if you get the musical reference!) When I woke up, I was having a hard time motivating myself to get to the gym for my run. My body is just exhausted from everything I have going on and it didn't want to do 11 miles. With some helpful motivation from my friends, I finally got my butt out of bed and headed to the gym.

I hopped on the treadmill, started my Pandora radio station and went to town. Before I knew it, I had 2.1 miles under my belt... in less than 30 minutes... and I hadn't stopped to walk yet!! WHAT!? That's insane for me- but also a banging achievement. Woot!  

But, wait, it gets better! 

I continued on with my miles, trucking along with some awesome music being played. Seriously, I was super impressed with my Pandora today, it was like reading my mind and knew exactly what songs would keep me moving. The treadmill stopped at 60minutes, as I was at about 4.1 miles. Over 4 miles in an hour?! Another super achievement!

I restarted the treadmill and continued trekking along. Around mile 7 my legs started feeling tired (I had forgotten my compression sleeves at home- damnit!) but I pushed through and managed to do 8.1 miles in 2 hours and 2 minutes. That's the longest I've EVER held a decent pace for..Holy crap crackers Batman! I ended up getting off the treadmill at 8.1 miles to refill my waterbottle and get a Powerade as I was sweating monster buckets (seriously, you should have seen the treadmill floor.... gross!!). I hopped back on and finished up my last 2.9 miles. Those last miles were a killer- my legs were cramping, my body was tired of holding itself upright, but I pushed through and managed to hit 11 miles at 2:48:50!! That's faster than my 10mile run by like 15-20minutes! Granted, I know it is easier to wrack up miles on a treadmill, but I'm still rather impressed with myself. I just hope I can get my legs to recover in time for rehearsal tonight.

Oh! And don't forget to donate to my fundraiser for the upcoming Half Marathon and get an entry into my give away HERE!!! Thanks in advance y'all!

A Nun Walks Into the Gym....

Today was a LOOOOOOOOONG day!

It started at 5:15 this morning when I woke up (WAY before the sun, I'd like to add) and headed to meet my friend Tina at the gym. We both hopped on the Arc trainer for 25 minutes for some rocking cardio. I decided that today would be a great day to up the intensity level on the machine and it most definitely kicked my bum. I don't know if most of you know what an Arc trainer is, so let me explain:
The Arc Trainer, in my humble opinion, is an awesome cross-training machine. It combines low impact movements with high caloric bun and helps with endurance. Also, depending upon how you lower or raise the incline of the machine, depends on how intense your hamstrings, glutes and quads are going to work (lowered incline=more work, higher incline=less work which seems odd but is very true for this machine).

Anyway, since I lowered my incline and raised my intensity today, my body was not very happy with me. Tina and I barely made the 25minutes before we decided to hit the weight machines. We always focus on our abs during our strength training (After all, a strong core is super important for running, right?) but I also try to focus on my back, shoulders and arms. We spent about 30 minutes or so going through our weight routine before we decided that we wanted to end with another 10minutes of cardio. So, we hopped on the treadmill and she walked at an incline while I jogged for 8 minutes and sprinted for 2. It was a good workout, but the sprint at the end had me completely drenched in sweat (seriously, I had little rivers running down my arms- it was gross).  See for yourself

Okay, so maybe I don't look that sweaty, but trust me, it wasn't pretty.

Despite my swampy self, it was an awesome work out. She and I even discussed setting up a more organized routine throughout the week for our weight work. Instead of doing 30 minutes of random machines, we are going to do a separate body part each day. So, for example, Monday would abs, Wednesday arms, etc etc. We think that we have a good base right now but that isolating will help so much more.

I was planning on doing an 11 mile run tomorrow morning, but I realized I have to work at 11am. And standing on my feet for 5 hours after doing that long of a run is not my idea of fun. So, I've decided to push my run to Tuesday (the one day next week when I don't have to work). Granted, I will be in rehearsals for my show (which opens next Friday!!!) but I will have plenty more recovery time between Tuesday morning and Tuesday evening. 

Also, I figured I would give everyone a little chuckle and show y'all my costume for the show. It's called Nunsense, and it's a musical (about nuns... go figure). It's hysterical and I'm so honored to be working with such an amazing cast. I can't believe it's almost time to open the show! It's crazy! And believe me, it's going to be hot dancing around in these costumes:

I am the second from the left (holding the maracas).

Are you laughing? I know I am. Me as a nun?! Priceless!

This is what has been keeping me uber busy the past few weeks- trying to memorize lines and lyrics, practice blocking and dance routines, and learn harmonies and solo numbers. See? I wasn't lying before when I said I had been consumed by rehearsals haha I now have photos to prove it! 

One last note: please don't forget to DONATE to my fundraiser for the National Stroke Association HERE! Remember,  every $1 you donate gets you an entry into my awesome give away!!

Is it Possible For Things to Be Even MORE Awesome?!

Yesterday was an AWESOME day!

I mean, most of my days are awesome, but yesterday just was a little bit better than some previous days. First off, I woke myself up at 6am to go for a run. That's right. You read correctly. I WILLINGLY woke myself up at the butt-crack of dawn to go run. (Does this make me a real runner now? haha) I was hoping for a 5mile loop, but I miscalculated and only ended up getting in 4.64 miles. Bwah bwah. Close enough, right? haha.

 

A tired me after my run- but I still look kind of badass, right?

Anyway, I managed to run/walk the 4.64 miles in 1:07:10. That's a 14:29 pace! Holy crap crackers Batman! That's about a minute less than I normally run! I don't know if it was because I felt rested (because I had taken 4 days off because of my hurt ankle) or because all of the cross training at the gym and at dance rehearsal is helping, or because I decided to wear compression socks so my legs didn't tire out as quickly.... I don't know. Maybe it was a healthy combo of all of the above (plus some of my own awesomeness added in as well). Whatever the case, it was a fantastic run and it put me in a marvelous mood for the rest of the day.

When I got home from my run, I washed up and then went with my mother to her Weight Watchers meeting. They had a group discussion on how to break through a plateau. Talk about coincidence- I've been struggling through a plateau myself. I learned some interesting tips like, changing up your diet and exercise plan, going back to daily tracking, making sure to actually measure out portions, etc etc. All pretty common sense stuff that I used to do (minus the measuring out of food. I rarely do that unless I'm cooking.)

After the meeting, we went grocery shopping. It was nice to see our cart filled with fruits and vegetables and chobani (they were on sale 10 for $10!!!). Makes my heart happy. I also got another waterbottle, which I'm excited about. It's nothing special, just a 32oz. water bottle, but now I can keep one at work, one in my bedroom and one with me at all times. Nice. I'm going to be the most hydrated person in the state of CT.

Another exciting piece of news is that I won Kristin @ Hollywood Runs' Zensah compression sleeves give away! Yay! I had been wanting a pair of compression sleeves to try- I was curious if they would help me during my runs and recovery, but I didn't have the money to buy them. Now I get some for free- best price ever! And this comes at the perfect time because one day at Walmart, I came across a pair of diabetic compression socks. Same concept, different market, right? I snagged a pair (at a whopping $7) and decided to try them out on a run just for laughs. I wore them yesterday, and as I said, my legs didn't tire out nearly as quick as they used to. Now, I've never worn a pair of compression sleeves/socks made specifically for runners, so I've nothing to compare with yet, but once I get my Zensahs in, I will do a comparison review. :)

Alright, I'm going to go shower and then relax a bit. I just got home from the gym (crosstraining, abs and shoulders today) so my body is sore and needs some TLC. Hope everyone has a great day!!

How I Know I'm Awesome... Or Changes I've Noticed

Not to brag or anything, but lately I've been feeling pretty awesome about myself. 

"But this doesn't seem to really be a new development for her," you might be saying to yourself. Believe me. It kinda is. I've always had, what is clinically called, shitty self-image. I can be the most positive person on the planet, unless I'm talking about myself and/or my abilities. Then I become an evil green-faced, fanged monster.

Source

 

 It's not pretty, to say the least.

Anyway, lately, even though I was in a sort of rut with my training, I've been feeling pretty darn swell about myself. And I decided to list the reasons why I feel so amazing. (In no particular order) I present:

Reasons You May Be Awesome-ness Personified

• People leave flattering comments on your blog/facebook/dailymile/via email and text telling you how you have inspired them to become more physically active.
• You're mom and dad/other relatives or friends are constantly bragging about all the exercising you are doing.
• People compliment that you look like you have lost "half a person or so".
• You had to buy another container to hold all of your workout clothes.
• You have to hold up your old workout pants and underwear while doing a short run on the treadmill because they are falling off from all the weight you have lost (that was me this morning.... not fun).
• Even though you possess only a fair amount of rhythm, you are still made dance captain in a show (ok, so maybe this one is just directed at me, whatev).
• The new shorts you JUST bought at Old Navy are now too big and fall down when you attempt to put anything in your pockets.
• You have the sweat glands of a 13 year old boy (and a soaked white t-shirt to prove it) and they kick in about 5 minutes into any form of physical activity.
• You no longer feel tired or sore after a 3 mile run (though you realize you are going to have to push yourself more).
• You put on a pair of leggings for dance rehearsal and they're now too big so you have to strategically roll them (true story!).
• You are no longer scared or self-conscious when perusing the fitness section of a bookstore.
• You willingly decide to do a 30 day ab challenge.
• You feel pretty ALL the time... even with no makeup while in your pjs and with your hair in some sort of crazy bun.

Ok, so maybe most of these solely apply to me, but still, aren't those exciting factors?! Those are some of the changes I've been noticing lately and they make me feel so happy. I may not be the fastest runner in the world, I may not have the best endurance, but damn if I'm not making some progress with myself anyway. Guess I will keep doing this running thing a bit longer ;)

In other news, this morning I got up at 5:15 AM and met my friend T at the gym. (Can you believe it?! I was up before the sun!!) We each did about 40 minutes of cardio- I did a 2.5 mile run in 38:54 on the treadmill. Then, we did the 12 minute ab circuit room and some arm machines. It was a great workout and I'm pretty sure I will be feeling it throughout the rest of the day. I'm now getting ready to go to work and then tonight we celebrate my mommy's birthday! YAY!!

Something That Made My Day

I came home from the gym (which felt SO good to get back to.... like reuniting with a long lost lover), took a shower, and sat down at my computer to check some emails quickly. I also trolled Facebook a bit, as I'm wont to do now and again haha. When I first logged in, I found a wonderful comment posted on my page from one of my college friends... and the short conversation that ensued completely made my day.

Wouldn't that make your day as well?! 

As someone who has struggled with her weight and keeping a healthy life style, the past few months have been a HUGE change for me (seriously, I've never kept up with anything for this long). I mean, consider the paragraph I wrote above. I said I missed the gym like I missed something I love... because I have come to enjoy the gym and love going there. I truly relish the soreness after a great circuit or a long run. It feels awesome! And the fact that people have noticed this change and are inspired to change along with me is an even better feeling!

So, thank you Piney (that's her nickname) 

because you seriously made me feel AMAZING!

On another note... I never realized that it was possible for someone to sweat through a white shirt. I always figured white and black were pretty safe bets for hiding sweat stains, etc. However, after my circuit training and a 2.5mile run today, I looked like I had participated in a wet t-shirt contest! I was completely drenched in sweat and my once white shirt was positively see through (thank goodness I had a tank top on underneath!). However, despite the downpour of sweat I had (I swear I've developed the sweat glands of a pubescent boy) my run went rather well. Maybe it was because I've had so much time off of my training or whether it was the half of a Redbull I drank around 1:30pm today, I don't know. I'm going to say it's because of the rest days... I don't want to rely on Redbull for my runs (soooo not healthy).

And I'm Feeling Good

Chelsea called me today and asked if I wanted to run the Cupid's 5k with her on Feb. 12th.
Although my lungs are not up to 100%, I have decided I am going to run with her anyway. Now that I can run a mile straight, I'm hoping my time will drop by at least 1-2 minutes. So, my goal between now and Feb. 12th is to work myself up to being able to run at least 1.5 miles without stopping. However, I am going to have to bite the bullet and start running outside soon. Which means I'm going to have to find somewhere to run because my nearby streets are not safe with all of the snow piled up. Maybe I will just go running over at Chelsea's haha. She has the perfect running near her apartment, lucky gal.

However, I went to the gym this evening and ran another 1.5 miles. Then I figured, while I was there, I might a well do a bit more cardio (especially since I downloaded the best of Ace of Base to my ipod and it was pumping me up) so I did the elliptical for 20 minutes. After that, I was still pumped from my music, so I got back on the treadmill and ran another mile. Woot! All in all, I kicked my own butt, but I liked it.Kurt would be proud because I definitely pushed my limits tonight, especially doing two different machines.

So, here are today's numbers-


Food:

Blueberry Pie Light Yogurt- 110 calories
Two pieces of whole wheat toast with 1.5 teaspoons of peanut butter- 541 calories
3 hunks of honeydew melon- 60 calories
Hummus with carrots and broccoli- about 270 calories
Deli style BBQ chicken and Buffalo chicken with light mayo and american cheese on whole wheat bread- around 546 calories

Grand Total: 1527 calories


Exercise:

Ran 1.5 miles in 22 minutes- 175 calories
20 Minutes on the elliptical- 100 calories
Ran another 1 mile in 16 minutes- 127 calories

Grand Total: 402 calories burned!

My calories eaten were a little high today, but I knew I was going to be running at least 1.5miles and that the calories burned would balance it out (hence why in the morning I fueled up with wheat toast and peanut butter). The extra calories I burned are quite lovely though. In fact, they allow me to have a small snack tonight if I so choose. Hot diggity dang!