A Committment to Me

First off, thanks for all your encouragement! Today's new blogger added to my list of favorites is . . . Megan

It is snowing again, six weekends in a row. Ugh! I went to the gym this morning and was going to swim 1200 yds but I snapped the band on my goggles after 800. Did 100 yds Anchor Drill, 100 yards Finger Tip Drag Drill, then 600 yds freestyle (20:10). I thought the pool was supposed to have water in it, not molasses. Oh, it was water, I was the molasses! I wanted to set a baseline for my first race in July ( Cornman) for 500 meters, and am hoping once I'm a little more svelte, I will create less drag and go faster. Then I did 30 minutes on the stationary bike. Last night I had a kick- ass workout with Jess on legs, chest, biceps and triceps.

I have been contemplating my weight/eating/training/goals/Hillary's run for president and my navel, and here is what I have committed to me:

1. I will follow my dieitician's food plan faithfully. If any adjustments need to be made, I will consult her about it, I will not be designing my own food plan - I keep forgetting that I designed my way to 471 pounds, shuh! (That's the southern word for duh). I will not be jumping around from plan to plan (thanks Pol).

2. I will continue to train for the Redman 1/2 IM in Septmeber. I believe I can get in that good of shape and if not, then it won't be from a lack of dedication or effort on my part. If I have to wait until 2008, so be it. I am in this for the long haul. I cannot determine how fast the fat come off, I can only determine how consistent I am in training and eating. The weight will come off, I just can't plan on how fast. I'm okay with that.

3. I am going to study for and earn my Personal Trainer certification (A.C.E.) so I can help other obese people get in shape and change their life.

Last year, my mantra was "I don't need a pizza fix in 2006". I did go the entire year without a single bite of pizza. I still have not eaten any this year and may not. I have come up with my mantra for 2007 - "Am I fueling, fattening, or medicating?" A great question to ask myself each time I am standing in front of the refrigerator or pantry!

I so much enjoy the Tri Blogosphere! I do learn a lot from you all and the support and encouragement really does make a huge difference! I hope to meet as many of you as I can in person as I pursue my goal of "50 by 70" ( a race in each state by the time I am 70).

Tommorrow it's back to the pool and stationary bike. My goal next week is 5 days on the bike, 4 days swimming, and 3 days weight training.

Hope you have an awesome weekend and week!

The hardest thing is . . . .

. . . eating right. I took to the exercise very well and have been very dedicated and consistent with it. I have persevered through sore hips, chronic back pain, muscle strains and cramps, monkey butt, and am now working through a combination pre-stress fracture/ankle sprain/fallen arch, and neither the working out or the injuries are tougher than the food and eating issues.

I have stayed in the 390s since September. I have had periods where I have eaten very clean and exercised hard but did not lose (I know, I know, plateaus are normal, but they still suck, especially when they are almost four months long). Then there are the times where I don’t eat right and I know I am not eating right and I chose not to eat right. Lately I have been in a lot of pain with the foot and back and realize I have been medicating again with carbs and fatty food.

Yes, people medicate with food. I really would rather not eat again ever if it was possible, but it’s not. I have to eat everyday and a lifetime of deeply ingrained habits and feelings regarding food are the hardest thing I have to overcome and change. I have been medicating with food since I was 4 years old and can clearly remember eating sugar and bread to make myself feel better in the situation I was living in. I came home last night and ate two cheeseburgers with mac and cheese, then had a peanut butter and butter sandwich and I was not even hungry. But I was looking for a feeling, as I was in pain. The food did not take the pain away, the Ibuprofen and sleep did. So why do I choose to eat when I know the “buzz” is so fleeting and ineffective? I know I’m going to feel like crap after I do it, yet . . .

I signed up for the SOMA ½ IM in October which gave me a full year to train for it. My swim is doing great and I think the bike will be good. My goal was to jog the first, middle, and last mile and walk the rest, which is I believe is realistic. But, I have lost four months of weight loss opportunity and now it looks like getting down to where I can get in a wetsuit (about 250-260 lbs) is not going to happen in time. If I have to withdraw from the race it will not be from the lack of training, but because of the food and eating. I’m really tired of being haunted by this issue. I think I’m depressed and wonder if my lack of aerobic activity is making things seem worse than they really are. I’m really doom and gloom right now. Maybe a donut would . . . (just kidding).

Addendum to above - sitting in the lunchroom heating up my cooked veges and chicken breast, I realized how irrational my thinking can be about food. I went to see Colleen the first week of December. She is a RD and a triathlete. She tested my RMR (3560) and increased my calories to 3500. I started losing weight again and then when I couldn’t walk or bike anymore I got scared and quit her plan. Now I’ve been toying again with eating less calories. I should have stayed on her plan and given it a chance. Maybe that’s why I’m overeating. I think I think too much!

Filosofical?

I just got back from swimming - distance: 2200 yds (7 x300 yds and 100 yds at the end) = 1.25 miles; time: 1 hr 20 minutes; one minute rest between each set; avg time per 100 yds: 3.22 minutes, I'm approaching tugboat speed!

I am going to take Nytro's advice and take Monday morning off and no training at all on Tuesday. I do tend to be compulsive at times and don't want to over train. Sunday will be 20-30 minutes on the stationary bike and then I am going to sit, R.I.C.E. my ankle, and watch football all day!

This week was pretty good for workouts and food, except yesterday I succumbed to donuts at work and Lasagna last night, ugh!

I have 79 days before I turn 50, which has put me in a mode of being filosofical :-). I'm trying to stay away from doing any "What if", "If only", "I could have . . " thinking. I am trying to stay forward focused. Example: my hair is turning gray, but I still have a full head of it! I have mentioned before that I have set a goal of doing a race in all 50 states by the time I am 70, whether a tri, du, run, swim, or bike race. This summer I will scratch Iowa and Arizona off my list (Arizona if I can get down to wetsuit proportions). I'm still struggling to hit the 100 pound weight loss mark. I still need to lose about 150 - 180 pounds, so I am going to focus on eating really clean and being positive.

Both of my daughters are going to do a kid's tri this summer so I am really looking forward to training with them. That will be sooo cool! (I would say groovy, but most of you young 'uns may not be familiar with that word!)

I love reading your blogs and love the encouragement I receive from you all! Have a really great week!

This weeks workouts so far:
(Physical Therapy on Tuesday and Thursday)
Monday - Swim 1200 yds (4 x 300), bike 20 minutes (Stationary bike) Done
Eve - chest and back; Done
Tuesday - Swim practicing bi-lateral breathing and some sprints Done
Wednesday - Bike 10 minutes; eve - Legs/triceps; Done
Thursday - Swim 1200 yards; (300 yds X 4) Done
Friday - Bike 20 minutes; eve- shoulders/biceps Done
Saturday - Long Swim 2200 yds Done
Sunday -Bike 30 minutes Done

Misc

Went to physical therapy (PT) Tuesday and man was my ankle sore yesterday. I only did 10 minutes on the bike last night and that was enough! My weight workout was terrible, I felt like all the energy had been sucked right out of me. I was worried that this morning's swim would be bad too, but it was actually pretty good. I felt like I was actually "gliding" through the water at times instead of parting the water like a big oil-barge! I go back to PT this morning. Have a great day!

This weeks workouts so far:
(Physical Therapy on Tuesday and Thursday)
Monday - Swim 1200 yds (4 x 300), bike 20 minutes (Stationary bike) Done
Eve - chest and back; Done
Tuesday - Swim practicing bi-lateral breathing and some sprints Done
Wednesday - Bike 10 minutes; eve - Legs/triceps; Done
Thursday - Swim 1200 yards; (300 yds X 4) Done
Friday - Bike 20 minutes; eve- shoulders/biceps Done
Saturday - Long Swim 2200 yds Done
Sunday -Bike 20-30 minutes
Monday - Rest; eve - weight training

Must be flexible!

Swam this morning and found out the pool will be closed Thursday - Monday for repairs which cancels out 3 of my swims. So I am going to swim Wednesday and bike Thursday. Saturday and Sunday I will sleep in . . . Not! I belong to the 24 Hour fitness chain, so I will find a club somewhere in town to swim!
This weeks workout plan:
(Physical Therapy on Tuesday and Thursday)
Monday - Swim 1200 yds (4 x 300), bike 20 minutes (Stationary bike) Done
Eve - chest and back; Done
Tuesday - Swim practicing bi-lateral breathing and some sprints Done
Wednesday - Bike 20 minutes; eve - Legs/triceps;
Thursday - Swim 1200 yards;
Friday - Bike 20 minutes; eve- shoulders/biceps
Saturday - Long Swim
Sunday -Swim practicing bi-lateral breathing
Monday - Rest; eve - weight training

Altruism, Fast Food, and Google

This weeks workout plan:
(Physical Therapy on Tuesday and Thursday)
Monday - Swim 1200 yds (4 x 300), bike 20 minutes (Stationary bike) Done
Eve - chest and back; Done
Tuesday - Swim practicing bi-lateral breathing and some sprints Done
Wednesday - Bike 20 minutes; eve - Legs/triceps;
Thursday - Swim 1200 yds and bike 20 minutes
Friday - Bike 20 minutes; eve- legs and shoulders
Saturday - Long Swim
Sunday -Swim practicing bi-lateral breathing only
It is snowing AGAIN! I think I'm getting S.A.D.! Where are my blue skies and 50 degree weather? Oh yeah, it's back east and up north! We look like Minnesota!

I just got back from a great massage. It keeps me mellow, helps my sore muscles heal faster, and helps alleviate my stress. All those around me benefit, so really, I am doing it for them. Not a selfish bone in my body, really!

Yesterday my boss and I worked overtime and went out for lunch to a little diner. I splurged on a cheeseburger and man was it good! I then though about the fare you get at McD's. BK. etc. How did we ever get conned into eating the food there? It's gross! Last year I pretty much gave up eating at fast food establishments, only had a slip or two. When I do go there, it's a salad or grilled chicken sandwich which I then stip off any mayo or cheese. Eating a Quarter Pounder or a Whooper just seems so gross and untasty (and I know it's really bad for me). I am still not eating pizza and will probably continue that for 2007.

Speaking of fast food, I am one of those people who miss the boat quite often. I remember when I was a teenager and a restaurant introduced a drive-up window and I just howled with laughter. "People will never sit in their cars and wait for food", I declared. Wrong-o! I became one of them. When I was 21 I was working at a moving company making pretty decent wages and one of the guys I worked with quit to go start a bike shop for some new thing called a "mountain bike". Again I scoffed ( and missed the boat). In 1978, I was attending Western State College in Gunnison Colorado. Our t-shirts read - Ski Western State and Earn a Degree in Your Spare Time. Crested Butte was right up the road! One night before a party, my budddies and I went snowboarding. Yes, in 1978. It was a little different than today's snow boards, you held on to a rope, there was a rudder, and your feet just rested on little rubber nubs in the middle of the board. Wish I would have seen that one coming! So in the future, please do not ever ask me for advice on investing!

I am sure most of you know about Google Reader, but being the technically challenged person that I am, I was just introduced to it. So now instead of having to back up and hit another link on my list or link though a posted comment, or link though another blog's list of links because I found a good one and didn't mark it, I just go to my Google Reader and read all my faveorite blogs! If you have not used it, check it out.

This weeks workout plan:
(Physical Therapy on Tuesday and Thursday)
Monday - Swim 1200 yds, bike 20 minutes (Stationary bike) Done!
Tuesday - Swim practicing bi-lateral breathing and some sprints
Wednesday - Bike 20 minutes
Thursday - Swim 1200 yds and bike 20 minutes
Friday - Bike 20 minutes
Saturday - Long Swim
Sunday -Swim practicing bi-lateral breathing only

Have a great week!

Click to Enlarge

Misc

Well it's snowing outside for the 4th Friday in a row and the temp is -1 outside! Had a good workout with hams/quads, back and shoulders tonight. If the gym is open tommorow it will be stationary bike, then a long swim on Sunday morning.

I've been tagged by GeekGirl, one of my favorite bloggers.
This is how it goes:
1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag three more folks.

The nearest book to me is by David Cottrell (2005). 12 Choices . . . That Lead To Your Success. On Page 123, the fifth and then next three sentences:
"Later that evening, a lord stopped by the farmer's humble shanty, indentifying himself as the rescued boy's father and offering to pay him a generous reward for his effort. When the farmer refused, the lord saw that the farmer had a son and insisted he pay the boy's way to college. After he graduated with a degree in science - the young man - Alexander Fleming- went on to discover penicillan. Ironically, the young man who had been rescued from the bog, now a young adult, came down with pneumonia.

I'm tagging Porscha, Mary Sunshine, and Flo. You're it!

Crap!

Didn't set the alarm, overslept and missed my swim. I hate when I do that! After last night's post I feel guilty! But tommorrow is another day!

I go back for orthotics prep at the PT today. He guarantees I will like them or I get my money back. He looked at the others I have and said they were the wrong kind (very rigid) and did not fit well. I hope these do better, we shall see soon enough.

The Thought for the Day

"I am what I repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit". - Aristotle.

Darn! Why do I have that posted on my desk at work? Sleeping in tommorrow morning sounds soooo good right now!

I guess I will get up tommorow and swim. I will feel good about it once I get in the pool.

Ortho Report

Had my MRI done last night (finally!) and just came back from the Orthopedic Dr. The good news is that there is not a stress fracture. The bad news is that there is a moderate sprain and overuse trauma. So the rehab plan is this:

1. Walking cast for 4 weeks and the only time I do not have to wear it is if I'm sleeping, swimming, driving, showering, or biking (low wattage).

2. 6 weeks of physical therapy 2x per week to strengthen my foot and ankle. She highly recommends a certain PT practice that is supposed to be very good with foot injuries and orthotics and they are covered by my insurance and they are in the building right next to where I work!

3. R.I.C.E

Then I go back to the Dr. in 6 weeks. Hopefully I will be back on the treadmill in about 8 weeks, but even if I dont't get back to walking for 10-12 weeks, I would still have 30-32 weeks to get up to walking 13 miles, which I think is realistic. I know I can swim 1.2 miles, I've done it twice, but I need to take off about 10-15 minutes which should be do-able. I also need to work up to a 56 mile bike ride by then, again I believe I can achieve it. I'm scrapping the 1/2 marathon walk in April, not realistic at this point.

So in the mean time, my workout plan is swimming 3-4 times per week, stationary bike 2 times per week (hopefully), and weight training 3 times per week with leg workouts being restricted to leg curls and leg extensions, no pushing movements.

And for your enjoyment, here is how we snorkle in Colorado with all this snow (and no, that is not me in the photo!)

Happy New Year!

After breakfast we are headed up to Boulder to watch the Polar Bear Club jump in the freezing lake water (photos below).

GYGO 2007
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