Monday, March 24, 2014

I'm back

It's been forever since I've been here, but I think it's time to come back.  I've learned a heck of a lot in the last 6 months.  I've learned how to lift heavy weights.  I've learned to like (or at least not hate) running.  I've learned how to eat for the optimal health of my body.  I've returned to my ideal body weight.  I've added muscle.  I've accomplished almost all of my major goals.

But I'm not happy.  I still don't like how I look.  I miss being skinny.  I want to lift heavier.  My current goals are:

Deadlift and squat bodyweight
Get my 5K under 30 minutes
Bring down bodyfat %
Learn to live without sweets

Which is hard to accomplish with nothing but dumbbells, a kitchen full of junk food, no kid-free time to run and zero willpower.  It was so much easier when I just didn't eat. Although that made me pretty grumpy, too.

So - I come here to vent, but also to plan.   This week's goals are:

1) Start the bodyweight section of Strong Curves 
I think the training in there will help a lot with some of the posture and pain problems I've been having

2) Run in the evenings
As often as I can get the chance. Even a mile or two on the runway will help.

3) Limit treats to 2-3 squares of dark chocolate/day
No baking.  No buying junk.  No eating the whole bar.

4) Weed out my closet
If it makes me feel fat or awkward, it at least needs to go in a box to forget about for a while.

5) Stick to my macros
NOT exceed my 1450 calories.  Try to hit my protein.

6) NOT OBSESS
Getting in shape is great.  But not if it takes over my life.  My family is important, my faith is important, keeping my life running smoothly is important - looking better in a bikini or getting "strong for zombies" is a hobby.  And that's that.

We'll check back next week to see how it goes.  Feel free to check up on me to see how I'm doing, cheer me on, tell me stories, send me recipes - whatever.  :)

Oh, and current stats:

Weight: 110
Hips: 35
Waist: 28
Bust: 33
Arms: 11.5
Legs: 18

3 comments:

  1. What's your current 5K PR? When I started running 5Ks about 5 years ago I struggled to make it under 40 minutes but I recently managed to break 30 minutes twice on the first 5K of 10K runs. There's many things, of course, that brought me to that point, but 3 things really stand out:

    1. Good shoes - When I first started running I wore just generic shoes I had picked out because they were cheap. It wasn't until my physical therapist told me to go to a running store and get evaluated for shoes and buy good shoes (ones that cost $125 +/-) that my running really improved. Also, track how many miles are on your shoes. The first time I broke 30 minutes on my 5K was just after I switched from shoes with 350 miles on them to new shoes.

    2. Running cadence - My normal running cadence is about 160 steps/min but most studies show the best runners run at about 180 steps/min or more. When I finally broke 30 minutes I was actively trying to keep my cadence up that high and I believe it really made me faster. It also made me take shorter steps which made the pounding on my legs much less which helped a lot.

    3. Weight - It sounds like you've already taken care of this (congrats!) but for me my running has really improved after losing 50 pounds (well, almost, 49.5 at this point).

    I also recommend, if you can, joining a training group or going to a running club. Something about running with other people, for me at least, really helps with my motivation. I'll note, though, that both times I broke 30 minutes in a 5K were solo runs. (Oh, and I'm curious what this runway you mention is...)

    In any case, your goals look solid! Best of luck in meeting them!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tips!
      1) I have great running shoes - got custom fitted and also have custom orthotic inserts (that I have to wear with all my shoes). My current PB is 33 minutes - so I don't have much to shave off and frankly, I might have come close to my goal during the last race except that I was wearing fun knee socks with my running shoes and not nice cushy socks and the orthotics and scratchy socks rubbed a big blister on my instep that slowed me down.

      2) Still working on this. I have the heart of a sprinter, not a distance runner - so usually my first mile is a mix of sprint and walk, then I'll find a real tempo around mile 2 and run as much of the last leg as I can. I'm working on adding distance between walks and finding a real rhythm - but it's just not as much fun as going really fast for a little bit :p

      3) I'm at the bottom of my healthy range. I just hate cardio so I don't do it between races. It's mostly lung capacity that's my major hindrance. I get winded and gasping after the first half mile and have to slow down. Just means I need to run more when I can get away from the kids for long enough.

      Appreciate the tips!!

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  2. For your number one, ouch! I've had so many problems with different kinds of socks giving me blisters that at this point pretty much the only socks I'll wear are bike specific socks that are designed for movement. At my last triathlon I tried going sockless. It had worked well in practice but during the race I didn't tighten up the laces as much as I should have and I ended up with big blisters on both heels. :-( So, I feel your pain there.

    Your number 2 sound so familiar. I am almost always guilty of going out too fast and fading later in the run. I think that's probably one of the most common problems runners have. My mentor in my half marathon training program (who has run several marathons at this point) said that he's very guilty of that too. The only way I know around it is a conscious effort to take it easy at the beginning of the run, but that's a lot easier to say than to do.

    Good luck with #3. Building up lung capacity takes a lot of work. But, I think you've got the right idea. There's nothing wrong with slowing down if you can't keep going. Every little bit will help build up the lungs.

    Best of luck!

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