So fresh and so clean, clean.

It's time for a new start.  My mind and my body clamor for it, even if my body isn't quite ready yet.

I had surgery about a week and half ago, to remove my right Fallopian tube due to an ectopic pregnancy.  I have gone into detail about my feelings on this in my non-fitness blog on Wordpress (aquacoloredglasses.wordpress.com), so I will not repeat them here.  Suffice it to say, I feel very lucky to be alive, and though it will take me a little time to get back to up speed in the fitness department, I intend to use this opportunity to get in much better shape before attempting the pregnancy thing again.

The doctor told me to take it easy for two weeks following surgery, and I am trying to do that.  I have had a major rash covering my front torso and legs, likely due to the latex used during surgery, so I'm recovering from that as well.  It gets worse when I'm hot...so I definitely need to wait until that goes away before I go get all sweaty working out.  I think the new year is a perfect time to start.

I am currently 179.2 pounds.  This is after A) Thanksgiving, B) 8 weeks of pregnancy, C) Hanukkah dinner with my in-laws, and D) my office Christmas party...so I am THRILLED with that weight.  Seriously, so happy.

I still have a membership to the Emory gym, but we have recently moved further away from it, which will make it a good deal harder to go.  On the upside, though, we now live in a nice big neighborhood, with plenty of space for walking and bike-riding.  I do want to go to the gym for their yoga and pilates classes, though...I think those would be a nice way to be healthier in a holistic way.

I will be walking and running around my neighborhood, and I would like to have a pretty rigorous schedule for increasing intensity.  For the first 2 weeks, I want to JUST walk 3 miles.  Then, I'll add in a little bit of running, when I can.  I'll do that for 2 weeks or until I'm comfortable increasing it...and I'll continue to increase my running until I'm running most of the 3 miles.  Then, I'll switch to 4 miles.  I'll walk/run as much as is comfortable at first, and then I'll increase my running again.  I plan to increase steadily and methodically, but I want to push myself.  I'm not going to lose weight if I don't push myself a little.

I think my plan will look like this, to start out:

Sunday: biking around the neighborhood - 1 hour

Monday: gym at 4:30 for strength training (arms/core), 6:00 hatha yoga class, 7:00 pilates class

Tuesday: walking/running, 3 miles

Wednesday: gym at 4:30 for strength training (legs/core), 6:00 hatha yoga class, 7:00 pilates class

Thursday: walking/running, 3 miles

Friday: nothing

Saturday: walking/running, 3 miles

I think this is a good, easy schedule, that still has me working out enough to make some serious changes.  I'm not doing the same thing for 2 days in a row, which I like.  Also, it gives me enough workouts in a week that, if I have to miss one for one reason or another, it won't really hurt anything.

I also need to eat better, I know that.  I've really been trying to be good about it...but between the pregnancy and the holiday stuff and traveling, it has been ROUGH.  So, I'm going to try to include vegetables in at least 2 meals per day, and to eat more fruit.  I've also been really into the carbonated water lately, which I think is good...I've been increasing my fluid intake, anyway.  Also, I want to eat less meat, if any.  I don't like eating meat anymore, bleh.

Ok, let's do this!  I need to stay motivated!  I'm not doing weight loss rewards...this is more about getting holistically healthy, with weight loss as a bonus.  This is going to be more about sticking to the plan, than about numbers.  I'm not sure what I could do as a weekly reward yet...I think I may put $10 into a yarn fund for every week that I follow the plan, and then at the end of a month I can only spend that money if I have stuck to the plan for the whole month.  Maybe it will be for more than yarn...I could do books too, or dresses.  : )  Let's just make it a FUNd...a fund, for fun.

Hooray!

Slowly...oh, so slowly...

I am trying very hard to get back into working out, but slowly enough that I don't hurt myself even more.

My back is not any better than last week.  I went swimming on Sunday, and woke up Monday morning barely able to walk.  I tried the recumbent bike yesterday...well, first I tried the regular stationary bike, but the seat was so hard I'm convinced it bruised my ass...but I loved the recumbent bike!  I feel like it gave me a better workout than even the walking/running, since my heart rate went and stayed higher than it does when I'm walking.  Not that I can or want to stop walking/running...but this is something new I can do, that I like.

I've been taking the tramadol pretty regularly...it makes me itchy, anxious, and a little sick to my stomach, but it's better than the constant back pain.  I have learned that my 16-year-old sister and my 13-year-old cousin have both started suffering from back pain as well, and my cousin has been diagnosed as having the same thing I do: a herniated disc.  I had read that it's genetic...my family definitely confirms that.  On both sides, actually, since my first cousin on my dad's side had it as well.  So I was pretty much doomed from the start.

I'm hoping to be back to a more regular workout schedule next week.  One of my workout buddies has been gone for the last week and a half, which hasn't helped my motivation...but she'll be back this weekend.  Having 2 workout buddies has been the best thing possible for my workout regimen...they keep me honest, and if one of them can't work out with me then the other one likely can.

So, this week, I swam Sunday, biked yesterday, and I'm swimming today.  That's not great, but it's better than nothing.  I should be biking this coming Sunday, which should start off the week on a strong note.  Next week, my goal is to work out 4 days...this week it was 3, and my normal is 5-6, so if I do 4 next week that will be progress.  I'm not worrying overmuch about the triathlon at the moment...I'm ahead of where my triathlon training book says I should be, so I think I'll be ok.  I just need to increase my endurance, and my breathing.

Speaking of breathing, I don't know if I posted about this last time, but I believe my asthma is more serious than originally thought.  When I'm working out, I get to a point where I just cannot pull in enough oxygen.  I'm trying to avoid that by keeping my heart rate below 180...I have calculated my maximum heart rate as being 191, so the target should be 70-85% of that, so roughly 133-162.  When I've been walking or biking or whatever, my heart rate has easily been in the 170-180 range in intervals, so I might even need to slow it down a little and exercise for longer.  That would probably help my breathing.

Alright, off to have some quiet time before exercise time.  At least it's swimming today...I always love swimming days, I feel cleaner and stronger and cooler afterward.  : )

Oh, Body...

Why do you have to sabotage me every. single. time?

I walked/ran and did that crazy 100 workout on Wednesday, and then swam yesterday...and by last night my back was so stiff I could barely get off of the couch.  Stiffness is usually the best indicator of inflammation in the disc, so at least I know what's going on.  I guess I've just been going too hard this week...I really have been taking myself to the limit, working out every day.

So, I need to dial it back just a bit.  That shouldn't be too hard this next week...it's going to be a light week anyway, since I have to go to Tallahassee on Thursday, and my mother and sister are coming back up with me on Friday to hang for the weekend.  Tomorrow, I have a 6-hour biking class...but my plan is to check out early if I'm having issues.  Sunday is Craft Day at a friend's house, so no workout that day.  Monday, I'll probably swim...Tuesday, maybe I'll bike a little or do a light walk...and Wednesday is (I think) group swimming and yoga.  Thursday-Saturday is family time, and then group biking is on Sunday.  All of that sounds pretty reasonable.

This whole next few weeks is going to be kind of ridiculous for me.  I have LOTS going on...biking class and crafts this weekend, Tallahassee and then family next weekend, a class on handspinning wool on the 23rd, a wine-tasting tour for a friend's birthday on the 30th, my own birthday on the 1st, and then another trip to Tallahassee (tentatively) on July 4th/5th.  AGH!  All of this means that I will need to be extra diligent in sticking to a pre-determined schedule for my workouts - I won't be able to shift around my schedule much, so I need to take advantage of every opportunity to work out.

Ok, off to work.  Later.

Sticking to it!

Well, I have managed to (mostly) follow my plan for the last 3 weeks!

I think I've probably only taken 3-4 days off...and that's because I went to Tallahassee the first weekend, the Renaissance Festival last weekend, and went on an impromptu trip to the North Carolina mountains this weekend.  And both the Ren Fest and the Mountains were pretty physical, so those actually might count as exercise days.

Mostly, I've been walking/jogging and swimming.  Swimming, I do probably 3-4 days of the week, and walking/jogging another 2-3.  One of the girls knows this crazy 100 workout, also, that we've been doing after our walk/run on Wednesday afternoons.  That shit is ridiculous...I hurt for DAYS afterward.  I have been modifying my plan as I go, so as to minimize the impact on my knee, and also because of variations in my schedule.

I've only biked for one day, last Sunday.  It was HARD.  I have since learned that my mountain-hybrid bike makes it about twice as difficult for me to do the same thing as the other girls on their road-hybrid bikes...and I felt it.  I had to stop when I was having problems pedaling just on a flat surface.  Also, my helmet was about 2 sizes too small...I have since gotten another one, which is a lot better.  So, all in all, a little more difficult than I had expected...but I'm doing it.

My knee actually is doing ok, for now.  I went walking/running last Wednesday, and it hurt a bit after that...but it seems better now.  I'm biking this afternoon, and swimming tomorrow...this is going to be a crazy week, I'm working out every weekday and then doing an "Introduction to Road Cycling" course on Saturday.  Bring on the Advil!

I haven't been doing my normal neighborhood walk often, but I plan to do it twice a week for the time being.  I cannot, canNOT, just pick up where I left off, though.  I am forcing myself to start slow...which means resetting my walk to 3 miles and gradually increasing from there.  I have to remember that I am doing enough exercise during the week that I don't need to kill myself walking/running.  I need to avoid knee problems, as well as shin splints (no sign yet, thank GOODNESS!) and back issues.  So far, so good on those...nothing more than normal pain right now, happily.

I have discovered before, and rediscovered recently, just how enjoyable my neighborhood walk is compared to walking the track.  I HATE walking the track.  Every time I get back around to the beginning, I think about getting off and being done.  When I'm out walking the neighborhood, I don't have that option...if I walk out to a certain point, I have no option except to walk my ass back.  My original plan was to walk the track every morning, but one morning of that was enough to change my plans.

Really, I just need to be able to do all of the different triathlon activities, separately, by the end of June.  Well, I don't think I'll be able to bike 12 miles or run 3 miles by that point...but, if I can manage MOST of that, I think I'll be ok.  The running is going to have to come with time, and I'll get better at the biking as I go.  I'm able to swim the 400 meters right now with no problem...but I definitely can't do it all in one go, so I need to work on getting faster with it.

So, that's the plan for right now.  Should be a fun week!  : )

A Plan to End All Plans

So this triathlon thing is really happening!

It's funny how, as I've gotten into the mindset of doing the triathlon training, I have gotten more active overall.  For the last few days, I've been doing chores with an unusual vigor and energy.  I think it's the fact that I'm going to be SO active soon, and my brain is gearing up for it.  : )

I have a workout plan that I think will be workable.  I've incorporated a lot of walking, which I hope will help me build up my endurance.  It's a very balanced plan, that gives me a good amount of training in each of the 3 sports, and that allows me a good amount of alone training time as well as group training time.  My week will go as follows:

Sunday: Afternoon - Biking (group)
Monday: Morning - Walking (self); Afternoon - Swimming (self)
Tuesday: Morning - Walking (self)
Wednesday: Afternoon - Walking/running (group)
Thursday: Morning - Walking (self); Afternoon - Swimming (group)
Friday: Morning - Walking (self)
Saturday:  Nothing - rest day.

I know that this seems like a lot...but really, that's just because there's a ton of walking in there.  I'm walking by myself every weekday morning, except for the one where I'm walking/running in the afternoon with the group.  I've got 2 swimming days in there on purpose...I feel like that's the exercise that will benefit me the most, since it doesn't put as much stress on my knees and back.  Also, I plan to bike to the pool, since it's nearby...which will get me a good amount of biking practice as well.  This schedule gives me 2 days of only morning walks, which will start my workday on a really good note...2 days of only afternoon group activities, so that I don't wear myself out walking on those mornings...and then 2 days of walking in the morning and swimming in the afternoon, which will get me all 3 activities in one day, but won't be too terribly strenuous.  Also, this schedule allows me to take Saturdays off...that is most often the day I like to plan other activities, so that's perfect.

I'm going to start this schedule on Monday, May 14th.  The group is not biking tomorrow...instead, we're going to go swimming, since graduation is happening at the school and the pool is where people are least likely to be. : )  Also, that might give me a little practice riding my bike to the pool, on a day when there aren't quite so many cars.

I'm not planning out my diet for this one.  I will probably continue to eat what I currently eat, since consuming the same calories while simultaneously burning more calories leads to overall weight loss.

I am not giving myself a choice when it comes to whether I will work out or not.  I will be doing these workouts.  This should be super easy for me to do...it's 4 afternoons per week, on days that I don't usually do other stuff...it's varied enough that, even if I do need to miss a day, I'll more than likely only be missing one workout, and I'll have 8 others to do that week.  It's something different every day, so I'm not likely to get bored.  I'm super excited!

I'll be doing this until the end of June, when we work out a more vigorous group schedule.  At that point, I'll be doing 5 days per week with the group, so I'll scale back on the morning walks and the individual stuff.  That's also good...it gives me a deadline, so I'm not just looking forward to endlessly doing the same workout.  A month and a half of the above schedule should give me a really good base, so that I'm up to the level of the other girls...they are all more fit than I am, so I have some catching up to do!

Ok, there it is!  So excited to get started!

I'm back!

Yes, I know it has been a very long time since I've posted here.  But with good reason, I promise!

I got married!  Yayyyy!

Now, I realize that at some point I was saying here that I wanted to get fit for my wedding.  That...did not happen.  We only had 3 months between wedding announcement and actual wedding, and I prioritized wedding crafts and my own mental sanity over my fitness.  Which, in hindsight, was definitely the right decision...the wedding looked awesome, and I was super happy and relaxed, if a little heavier than I necessarily would have liked.  I also had to order the wedding dress from a website, with no time for alterations, so the size 12 I ordered in January had to still fit me in April!

So...I'm definitely still hovering around 180, which I consider a success because wedding prep time was FULL of yummy, yummy food!  Also, can I just say...we had for the wedding key lime cupcakes with blueberry compote on top.  I would like to eat these every day for the rest of my natural life.

BUT!  I am now about to start with the getting of the fit.  I am ending a seriously time-consuming temp job tomorrow (yay), and I will be in Seattle May 2-7...but then, I will be training for a triathlon!  Yes, me!  There are some wonderful ladies from a craft group that I attend one Sunday per month, who also want to train for a triathlon, so I will even have people to keep me accountable!  Hooray!

We're going to start small, with a sprint.  This is only like 15 miles total...400 meters swimming, 12 miles biking, and 5k running, or something like that.  This will not be easy, to be sure...but, with my various back and knee issues, mixing up the running with some low-impact activities should be the best plan for my thinifying.

I am going to change things up this time by worrying less about actual numbers.  By training for a triathlon, I will be doing SO much physical activity that I can't help but lose weight...so it's not going to be about the numbers, which I think will actually help me.  Instead, it will be about NOT embarrassing myself in a triathlon in October.  If I can come in NOT last, then I will consider that a success.

My cousin, who has (if possible) more physical issues than I do, trained for and participated in a triathlon, and it changed his health completely.  He lost a TON of weight, lowered his cholesterol, got off of medications, etc.  I want to do this!

SO!  This is my plan!  We are talking about doing 5 training days per week...we'll start off building a base by doing just one activity per day, and then building to two per day by July.  Then we'll have a few months to do two, then three activities per day, which should be just perfect to do a sprint by the end of September or the beginning of October.

I will be back to writing in here more often as things progress.  I like having a place to keep my thoughts and goals and stuff.  : )