Motivation with Fashion

I read somewhere that if you put on your workout clothes, you're more likely to get out and exercise. So I tried that today. I almost forgot how great I feel after a good run/walk. Plus I don't feel guilty eating food! I took Zoe out with me. Either her age or the extra weight she has now slowed her down a lot more than I'm used to. We did about 3 miles in 50min. Not my best, but after a workout hiatus, it's not bad. One day I'll be able to finish a 5K in less than 40min. In the words of Barney Stinson: Challenge accepted!

I think cute workout clothes definitely play a part in motivation for me to want to get out and exercise. If I want to wear the clothes I have to work out. My mom bought be a couple running skirts a few years ago and I almost forgot I had them. There's a company out there that I once found at a race expo, Skirt Sports. They have really cute running skirts I want to try.

Speaking of cute clothes, I recently bought this adorable shirt.

I'm super excited to get it in the mail and wear it for my next workout! If you're a Doctor Who fan, you'll get the reference. :)

Motivation Needed

So it's been a while since I've actually entered a gym. I know. Why pay for a gym membership if you don't use it? I can picture myself using it on a regular basis, but never really get around to it. It's like the motivation for gym use comes in spurts. When I get the urge to go, I'll actually do it. Regularly. But when the motivation is lacking, it is lacking. I think mainly in part because the use of weight machines leaves something to be desired. I know that using them will definitely help in gaining my strength and muscles back, but if I don't know how to use it, then I probably won't go out of my way to ask someone for help. I'd rather stick to the cardio equipment.

The idea of getting a personal trainer would be awesome. Unfortunately, it's not monetarily friendly. Especially if you need a trainer more than once a week. I've looked into a trainer at my gym, but right now, I can't budget it in. So I've found other ways to get the strength training in. I've got my kettlebells at home, which I still need to upgrade to a heavier weight.

It's funny how if you don't show up at the gym regularly, and the people that work there don't know you on a first name basis, they just assume you're new and try and talk you into meeting with a personal trainer. I think I've been going to this gym for at least 6 years, off and on, and there's always someone who stops me and tries to set me up with one of their PTs. Thanks, but no. If I need one, I'll contact you.

So today, I decided that I need to listen to the doctor and actually go to the gym and use the treadmill and/or stationary bike for at least 40 mins. I'm hoping this recent burst of motivation will continue for a while. I've been maintaining my weight for some time now, but not losing. He mentioned that at my current state, I need to focus more on aerobic/cardio. Walking the neighborhood with Zoe just isn't cutting it anymore. Apparently I'll get a better workout at the gym on a treadmill with a steady pace, then I would if I walked Zoe for the same amount of time. I can see that. Zoe stops me regularly to pee, so I wouldn't have the workout pauses.
I did pretty well today. 30 on the treadmill and 40 on the bike. I'm so glad I have some great workout music, otherwise it would have been a very boring hour. They have TVs, but not all the earphone jacks on the equipment work, so it's one of those trial and error and knowing which machine to stay away from. With my little iPod shuffle, I don't have to worry. Best investment I made years ago.

I came home starving. Made some food and then took Zoe out for a walk. She always looks so sad when I leave the house and don't take her with me. Especially when I have my workout clothes on. This dog seriously knows if I am going to workout. It's like she can sense it and gets super excited as soon as I pull out my sneakers. Smart dog, that Zoe.

Tomorrow is another day. Hoping to wake up with that motivation. Either way, at least Zoe gets her walk.

Ginger and Spice

Blogger world, meet the most adorable puppies ever.

This is Ginger. She has some gorgeous eyes.

Ginger

And this is Spice. She bonded with my dad right away.

Spice

I stopped by my parents' house on the way home tonight to get a glimpse of the puppies. They are truly adorable and have such great temperaments. My sister thinks they are Aussie shepherd mixes. Definitely the perfect size for my folks. They've been talking about finding a dog around Zoe's size, and I think they've found them.

I'm excited for Zoe to meet them tomorrow. Not sure if she'll get too overwhelmed with their puppiness, but I'm hoping that the introduction goes well. I really want them all to be besties.
Then we'll work on the puppies with my kitties. That should be interesting...

Holy mother of sore muscles, Batman!

The boost of intensity yesterday really kicked me in the butt. Literally. My butt is sore. My legs are killing me. Muscles in my body I didn't know existed are hurting.

Don't worry, I didn't give up exercise today. I actually did the 5 mile walk around Miramar Lake. Aside from the wind, it was beautiful out. One of my favorite littles and her mom, joined me today.

Walks with friends make it that much better. And when the little one keeps saying in her adorable squeaky voice, "Silly Zoe," I die. It really is the cutest thing. FYI, these photos are from last month, but I had to share a photo of how precious Julie is.

We had a run-in with geese. They were everywhere. I actually thought Zoe would have chased them. Her prey drive at home with the crows is on full speed, but just the opposite happened at the lake. She kept her distance. Good thing, too. They were nasty little suckers. The giant geese hissed at us. They honked for food and then if you got too close, they'd hiss. Weird. And of course, I got it on film.

  

They practically took up the whole sidewalk. You'd have to walk through them in order to continue on the path. And it didn't help that a mother/daughter duo kept feeding them on the walkway.

I've been stretching a lot today, but it hasn't helped any. I drank a glass of coconut water, a glass of chocolate milk, and ate a banana after the lake. Trying to get my body filled with potassium and vitamin D. I'm hoping tomorrow to not wake up in as much pain as I did today.
I'm thinking that I might go back to level 1 on the DVD; switch off regularly between the levels so as not to overwork my body. Rebuilding muscle is tough.

What do you do post-workout to help alleviate sore muscles?

A Slow Process

 

I know it's only the 3rd week into my new weightloss/exercise plan, but it's even more clear to me now how tough this journey is going to be. I've been working out around 5 days each week for at least 30-60min, which is awesome for me, but results so far are barely there. I became so complacent as a couch potato, granted a lot of it had to do with my health, but now that I'm back to 100% I can't stay at this weight. I need my muscles back. I know results will come later, but it's hard to see where you want to be right now and you can't snap your fingers to make it happen.

If only I had my own personal genie...

• I'd have my own personal trainer
• I would make the time to workout a couple hours a day
• I would have a personal chef to make sure I eat all the right foods
• My ankles would be good as new and I'd be able to run again

What would you do if you had a genie?

Dog Walk Day

Exercise day 3. This is going to be tough.
I think the worst part of this weight-loss journey so far has been stepping on the scale. I know it's super early to even see results, but this morning, it's like the scale said "Fuck You" and raised the numbers. I eat fairly well and I try and do at least 30 min of exercise each day, but the scale hates me. And I hate it. I hate the meds that I had to take last year which put me at my heaviest weight of all time. Granted, I'm healthy now and they were a life-saver at the time, but I still hate that this is where I am. I think that's why this is so hard. I don't lose weight easily.
I gained 30lbs in college and it took 1.5 years to get it off. My mom got me to join Weight Watchers with her. The program works, but it's the after part that was hard for me. I just didn't stick with the point counting. I did for a while and I've been on and off the program the last few years, it's just costly if you're not within your goal weight. I got defeated and didn't want to pay for the program anymore. I can do it on my own, but it's the lack of discipline that holds me back. I'm an awesome weight maintainer though!

And that brings me to now. I'm trying this app a friend told me about, My Fitness Pal. It's a calorie counting program. I've never counted calories, but I have had food diaries in the past, so it's not completely foreign. So far I like the app. You can add your friends and their activities will show up on the home page with yours, so everyone can help each other out. If you can't find a specific food, you can either add it yourself or there's an option to use the scanner on the barcode of whatever you're eating. It's nice if you want to be completely specific with your food. This app also tracks your exercise, which I have been doing. I'm trying to hold myself accountable this time around. I'm healthy, but I need to get back in shape. My muscles atrophied last year when I was sick and stuck in bed or a wheelchair, so I'm trying to get that back as well. It's a process, but I know I can do it. I have the support of my family and friends.
Today I walked. I took Zoe out and walked around the neighborhood. We did 2.59 miles in about 45 minutes. And the weather was beautiful! I wasn't expecting it to get so warm. The jacket I brought was completely unnecessary. It was relaxing. I didn't saunter. I kept a good pace, but it was still peaceful, even with the music blasting in my ears. It was a good start to the day.
Not sure what I'm gonna do for Day 4, but I'm in the rhythm and I plan to see this goal through. If I get off track for any reason, please put me back on track. Motivate me. Push me. I know I'm going to need it. It's only day 3 but I see it's going to be a long journey...

Finding My Groove

Boyfriend got me off my butt tonight. It's been a pretty lazy day, so getting out of the house was nice. Even Zoe was just sleeping the day away. It was nice that someone in the house took initiative to get us out.
What was originally supposed to be just an out and back walk, turned into a 1.5 hour walk. 4.91 miles. Fairly leisurely. I think we averaged an 18 min/mile. I think at my best I've done 5 miles in just over an hour, but I was training for a race. This was merely a "let's get out of the house and enjoy the weather" kind of walk. And it was definitely nice to NOT walk by myself. I love Zoe's company, but we can't have conversations other than her wagging her tail to let me know she's having a good time.

I'm now exhausted. I think I might have pushed myself a little too far, but at least I got out. Most likely, I'll be sore tomorrow, but I'll use it as a day to stretch and recover and then get back out there. Getting back into the groove of exercising is really hard. Especially when you've had a 7 month hiatus. Word of advice, don't sever your ligaments. It takes you out of commission for a lot of things. Exercise in particular. Now I find that I'm fighting with myself everyday to convince my body to get out of bed and create some endorphins. Problem is, the warm bed usually wins. And I put of getting back into shape for another day. In my head, I see me running (which I can't do yet) and slowly taking off the weight that the meds made me gain. I have a goal to achieve by October. It's realistic and attainable, but I really have to step up to the plate. I currently can't rely on training for half marathons to reach it, so I need to find another way to keep the motivation going.
I have some amazing friends that have offered to walk with me a couple times a week, which I will definitely be taking them up on. Exercise with friends makes the workout more fun. At least in my experience.

So here it goes. Today I walked 4 miles. I'll stretch tomorrow and take Zoe out for a walk. Not 5 miles, but a nice neighborhood walk. I'm always looking for new ways to shed some pounds so please feel free to send me your suggestions or what you do to keep in shape.

Smiley Happy Puppy

The winter weather here in San Diego has been awesome! 70 degrees and sunny. Can't ask for a better winter!

Zoe and I went out and enjoyed it. A walk and lunch outdoors. She couldn't help but show her excitement. Jumpy, smiley and super happy.
That was my special dog.

And then the clouds parted...

I really do love the day after it rains. The sky is perfectly blue, clouds like fluffs of cotton candy and the air is so crisp. A perfect day for a walk outside with my overly excited dog. Zoe has psychic powers. She knows when I plan on taking her for a walk. She and my tennis shoes have an unspoken language. I put those on and Zoe runs around the house like a toddler on a sugar high. Her enthusiasm reaches its pinnacle as soon as I get to the front door and grab her leash. Needless to say, Zoe was a happy camper.

Hanging out at the library

I love when I can multi-task. Take the dog for a walk, return a library book, grab a coffee and head home. And then the monotonous task of doing laundry. I leave for NY on Thursday and clean clothes are a must. At least I got out of the house for a little while.

Rainy Day

The rain was insane today. Southern Californians don't know how to drive in the rain. I know I'm generalizing here, but I truly find that people here in San Diego freak out as soon as something wet hits the ground. Within 5 minutes of rain, there is at least one accident. I got stuck in one on the freeway. I was stopped on the freeway for at least a good 5 minutes before I found out from a friend where the accident was. The cops had pretty much cleared the freeway, but all the "looky-loos" were slowing the rest of us down. The road was completely clear after you got past that one area. Ugh.

Didn't get a lot of exercise in today because of the rain, but I did get to visit with a friend from out of town. She's a new mom, so I was able to see the newest member of her family for the 3rd time since her arrival in October. Little S is so adorable.

Unfortunately she was sleeping most of the time I was there, but I did get to witness her rolling over for the 1st time. That was pretty exciting and a great way to end my visit with L.

The rain finally took a breather by the time I got home, so I was able to take Zoe out for a walk. I'm pretty sure she appreciated it, as she was cooped up inside all day. So we both got a little exercise on this rainy day.

Do you exercise on rainy days? What do you do?

The Wonders of Dogs

On my walking adventure with Zoe today, I had this thought cross my head. What makes a dog want to pee in a specific place? Seriously. I don't get it. There are some dogs that will just go outside and pee, but then there are others that seem like they strategically pee in certain areas or on certain things. My dog being one of them. She's strange enough as it is; Zoe pees like a boy. She has no aim, so she will position herself as close to the tree/fence/bush as possible. On top of that, she doesn't just relieve herself in one spot. Zoe has to save whatever pee she has in her to last the entire walk. And when there is nothing left in her, she still tries to squeeze out a drop or two. It is so weird. Am I the only one who has a dog like this?

I love my dog to death, but she is so weird sometimes. 

Cuteness Overload

So I came home from today's walk with my boyfriend and Zoe, and this is what happened after I sat down on the couch to check my email.

Gertie (L) and Elliot (R)

Elliot was determined to sit in my lap, but I forced him off and instead he curled up on Gertie. When I find them sleeping together, it is so cute I almost want to vomit.

Do you have those "too cute" photos of your furry friends? Please share.

I Got The Sicks

Ugh. I caught a cold. Again. Second time this year. And we're only in the 3rd week of January! Bleh. I can't breathe out of my nose. I sound super congested and I have very little energy. But you'll all be proud of me. I have been walking. At least with Zoe, my dog. Since catching the sicks, I've been trying to get out and walk my dog before my energy is completely gone. So far it's worked. She's happy and I get a little sun, which is actually really good when you're sick. Your body needs that vitamin-Sun. :)

Zoe, sporting her scarf, ready for a walk

I'm thinking that for exercise and to keep me motivated, maybe what I need to do is sign up for a bunch of 5Ks. I can't run a half marathon (I'm saving my return to those next year), but I can train to walk a 5K. I'd rather run it, but I have to listen to the doctors this time. It's probably how I ended up with the severed ligaments - not letting my ankle injuries heal completely. So I'll be good and not run. But I can learn to walk super fast, right?

There's a really cool 5K coming up in March called the Hot Chocolate 10K/5K. I'm thinking I'll sign up for that. I love chocolate, and I'll get some exercise and make it worth eating the chocolate at the finish line. Who's with me?!

Back On Track

Things are falling into place again. I'm back to running again. Zoe's getting better at NOT peeing while I'm trying to run, but she still does at times. I'm trying to teach her that when I walk, it's okay to sniff and pee, but while running, it's not good. 

I found a new 2 mile route in the neighborhood. There are more street lights, and they never cooperate with me. They are always red when I need them to be green. Granted, it IS a nice break from running to catch my breath, but sometimes the light is just red for too long. We've got to work on that.

I had a library book to return today, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to try out the new route. I walked with Zoe there and once I dropped it off, I decided I'd see how far I could run without stopping. I kept a nice easy slow pace and it worked out great. From the park to the first street light. Stop and rest, then cross the street. Then to the next light, which was a larger distance. No problem. Take a breather and then cross the street. To the next light which seemed even farther away, I actually stopped for a minute and walked, but not until I made it halfway up the hill. But I kept going and got to the next light. Breather. Crossed the street. Halfway to the stop sign - a good 3 blocks - I stopped to walk. But once I made it to the sign, I ran all the way home. 
I totally forgot to stop the timer at the lights, so I think my time would have been better. But I did 2.01 miles in 35min! So awesome for me. It's about a 17min mile. I can definitely do better. I think I'll try it again tomorrow. 

I Feel The Burn!

So I did my Jillian Michaels workout this morning. 2x in one week! Woo hoo! 
Definitely feeling really good. I was totally not awake when I started it, but now, I've got all this energy. It's crazy how just a little bit of exercise can be a great pick-me-up. I think tomorrow (if it's not raining) I'll take Zoe for a walk. I found a new route in my neighborhood and want to do it again. BUT, if it is raining, then Jillian and I have another date!

At the shelter where I volunteer on Sundays, one of the clients came through and asked me if I was working out. I was totally surprised by this question. I told him yes, and he said that it shows! How awesome is that?! I don't really notice the change, but if someone else does, well, I'll definitely take the compliment!! Totally made my day.

What do you do for exercise?

Shin Splints

Bleh! Shin splints suck!!

I went to training tonight and what happened?!! I got shin splints. Like within 5 minutes of walking. Running I'm fine, but walking...it hurts like a bitch!! I pushed through it, but it just got worse. I even tried walking slower but it still hurt.
Coach Dave gave me some advice on different exercises I can do before a warm up and at home while resting. I'm supposed to take it easy, but I'm going to Lake Miramar tomorrow morning with my friend, Joy. Hopefully it won't be so bad tomorrow.

Zoe had a good time running with Coach Dave though. :)

Ok. I'm gonna go ice my shins now.

5 miles and still going strong!

Wow. Training over the weekend was intense. Saturday's group run was at Miramar Lake, not too far from home. We worked on distance this weekend, rather than speed. 5 miles! Woo hoo! That is the farthest distance so far this training season. And it's just going to get longer. I think next week we'll be increasing it another 1 or 2 miles.
I did the lake in about an hour and fifteen. Not too bad. I have a personal goal to work on. I want to try and get 5 miles done in one hour. I know it's possible, but it's going to take a little work. Saturday trainings I focus more on the needs of my mentees rather than my own, so I have to do some distance training during the week. And this past Saturday I did all walking. There was no running involved. Instead I worked with one of my mentees on speed. She's a fast walker, but I think it helps to have her long legs. :) So to walk 1:15, I think if I were to add in some running intervals, doing 5 in 1:00 is definitely possible.

Last Wednesday at group training, I didn't have any mentees with me. I was by my lonesome. No walkers. So the coaches had me work on speed. I did 40 minutes at a fairly steady fast pace and felt great! Since I had told Coach Dave that I wanted to try running a little, he is having me work on a 4/1 interval to see how my lungs and I can handle that. 4 minutes walking, 1 minute running. It's doable. :)
Zoe came with me again. Coach Dave LOVES having her run with him and I can say that Zoe absolutely loved it too! She was a happy and tired dog.

Tonight's group run is in Balboa Park. So far most of my mentees are planning on being there. We're doing TEMPO training tonight. Will let you know how it goes.

Recap of the Week

So I realized it's been about a week since I last wrote. Let me catch you up.

My fundraising is going super duper well! I'm already up to about $1700 and I just got 2 more donations in this weekend which should bring me up to about $2000. You guys are awesome! Please keep forwarding out my fundraising webpage to all your friends, family, co-workers, etc. You know what's really cool is that I've had a few people donate $26.20 in honor of the 2 half marathons. 13.1 x 2 = 26.2 It's AWESOME!! I love it!
So I've got about $3000 more til I reach my goal so keep them coming!

Wed (16th), we had a really good run/walk. Group training was at Mission Bay again. I took Zoe this time with me. She was soo good. Everyone loved her. Even Coach Dave fell in love. He ran with her on the way back. Zoe LOVED it. When I run with her, she still sort of has some freedom to sniff since we don't go so fast. But with Coach Dave, he's a runner in the true sense of the word. Zoe actually go to RUN. And from what Dave said, she was actually going faster than him, but he didn't want to push her too hard since he wasn't sure if she could take it. I told him next time to go as fast as he wants. She'll keep up. He's excited to do it again. I think as long as we have runs on Wednesdays at Mission Bay, I'll probably bring her. She'll be our Wed night mascot. Now I just have to work on getting Zoe her own "I get the runs for Crohn's & Colitis" t-shirt. That would be so awesome.

I wasn't able to make the Saturday group run because of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. I had to be a good Jew and go to temple. So needless to say, this weekend has been training free. But I'll get back to the grind on Monday.
I've been feeling some pain in my right achilles. I think I need to stretch it out and do some strengthening exercises. It totally kills to try and walk. And I don't even know why it started. I don't remember aggravating it at all. It sucks. I'll have to email the coaches and find out if there's anything else I can do besides the calf stretches to get it healed. Bleh. No pain, no gain. Right?!

Well, I'm gonna go work on healing my achilles. Send positive thoughts my way. Thanks!

Picture of the Day

Zoe is completely pooped out from our walk/run today. I think she'll
sleep well the rest of the day.
Wish I could say the same. I've got errands to run. But at least I
feel energized, right?!

Training Season Has OFFICIALLY Begun

So here we are on Monday, my first "official" day of training at home. Saturday marked the start of Team Challenge Las Vegas! We had our first group Saturday run at Mission Bay. I got there around 8:30am at the temperature was already at 85˚!!! What is with this global warming?! Seriously. I'm ready for some cooler weather.

There was a good turn out on Saturday. And there was actually a good balance of guys and girls. Mostly girls, but there were a handful of guys. I think we only had like 5 guys when I did the run last year in Napa.

I'm liking the coaches so far. They seem very attentive to everyone and I think they will be an excellent support system. There were quite a few runners, actually mostly runners at this group session. There was one walker. Jess has officially asked me to be the walking mentor. There is one other guy, Jake, who will be mentoring with me. He did the Napa race this past July. He seems cool. Jess texted me the other day to tell me that there are a handful of other walkers and she'll be matching me up with them. Maybe I'll get to meet some of them on Wed for the mid-week group training session.

I did a 30 minute walk/run today with Zoe. I feel really good after it, too. I was really only planning on walking the entire time, but there was a downhill on the way home and I figured I'd take advantage of it and run a little. I really do love running, I just have my issues. BUT, on a positive note, I ran for 5 minutes straight! Twice. No stopping. A little downhill, to flat land, to half way up a hill. AND I didn't take my inhaler. I haven't taken them in a long time. I'm trying to not use them and naturally get my lungs to take in more air. I need to go back to the acupuncturist and see if she can help too. I had to stop since it started to get too expensive, but my mom has informed me that I have a $100 credit with her from referrals my mom sent and Dr Wang is planning on giving me a discount since she really wants to help me. So how can I pass that up?

And one more thing before I go.

Happy 1 year anniversary to my most awesome boyfriend who brought me flowers last night at midnight! We won't be able to see each other tonight since he works til after midnight, so he stopped by on his way home last night and surprised me with roses. He's so sweet! I think I'll keep him.