To the West Coast and Back in 36 hours

This week has started out a bit chaotic as expected. Starting off with Monday and a 3 hour flight delay to San Francisco from Nashville was not my idea of a great beginning. However, the trip out west and back in less than 24 hours was pretty painless overall. Staying in the Westin St. Francis was a nice venue for a good night's sleep not to mention the workout facility there on site was nicer than expected. In fact, I managed to workout while enjoying the benefits of a sauna because the air in my room was a nice, comfy 68 degrees but the temperature in the fitness center was more like 75. Therefore, the first 10 minutes of my workout was comfortable...the next 50 minutes seemed to condition me more for the Sahara Desert. Either way...I managed to knock out 1 hour of cardio on Day 1 of my travels. 

As far as the CMSA Lunch Symposium presentation went...I enjoyed the opportunity to share a little piece of what I do on a daily basis at Vandy with a group (150-200) of knowledge hungry case managers from across the country.

Now...let's talk about consumption. Spending hours on airplanes and in airports doesn't allow for great nutrition.

Last night's dinner ended up being a slice of chicken pizza from the local Pizzeria followed by a cup of goodness...aka Pistachio Gelato. I don't ever remember having gelato but I can say...I WANT MORE just like that small cup that I indulged in along the streets of San Francisco. I had intended to have a nice dinner at the highly recommended Mexican restaurant, Calibrio, but the host (aka...ass) refused to offer me a seat in the dining room since I was a party of 1. He said that I would need to watch the bar for an opening since the "larger tables were more for parties of 2 or more." After waiting about 30 minutes for an open barstool, I ended up walking out and down a few doors to the pizzeria. Great customer service there, I must add. 

So this morning's breakfast consisted of a Starbucks latte, an egg and cheese on English muffin, and a banana. Lunch consisted of a quick, on-the-go sandwich and fries. On the first leg of my trip home, I threw in a Snickers bar for comfort food.

A quick side note for you...I chose the front seat of the plane next to a very pleasant fella as we boarded in San Fran. I can't even share his name because I didn't even ask it despite non-stop conversation with him for the 2 1/2 hour flight. He and I realized that we were both from Nashville, and that seemed to be a good conversation starter. We commenced sharing stories of the importance of "making memories". He explained that he had recently lost his mother due to lung disease and his father had passed away a couple of years ago. He said that he realized thru these losses that he needed to make memories while he was healthy enough. He had spent the last 2 years caring for his mother before her demise so he decided to take the last 10 days to travel to San Fran to visit his sister. Our conversation continued to roll into talking about weight loss some how. I think it started with him asking me what time I woke up and what I was doing up so early on "my day off". I explained that nearly all of my days start with the alarm sounding at 3:45am with my determination to start each day by burning a few calories so I could eat more gelato if given another opportunity. As I sat next to him in the front row, we shared 3 seats between the 2 of us. I was seated securely and comfortably in my aisle seat (which is much different than the last flight that I took to San Fran about 18 months ago) as his elbow lacked about 6 inches from touching my armrest. Yes, his size cost him a double airfare.  I was able to share a portion of my weight loss journey with him as we discussed our typical day. As he spoke of finding his niche in life with being a realtor, he mentioned that he was eager to lose weight so that he could live long enough to enjoy 32 better years. I chimed in with how purging the old habits seemed to be the only fighting chance that I had with losing weight and keeping it off. Realizing that I was unhappy with myself and absolutely needing to make a change was only the beginning of the challenge that I had avoided for years. Long story short, my decision to pick the seat beside him was no mistake. Many others had passed him by since I was toward the end of "B" boarding and he had been able to pre-board. I saw opportunity for great conversation with this robust fella blessed with a great smile and great salt/pepper hair (as he had obviously greyed a bit prematurely).

Our conversation slowed after my not-so-great experience with turbulence on the decent into Las Vegas. After I spent a minute (or twenty) in the bathroom in the airport, I decided to visit the Starbucks once I made it to the gate for the next departure. A cold, skinny White Chocolate Mocha Frap sure cooled this 'ole gal off after I had broken three kinds of sweat in my attempts to keep from puking up the fries and ham/swiss sandwich from lunch.

The 2nd leg of my flight was not nearly as fun since the aisle seat on the front row sitting next to my newest acquaintance was already taken as I boarded. I will close by saying that we met up again at the conveyor belt as we were picking up our checked baggage. As we shook hands and prepared to go our separate ways, he introduced himself as "Kelley"...a name of true Irish decent he added. I had worried that I had talked his ear off on the flight and obligated him to talking about getting fit, etc. However, to my surprise, he relieved my worries without even knowing it as he thanked me for the conversation and the inspiration to "get busy with change" soon. As far as "making memories"...I definitely can say that a made a few this trip but the most fond memory will be remembering the opportunity to make a new friend.

This morning...I jumped on the scale just for giggles. I am currently down about 1 pound since last Friday so looks like I haven't lost all control thus far. Fingers crossed for a few more good days :) A little sleep deprived but holding strong. All of that with a side of peanuts and you have Monday and Tuesday in a nutshell.

Surviving the Challenge

Challenges have clouded this week from beginning to end and will continue to roll into next week like a storm. From lunch at PF Changs last Monday with my girls to dinner meetings last Wednesday (Stoney River) and Thursday (Chuy's), I can say that I managed them as best as I could without totally killing the caloric count given the calories I earned/burned with exercise. If I think of the calories that I ate on those eating out days, they probably totalled 2000-2300 per day. On the upside, I have logged 26.51 miles on the road since last Saturday with the total calories burn equalling 3005. I managed to make it to the curb Monday thru Friday this week with the exception of Wednesday.

Weigh Day Friday with the Secret Scale Society revealed not so great results on the old WW scale with the gals but the good news is that the Tanita scale was much nicer to me for the week of chaotic eating. For the blogging purpose, I plan to use the Tanita as the official...be it good, bad, or indifferent. For the Secret Scale Society...Angie and Danielle rocked it!

     My total weight loss this week: 1.2 pounds

    This week's (June 15th) weight= 192.4, Total body fat % 39.3, Total body water % 42.5

June 8th Last Friday's Weight: 193.6, (Fat % 39.9, H20 % 43.1)

The road less traveled...1st time to do 7 miles in Springfield

Saturday goes down in history as the best team building Saturday morning endurance training thus far. A couple of the Secret Scale Society members (Angie and Kellie) rode with me and David to The Springfield Greenway about 7am. We planned to knock out 6 miles but ended up making it more like 7.11 miles by the time we made it back around to the Jeep. As we started to make the last turn to the 5th Avenue hill, David tossed up the idea of walking a little further up Memorial Blvd. I have to giggle as I think back to the tone of conversation during that morning. When we started out, David and the girls were snickering that my walk was equivalent to their jog. By the end, the girls were growling under their breath at their "trainer". That trainer happened to be David by about the 5 1/2 mile mark :) He was as determined as I have ever seen him be...and I loved it! We had stayed on the greenway for the first 3 miles or so then took off down the back roads of Springfield and up thru town.

Not sure I wanted to share this one since David and I agreed that we have looked "less round" in other pics

I can't complain about the extra mileage since I knew I was paying my dues for all of the eating out this past week. All in all, this week has been busy but productive. I am a bit nervous about this next week. I will be out of town starting tomorrow mid-day until the following Sunday. Monday and Tuesday will be spent in San Francisco at a business venture with speaking to a group of case managers at the CMSA conference, and Thursday thru the following Sunday will be in Orlando at a work conference. I am already trying to calculate how I can eat right and fit in some exercise as I travel coast to coast. My action plan will be to keep all food in moderation and make it to the hotel gyms on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. My flight doesn't take off until 12:30pm tomorrow (Monday) so I can meet at the curb with my bestest 4:30 team for a last chance workout before I head to the airport.

Saturday's Totals...from steady to leisure walking

Last but not least...wanted to show the world that this gal can be as gross as the next blogger. Remember that I mentioned my toenails has served as a sacrifice during the 1/2 marathon back in April? Well, the biggest of the sacrifices decided to cut the rope and bail out. Alls I can say is YUCK! Guess this officially makes me a member of the "lost toenails" club. Those next 2 toenails are soon to be bailing out as well. Until they get tired of hanging on, I will keep them painted. But....this will definitely be a NO SANDALS SUMMER.

Who needs toenails?

Getting the Right Perspective

I am going to have to get better at staying on top of these posts...recapping last Friday and Saturday..sorry for the delay.

Last Friday morning started off with the routine 4:30am workout and weigh in (as mentioned in the last blog post) but continued to be an awesome day shared with my sweetie as we rode topless in the Jeep most all day. I had the day off from the real job, and David was scheduled to work all day but not in the usual fashion. We were set to participate in Convergint Day so we headed to his office by about 7am. Convergint Day is a day that is set aside by the company management on a day each year so individual offices across the country can commit to giving back to their community. David's manager chose for his group to volunteer at the Church of Christ Disaster Relief Center just outside of Nashville. The day seemed to go quickly as we labeled and constructed boxes then packed them with cans of Vienna Sausages. We took a lunch break  then wrapped up the day about 3:30pm. You might ask, "What does "WGIBTU?" stand for on our shirts?" It means...Whose Got It Better Than Us?  Just underneath it reads "Nobody". These are the T-Shirts that the company provided for the employees and their family members to wear on the designated day.

After we finished hanging out with the Convergint crew, we headed to pick up our race packets for the Hell or High Water 2012 race set for Saturday morning.

Saturday morning finally rolled around as we have been planning for a few weeks now. David and I awoke to the alarm as it sounded about 5am. Getting ready on Race Day never seems to get easier, because I always have a moderate level of anxiety despite trying to remain cool, calm, and collected. Really...why am I even the least bit nervous? With these races, I am not shooting to win them. I just want to support a good cause with a modest donation/entry fee (average $25) and finish the race in a decent time (which equates to at least the same or better time as the race prior). Oh, almost forgot to mention that the other important piece is getting that T-shirt that they promise you :) I have big plans for my race T-shirts once I get several more so I like to participate in the races that provide that little "carrot" for signing up.

I was able to set a new personal best for this 10K..Not because I was like a wild rabbit out there...more because it was my first 10K race. Before I share my results, I have to say that I had a major mind boggling revelation about 3 miles into the 6.25 that morning. As I thought about the reasons that I am working to lose weight and get fit, I came to realize that it is totally for ME and in my own time and my own fashion. Meaning...for the first time in my life, I have taken ownership of my problem with being obese and unfit and have made my own way in sorting it out. Before, I was always looking for that quick fix or that step-by-step hand holding that Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. provide. If I missed a week for weigh in, I would find reasons why it was ok to just skip another and then another until I was back on the carefree, binge eating again. Since October of 2010, I have been steadily figuring out what makes me truly happy and what I need in my life on a daily basis to feel fulfilled. As the months have passed, I have figured out that FOOD is necessary but is NOT necessarily what brings me the MOST happiness. The essential ingredient in my "happiness" recipe is the exercise. But...even more so...sharing these moments of activity with my friends and family. The morning routines with my friends help each day start with a positive twist no matter how tired I am. And..the races are just not the same unless I have my sweetheart or kids with me. Signing up for those challenges is only the first step in making me work hard in between race days.

Along this out and back course in Metro Center for this 10K, I saw those runners that were set to finish the race in a fraction of my time. As I faced them head on along the out and back route, I made eye contact and realized just how focused many of them were on the competition of the race. Very few of them even made eye contact much less smiled and cheered their fellow participants as they passed by. So...as I made it to the turn around (approx 3.4 miles into the course), I realized that finishing the race was important and being able to say I beat my last pace would have been really cool. But...the idea of crossing that finish line side by side with my sweetheart seemed freakin' awesome. Can you guess what happened next?  Yep, I found a nice shade tree about 4 1/2 miles into the course, trotted to a stop, and paused the timer on my watch. Yes, I stopped my watch dead in its tracks and stood in the shade in the middle of a race. Knowing that it was a timed race, I was aware that the "official" finish time would be what was reported as I crossed the finish line but I really didn't even care. David was about 3 people behind me....or about 7 minutes. The other two ladies that were following closely behind me looked quite puzzled as they passed by me just standing on the side of the road. One even asked, "Are you ok?"  I stood patiently and waited for him to come closer...one foot in front of the other steady as ever. I didn't expect what happened next! As he approached, he was quite angry with me for waiting up. He knew that I was shooting for a good finish time, and he was upset that I had waited behind for him. As he came jogging by me giving me "down the road", I restarted the Garmin timer again and continued on. My heart rate was still in the 130s despite resting for almost 7 minutes. I was hyped up to say the least :) Not to bore you with details, I'll just say that after about 30-45 seconds of him venting, I ran ahead of him by about 50 yards so that I didn't have to listen to him harp on why I shouldn't have waited up. :)  I crossed the finish line next to last at 1 hour 20 minutes (according to the Garmin). There were just under a 100 (92 to be exact) that participated in the 10K and the best time was 40 minutes (pace 6:31sec per mile). David crossed within a minute of my time. Personally, I figure finishing "almost" last is still not bad since my average pace was 12:55 per mile for my first 10K. You will be relieved to know that David and I started speaking again by the time we made it thru the banana and water station and back to the Jeep. :)



The moral to the story..."Never lose sight of what you hope to gain from the race. Personal success is not always gauged by who crosses the finish line first."

Next on the "race" list is the 1 year anniversary of our participation in 5Ks. We are registered for the YMCA Maryland Farms Firecracker 5K on July 4th. I will definitely run this race for my best time (no stops). In fact, I am shooting for running the entire 3.125 miles for the first time ever in under 40 minutes.

The Secret Scale Society

I apologize in advance for the length of this post...I feel like it has been forever since we have talked :)

Spending early Saturday mornings watching the sunrise and walking "the ribbon" is one of the most wholesome parts of my week. So...I did just that this past Saturday with my hubby and some of my favorite women on this earth. As we do many mornings, we all met out at the curb at 4:30am and set out on our journey thru the neighborhood. Now, I won't lie...the favorite women that I speak of would rather refer to "the ribbon" as about as much fun as a pap smear, mammogram, or root canal. It is quite an adventure. I like the endurance training of this course since you can really get your heart rate up without feeling nearly dead by the top of the hills. They would tell me, "Speak for yourself."

The builders and architects that designed this neighborhood about 7 years ago said that the side walks created a "ribbon-like" appearance throughout the subdivision. So, that's where we got the idea of "the ribbon". I hope you can visualize "the ribbon" as you imagine side walks on both sides of the streets pictured here. When I look at the picture, it looks more like a jumbled up piece of yarn..hahaha. Either way, it kicks butt with the nice hills and valleys for about 4.5 miles.

These last 2 weeks have slipped by ever so quickly. My usual day to day is quite busy but looking at the calendar from the past 2 weeks seems quite overwhelming in retrospect. Some days I wonder how I make it thru a month without forgetting the important things like taking a deep breath and enjoying the fresh morning air. Speaking of that...I need to admit a little something. I have NOT been making it to the gym daily or even at all in the last 2 weeks. Why?..you ask. Well, I have found a better place to be at 4:30am every Monday thru Friday and it's not in bed with my hubby and dog snuggled up tight.




Kelly, me, Angie, and Danielle...the beginning of the team

 

I have been fortunate enough to find other crazy people in my little town that are as short on extra time in the day for exercise and need the accountability much like I do. Our little group started with just 4 of us gals a week ago on Memorial Day and has blossomed to 7 of us by this AM (not even 2 weeks later). We have been "friends" for a few years thanks to 24 Church but never really gathered in the same group all together at the same time. This new found sisterhood is just what I needed to keep my workout interesting. Different paces with varied intervals of run/walk, longer legs and shorter strides, varying goal weights...but all headed in the direction of putting fitness back in our daily routine. Now, we have a couple of guys that have infiltrated our little group...one being my hubby and the other being Danielle's sweetheart, Tony. Neither of the guys are crazy enough to make it to the curb every morning at 4:30am but they are goal directed just the same.

In fact, Tony about killed me dead this past Monday. Being all new to running these silly intervals (as recommended by David..."the researcher"), I decided to step up the quantity of intervals rather than the increasing the interval time on Monday. I set my Garmin to 12 sets of 2:1...2 minute of jogging with 1 minute of walking..instead of 10 sets like last week. Shoes laced up and all ready to hit the curb, I opened the front door to find that Tony had tagged along with Danielle to test out our new found group. Rumor is that Tony doesn't run much...he usually just does strength training. Well, that rumor is a flat out LIE! We started out running in the road along the curb lining the side walk since the blacktop is a little more giving to the knees and hips. We finished those first 10 sets with the average feeling of being tired by the end and then the "kill me now" session began. Tony must have found that little cup of energy that he was holding on to and downed it in one big gulp because he started setting a new pace. A pace that made me feel like my lungs and heart were no longer working in sync. It was more like a boxing match between my heart, lungs, and legs. Long story short, I have met my challenge! Tony ROCKED my world. I will admit that the Wednesday following (yesterday to be more exact), intervals at my old pace seemed much easier overall.




Check out that heart rate...crazy up in the 180 bpm area.

 

So..just to set the record straight..I am doing MUCH better at getting to the curb by 4:30am EVERY AM for intervals on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and a brisk cross-training walk on Tuesdays and Thursdays rather than heading to the YMCA about 3 mornings a week. We are taking Saturday mornings to start at 7:00am and do some endurance training either on "the ribbon" or "The Greenway in Springfield" for about 5-6 miles. If this keeps up the way I intend, I will be able to save myself about $100 per month by dropping the YMCA membership for the summer and fall months. I will probably rejoin in December so that I don't freeze to death on those winter mornings before sunrise :)

So, I am super excited that my sweetheart put my 1/2 marathon stickers on my Xterra this week. I had 2 really cool stickers (a 13.1 and "I run for margaritas") that I totally screwed up when I tried to put them on by myself. Thankfully, he is much better at that sort of stuff than I am so he managed to get the backup 2 that I had bought in place with no trouble.  

  




Always Earned Never Given  and 13.1

 

Wrapping it up...last Friday was indeed Weigh Day Friday and I did it! 1/2 pound down...no complaints :)

                             May 25th Friday's Weight: 194.2, (Fat % 40.2, H20 % 42.9)

                                   June 8th Last Friday's Weight: 193.6, (Fat % 39.9, H20 % 43.1)

Tomorrow kicks off a new level of accountability for the 4:30am team. We are all wanting to lose weight...some fewer than others..but we all want to shed poundage. So, we are weighing in front of one another on Friday mornings before we head out to do intervals. Of course, they are not nuts enough to post it online in a blog so you won't get the full details of individual weight loss but I will be glad to share our grand total of blubber lost each week on my blog. Angie has renamed our team...

                                    "The Secret Scale Society"

Awesome! Have I mentioned how much I love these girls?! I will try to get my next post completed on Saturday with tomorrow's Friday Weigh Day and the results of the Hell or High Water 10K that David and I are set to do Saturday AM. Excited but nervous...