Sneaky, Sneaky Calories

I have been counting every calorie I eat for the past 14 months. It's boring, time-consuming, and, apparently, useless for me. Sometimes, I think I eat more than I might have or justify poor food choices with the thought, "I have the calories, I can... eat that cake/finish that candy bar/drink another glass of chocolate milk" and so forth.


So, for the next week, I am going to stop counting. I've planned my meals, snacks, and some treats and made allowance for a couple meals out. I bought delicious, nutritious food: stuff I actually want to eat. I'm going to be diligent about eating the food I've bought and avoid supplementing.

One week won't be a long enough experiment to know whether I have sufficiently changed my eating habits to keep off the weight I've lost but it will be a good test of how I handle a little bit of freedom.

The bigger question is: What will I do with the extra 45 minutes a week I won't be spending logging in my food?

Do you or have you counted calories to lose or maintain your weight? Were you able to phase out the habit? How?

It Was Bound to Happen

I forgot to blog yesterday. I think the main reason I forgot is because I've been feeling embarrassed and inadequate. It's been a little over a week since I announced my BIG PLAN and, so far, it's been sort of a bust, not a complete bust, but at least partly.

There are a lot of reasons, heat and humidity being the two biggest. I can't blame it all on the weather, though. I also haven't been fully committed. I've still been enjoying running when I do it but I think I might be getting to the point when I start looking for the next thing I want to do that will gradually replace this thing.

My waning interest always happens at the same point in the hobby/habit life cycle: the plateau - when I know that it will take a little, perhaps a lot, of extra something to get to the next level. I like being good at things and the thought of trying and failing scares me more than it should. Unfortunately, the thought of not getting better frustrates and annoys me. I stop pushing due to fear of failure, get bored, and move on.

At this point in my fitness journey, my weight and running pace have both plateaued.

I know it's summer; I should probably wait until the temperatures cool to make any judgments about my speed. The problem is that understanding that doesn't make me feel better at this moment. And it's at this moment that I need to find the strength and commitment to keep moving forward even though I'm not "feelin' it" and the improvement curve isn't as steep as it once was.

Fortunately, for my waistline, I've already paid for races through May 2014, so I'll keep training. The question is this: Will I just push through until there are no more paid-for races to feel guilty about or will I pursue excellence at whatever level I can achieve, remembering that running has been a source of joy in my life?

Have you encountered a plateau before? What helped you get through it? Are you in one now? What's stopping you from pushing?

Gymagogo

I don't really like trying new things. New things make me nervous and annoyed and grumpy. I'm trying to get better at that, though. So, in that vein, I gave Gymagogo a shot. It didn't hurt that, currently, the service is free.

It's an interesting concept: You sign up for an online fitness class during which you and the instructor can see each other via webcam. It's a cross between a workout video (privacy of your own home) and a class at a gym (encouragement and correction from an instructor).

I signed up for my class on Saturday. Between then and the tonight, I got five different emails with reminders and tips for setting up my workout space. I appreciated the attention to detail. I tend to be the kind of person who doesn't need many reminders but I can see how many people would find it useful.

Set-up was incredibly easy. There was a little button on their site that allowed you to make sure your system was up to snuff. The reminders they sent helped me get a plug-in I needed.

About half an hour before my class, I got another reminder with a simple button that took me straight to the class. The class started on time and my instructor for beginner yoga, Julia, was ready to go. She'd clearly taught a class this way before and had the kinks worked out. Throughout the entire class, Julia addressed me and the other student by name regularly, offering praise when appropriate and helpful instruction when necessary. She even took the time to demonstrate a modification when I couldn't accomplish a particular transition with good form. At the end, Julia took a few moments to ask if we had any questions and how our practice had been.

The one thing I would do to improve the experience would be to make it possible to hear the other participants or, at least, know when the other participants are speaking just because it was a little awkward to sit through one-sided conversations.

I'd say Gymagogo is worth a try. The classes they currently offer are yoga, Pilates, abs, and bodyweight boot camp. For the most part, the classes are scheduled in the evening. I plan to try a few more classes before I give a ringing endorsement. As of now, I'd say you should check it out, take a class, and let me know what you think.

True workout confession: I almost forgot to mention the 4.5 miles I ran in 100 degree heat. I'm such a bad mamma jamma!

Corny Inspirational Stuff

I've been saving this little gem for a night I really couldn't think of anything else to blog. That's me, after my second half marathon ever, the first having take place seven days earlier. I was pleased as punch to PR by ten minutes.

True workout confession: I thought I'd scheduled a Gymagogo yoga class for tonight at 8. Turns out it's tomorrow at 8. By the time I realized, it was 7:45. I can't even claim walking up the stairs at work as exercise because the elevators are back in service... So, I will run AND Gymagogo tomorrow. Should be fun.

I Ran Tonight.

Brooks PureConnect: SHINY!

There were 8 miles on my training schedule.

I waited and waited and waited for the temperature and the sun to go down.

At 8:30 it was still close to 90F but I sucked it up and put on my running duds. An upside of running in the heat is how little clothing one can wear to do so.

I pounded out three hilly miles and proclaimed it good.

I'm working on phasing out walk breaks, so I was thrilled when I approached the mile mark and was still feeling strong.

This was my first run wearing Brooks PureConnect. I'll wear them a few more times and during at least one long run before I offer any strong opinions. So far, I find them comfortable and light.

By the time I got home, I was dripping sweat. I can't even describe how grateful I am for air conditioning and ice right now.

I'll sleep well tonight.

I guess that was my true workout confession for the day. Oh, I also did five flights of stairs...now one of our elevators is fixed. Will I keep using the stairs? Maybe at least once a day.

Big Talk

After all my big talk last week, I really got on the ball. I started reintroducing strength training and yoga in my fitness routine. Yay!

Turns out, I reintroduced it a bit too vigorously. My vigor, combined with the increased stair climbing at work, left me in a sad state by Saturday afternoon, when I realized that going for a long run on Sunday was probably not a good idea.

My left hamstring felt bad - on-the-verge-of-injury type ouchie. So, instead of running sixteen miles on Sunday, I took a day off. Not that I laid around like a lump or anything; I did my normal Sunday errands. For most of the day, though, I couldn't tell if movement was helping or hurting the pain.

Fortunately, when I woke up this morning, the pain was noticeably less but it seemed wise to take my normal rest day and monitor the situation carefully. In a little while, I'll apply some ice and maybe do a little foam rollin'. I'm confident that I'll be able to go out for my regularly scheduled run tomorrow with no ill effects.

This bump in the road gave me a little reminder about humility and common sense. Just like every other person who has ever slacked off in their fitness routine, I am going to have to work back up to my former strength gradually or I'll get injured and be laid off.

So, I will do strength and yoga this week, but I'll be going back to my pre-badass routines and building a base before I jump back into the harder stuff. This should teach me not to slack ever again. But it probably won't.

Have you ever jumped into/back into an exercise routine too quickly? Did your body smack you down? Did you rest or just push through the pain?

Gear Review: Halo Headband

I like running gear. It's fun to talk about, it's fun to research, it's fun to buy and try, and it's especially fun with it makes running more enjoyable and comfortable.

Around my birthday, I was looking around for a sweatband that would keep me from perpetually getting sweat in my eyes because (DANG!) it stings when that happens. And, because I live in Baltimore and am sweatier than the average bear, sweat in the eyes is a real problem for me about nine months out of the year.

I don't remember how I discovered the company but my runnerd research led me to the Halo Headband website. It didn't take long for me to be seduced by their How It Works photo, seen here.

 

The "Sweat Block Seal" is magical. Even when my Halo is completely soaked (every run), I don't get sweat in my eyes because the SBS channels the extra moisture away from my delicate face.

I bought my light blue Halo Headband from Amazon for about $12 and it's become a staple on every run. I plan to get one of their visors when I can afford it but, for now, I wear this under a free visor I got from somewhere. The fit is perfect, I don't notice it (sometimes I wear it into the shower I'm so oblivious to its presence), it performs its function admirably, and, as an added bonus, it holds my glasses in place so I can wear them comfortably while I run.

A completely soaked Halo

Halo also makes hats, visors, and skull caps using the same wicking fabric and SBS system. You can even get a wider or narrower version of the band that I use or an adjustable one with velcro or tie closures. Halo even makes a headband through which earbuds can be threaded to keep them more firmly in place during activity.

If you haven't gotten the idea, I like this product and would recommend it to anyone who wants to not get sweat in his or her eyes.

And, in case you're wondering, I haven't been compensated for this post in any way. All the opinions I have expressed are my own. I love my Halo Headband and am very likely to buy other products from this company.

Before It Goes Bad

I go grocery shopping almost every week. Before I go, I plan my meals, make a list, and decide where I will buy each item. This is a complex decision-making process that I enjoy very much.

But, best laid plans often go awry, and instead of eating chicken and vegetables for dinner, I eat out several nights or the yogurt parfait snacks I dreamed of are replaced by workplace ice cream and cake parties.

Mmmm...chicken

So, on days like today, I find leftover ingredients in my fridge, just on the verge of going bad. As my roommate and I were watching, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Tula was talking about all of the Loud Breeding Greek Eaters, I decided the time had come to do something to save my almost bad chicken.

So, I got the package out, liberally salted and peppered, heated some olive oil in a large pan, and slowly sauteed the lovelies.

As they were finishing, I remembered the blueberries in the produce drawer. After picking out the few moldy ones, I dumped all of them into a small sauce pan, added some honey and a little water, and let the whole mess bubble away until I had a lovely, thick blueberry sauce I'll add to my yogurt.

Blueberries and honey

When I turned around to dump the sauce into a container, I noticed the four heavily-speckled bananas sitting on the counter. My first thought was to freeze them for later but then I remembered I already have a gallon bag filled with frozen bananas, so I smashed them up to make some jacked-up banana bread instead.

Too bad there's nothing else about to turn, I could do this all day.

Today's true workout confession: 25 minutes of light-duty yoga

It Can Be Hard to Keep Up

I talked about my new adventures in social media a couple days ago. One of the main reasons I've even attempted to become Twitter savvy is because a couple friends posted about #Runchat, a Twitter chat that happens at 10 p.m. ET the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month and at 8 p.m. ET the 2nd and 4th Sunday.

I've only been participating for a couple weeks but it's been a really fun way to connect with other runners, hear about different races, get feedback on training questions, and otherwise feed my crazed obsession with running.

The weekly chat is led by someone asking a series of questions on a running-related theme. Then whoever is following responds. There are lots of side conversations that ensue and I've discovered lots of new people to follow during the weekly chats.

The best part for me, because I sometimes get overwhelmed by the volume of chatter during the designated times, is that I can tag things with #runchat during the week and people who follow #runchat will respond to questions I have. Such fun!

Anyway, since I've enjoyed #Runchat so much, I signed up to be a Runbassador, which means that I tell people about #Runchat and get stickers and temporary tattoos to give to people and stick places. Basically, I'm part of the street team, gettin' the word out.

This Sunday is the second of the month, which means it all gets started at 8 p.m. ET. Get ready!

Today's true workout confession: Jackie Warner's 30 Day Quick Start lower body, 5 flights of stairs, Strength Running ITB Rehab and Core Workout

Day 3 of No Elevators

The elevators in the building where I work didn't pass inspection. There's something wrong with the emergency brakes. Apparently, they work too well and the abrupt stop could cause injury. So, now we have to wait for the elevator to be repaired AND reinspected.

Did I mention that I work on the sixth floor of said building? I didn't? Well, now I have.

Over the past three days, I've been reminded again and again that climbing stairs and running are completely different activities. By the time I hit the fourth floor, my thighs are burning. My strategy so far has been to go slow and steady. I like to get it done but being sweaty at work is not so fun.

Every time I contemplate a trip to another floor, I spend some time thinking about whether the goal is worth the trip back up the stairs. Then I berate myself for being such a wuss about the stairs because, after all, I can run 15 miles, dammit!

Today, as lunchtime neared, I preened at my intelligent planning, thinking, "I'm so glad I brought my lunch today. No stairs!" Then, Karin said she was going to get Halal from the food cart permanently stationed a couple blocks away from our office. HALAL!!! The best $6 lunch that can be purchased in our neighborhood. I couldn't resist. Even the stairs didn't deter me.

As a bonus, on our way, we noticed that there was some music happening in the courtyard of an office building we had to pass to get the Halal. Turns out, it was a pretty good cover band playing pop rock hits of the past couple decades. The temperature wasn't unbearable and there were benches in the shade. We enjoyed our meal, listened to some tunes, and delayed the climb back up to the sixth floor for a little while

We did have to hike back up to work eventually but the food, fresh air, and entertainment were well worth the sweat and heavy breathing. And, before running, I would have avoided this little adventure, so I'm grateful for that.

Today's workout: 18 flights of stairs and a 6.22 mile run with 4 miles at half marathon pace (semi-adjusted for heat)

Tomorrow Is Always a Day Away

I don't know about you, but I'm freaking fantastic at deciding I'll do things tomorrow.

Lately, I've been singing "Tomorrow, tomorrow" about two things:

1. Strength training and stretching (two for the price of one!) and
2. Better food choices

Turns out, tomorrow keeps getting ahead of me. Somehow, when I wake up, it's always today and tomorrow is, you guessed it, still a day away.

So, I skip the weights and eat more Taco Bell or eat half my calories by mid-morning or buy fried things for lunch instead of eating the delicious, healthy food I brought.

I'm beginning to notice that my running is suffering, body parts that were firm are becoming jiggly, and my weight loss has not just stopped, I think I've put a few pounds back on. The weight gain hasn't been drastic but it's noticeable and I can't continue blaming it on hormone fluctuations, as I'd like to. Since I could still healthily lose at least 40 more pounds, I would prefer to avoid re-gaining pounds I've already shed.

Until my race on Labor Day weekend, I am going to focus on reintegrating non-running activities, particularly weights, yoga, and Pilates, back into my workout regimen. At that point, I plan to have a routine in place that's working well enough that I can shift my focus to better food choices.

Two things will help me combat my mad procrastination skillz:

1. A plan
2. Accountability

The plan: My running schedule is in place (Tuesday/easy, Thursday/hard, Sunday/long). I am going to do weights on Wednesday and Friday using a plan that a FB friend developed for me. I'll do Pilates on Tuesday since it's an easy run and yoga on Saturday to get ready for the long run on Sunday. Monday will be my day of rest.

Accountability: Since I'm blogging every day, I will end each post with a true confession about my workout, starting today. I might also post on Twitter. If I start to slack or make excuses, give me hell!

Today's workout:12 flights of stairs (the elevators are out at work), 25 minutes walking, Jackie Warner's 30-Day Quick Start upper body, StrengthRunning's ITB Rehab and Core Workout.

By the way, I would love any recommendations for functional strength training routines. I have found a lot in books but still haven't discovered any on video. Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough. Help!

Tweet Tweet

I've started doing the Twitter thing. My friend @ljzp convinced me that the running community over there is "fierce." That is the exact word she used. So, if you're reading this and you're also a tweep (I kind of hate that term), feel free to follow me @anybodyinthere. I've added a handy dandy little gadget on my sidebar that will allow you to follow me with one click.

Though I don't think I've quite caught on to the whole Twitter vibe, I'm sure I'll get better. You all can be my coaches.

Just be forewarned that Twitter is the venue I'm going to use to completely geek out about running. So, if you aren't interested in talk about heel-toe drops, pre-race jitters, hydration options, the importance of electrolytes, and whatnot, I won't be offended if you don't follow.

Party All the Time!

You know what I did tonight? I went to a party!!

Okay, I'll admit it, party is a pretty loose term. Really, what I did was go to a bar where my roommate was having some people get together for her birthday.

There were a lot of people. I brought the cake. It was a delicious Tres Leches cake with macadamia nuts and toasted coconut on top.

Because it's a dessert that is best served straight from the fridge, what with all the hand-whipped cream on top and various forms of milk moistening the cake, we ate it before dinner.

Fifteen pieces were gone in minutes and my mission was accomplished. I was enjoying the people watching but didn't have much to say. I wanted food and the menu at the bar didn't seem appealing.

I announced, "I think I'll stop at Chipotle on the way home." My friend, Isaac, said, "Let's go!" There may have been others parts of the conversation but you don't want all of the details. (Bo-ring!)

Anyway, roommate Larissa said, "You can go. We had cake, you said 'Hello,' go get Chipotle." It's not that I was averse to staying but when the party girl releases me, I feel I must oblige.

So, I went to a party and had a dinner date. Little Miss Social. Oh, yeah, that's me!

(Also, I woke up this morning at 4:45. The reason I woke is that, in my dream, someone was singing the Dayenu song over and over and over again. I'm pretty sure I roused myself to get away from the annoying singer. Then the song was stuck in my head, so I put on some Civil Wars and drifted back to sleep.)

Lost?

This morning I got lost driving to a place I've gone almost every weekend for several months. I don't know what happened. My mind must have been wandering because I missed my exit and didn't realize it until I'd already driven about five miles out of my way.

I don't own a smart phone and I didn't have my car GPS with me. It took me nearly forty-five minutes more than it should have to navigate my way back to the trail head. I nearly started crying because all I could think about was how it was getting hotter and hotter with each passing minute.

I'd planned to be on the trail by 5:15, at the latest. I wasn't even parked until 6:20.

I started, anyway, fully intending to still complete 18 miles, assuming the 50 ounces of Gatorade and 50 ounces of water would get me through even though I was going to be running in a higher than expected temperature.

Normally, I run a 3/1 run/walk ratio. I adjusted to 1:30/1 and got started. For the first 6 miles, that worked. Then the sun started to pound on me and I switched the run/walk portions. That worked well for another couple of miles.

Then, at mile 8, as I was approaching the part of the trail with the least shade, I realized my Gatorade was completely gone. My additional water supply was still 2.5 miles away. And I was feeling wrecked.

Also, my shoes were not feeling great. I think this is it for me and Altras. I'm sad about the parting but, somehow, they just don't work with my feet. Maybe I'll try them again someday.

I gutted it out for the last couple of miles, walking A LOT, and was more grateful than I can say to get back to my car, then back to my house where a cool shower and breakfast awaited. Mmmm... chocolate milk.

I keep hearing that "summer miles bring fall smiles." Hoo boy, that saying better be accurate or I will rage. Quietly. To myself.

And, since I like to reward myself with food (another bad habit I need to start working on), today's debacle of a run will be soothed with my favorites from the Wegmans Wokery. Even though the run sucked, it still earned me 1450 extra calories for the day. So, there are perks.

I Don't Like To Do Things

As I sat to write this and tried to think of something to type, I realized that I might need to start doing stuff that's worth reading about.

Today I...
woke up a little after 6.
wrote some boring stuff in my journal.
watched an episode of the newest show I've become obsessed with, Miranda. Best. British. SitCom. Ever.
ate some breakfast.
tidied other bits of the apartment.
watched twelve, that's 12, more episodes of Miranda. (Did I mention I love this show?)
made some lunch as a break from watching Miranda.
had Burger King for dinner.

And, now, I'm sitting in my fluffy, blue plaid chair watching Supernatural (for the umpteenth time - I've started having dreams about Sam and Dean on a regular basis), and thinking about my long run tomorrow.

Of course, there's plenty of putzing on Facebook and Twitter throughout the day, too. I have almost no IRL social life. Most of the people I'd choose to spend time with are scattered about the country and sometimes I wonder if I prefer it that way. And running has conveniently allowed me to turn down many invitations due to early wake-up times.

I like being at home. I'm comfortable being by myself. But...

I need to start meeting people and doing things for many reasons, including a) I want to live a full life with real, regular, non-work-related human interaction and b) I'd like a real reason to write so that you don't get bored reading recitations of my everyday activities.

Or, maybe I'll just start making things up. Most of you will never know the difference.

Something New(ish)

It's been a while since I've been a daily blogger. There was a time, a few years back, that I would post multiple times a day. (My job was REALLY lacking in the challenge department.) Though I'm not going to repeat the madness of 3-4 posts every day (that's what Facebook is for, right?), I am making the commitment to post daily for one year. So, that's until July 4, 2014.

Most of my posts will probably be about running and food, but I expect that finding material to post daily will also lead to other topics. Daily posts should also force me to make my posts shorter and crisper. Lucky you, readers. :)

I hope some people will stick with me through it but, let's be honest, this exercise isn't for your benefit. Too honest?

Anyway, I'll be here. Maybe you will be, too.

Sometimes It's Fun

There's nothing virtuous about being a fast runner. I firmly believe that every person who gets out there to run or bike or swim or keep themselves fit in whatever way works best for them, is already a winner. But, sometimes, especially since it doesn't happen terribly often for me, it's fun to be the fastest.

This morning, before most people were awake, I was at the track. (WHAT?!) Anyway, after my very slow mile warm up around the school, I started running in circles. The plan was 3 x 1600 at 10k pace with 800 jogs in between to rest. Since it was already 75 degrees when I got out there, I adjusted the paces for heat and humidity. (Everyone tells me that I'll feel the improvement this fall when the weather cools.)

As the temperature steadily increased, my pace slowed a bit but I hit all three miles at paces well below the heat-adjusted times I could have allowed myself.

A highlight of the run was when, during my second 800, I passed a man who had been jogging in what I realized were oxfords. He smiled heartily, wished me a good morning, and told me I was doing a great job. I smiled back and returned the encouragement.

There were a lot more people at the track than I was expecting on a holiday - more than on workdays. And this brings me back to what I said at the beginning. Even with seven other people out there circling that track, I was the only one passing anyone else. It was an amazing feeling after all the work I've put in. And, even though I don't think I'm better than anyone else out on that track, today I *was* faster.