Got Focus?

This is getting out of hand. I suck at being a "good" blogger. Mostly because, I've lost focus. I orignally said I was going to use this as a fitness accountability site (for myself) and provide workout tips for others, but, it has since turned into a montage of personal, religous, work-related and over all "life" rants.

So I'm starting over. I'm creating a new blog.

I may keep this one up, for when I feel the need to vent personally about something that isn't necessarily appropriate to post on my new 'professional' blog. I say professional because I intend for it to be business/GIS/career oriented. I just hope I am inspired enough to keep up with it.

You may hear from me here again (assuming there are any of 'you' out there) - but until then, keep tabs of me over at my new home.

Don't Read This Post...Really, I Have Nothing To Say

Don't say I didn't warn you.

This post is going to be filled with boring ramblings about what I did, or didn't do over the last week.

I'm writing this soley for my own benefit of feeling accomplished for updating my blog.

Really, I have nothing interesting to say.

On that note, if you ignored my warnings and are still reading, here is what I did this week:

• Monday - Monday is my day off. It was a long time ago. All I really remember doing is going grocery shopping. Oh yeah. I also went for a kick-ass bike ride/run on the St. Mark's Trail. I did a 10mile bike, and a 2 mile run back to back. It took me 1hr and 8 minutes. The bike ride was 48 minutes, and the run was 20. Averaging a 10min mile running AFTER a long-ass bike ride is pretty good if you ask me. No. I have not yet signed up for the triathlon in September. Don't ask me what I'm waiting for because I'm really still in denial. Don't worrry. I'll get over it and eventually sign up.
• Tuesday - Tuesday was also a long time ago. I honestly can say, I don't remember doing much of anything other than editing churches in Nassau County (don't ask). Though, I did behave and go to the gym after work. I lifted upper body, and am still store in my chest & back to this day.
• Wednesday - Wednesday. Hump Day. Yes, I'm somewhat immature enough that the phrase "hump day" still makes me giggle. It was my first day in two and a half weeks where I didn't have a meeting scheduled. You'd think I'd be excited. On the contrary, it made for a very boring and unproductive day. I also bet you're expecting me to talk about my workout. Well, sorry to let you down, but I blew the gym/pool off on hump-day!
• Thursday - Here is where things get interesting. This is what I remember. Leadership meeting at work = fun. Girlfriend announcing her dissertation was accepted and will officially be a "Doctor" = extra fun. Going to chili's to celebrate said dissertation acceptance = super extra fun. Waking up at 3am to a husband who got sick off of Chili's = super extra NOT fun.
• Friday - TGIF Y'all! (BTW - I am anal with the spelling of y'all. Most people think I spell it wrong. I'll go into this some other time). Started the day off with a 3 hour meeting - yes, started. That means 8am - 11am. Especially not 3 cabernets deep. Had a pretty mild day until about 2pm. 2-4pm ended up turning my brain to mush and giving me a headache. However, boss's retirement party was at 5:30. The potential for red wine is what kept me going. And delicious tasting food. So, I had said red wine and said delicious tasting food. Came home, talked to BFF for about 2 hours. Phone died (her father in law called) - ended conversation. Now, I'm sitting, with my glass of cabernet, a PS3 widow, contemplating playing Sims 3 and enjoying some psuedo alone time.
• Saturday - Going to convince hubs to ride/run the St. Mark's Trail with me. Monday, there were some sketchy people. Now, don't get me wrong, I could probably easily kick their asses, but some things are just easier (and safer) with a boy present. :)
• Sunday - Church (hopefully) then I have a phone date with an old BFF from Colorado. We're going to discuss work related matters - which, I unfortunetly won't get paid for. But hey, that will make me a better person, right?

So, if you're bored, and or offended that I'm not as interseting as you had hoped. All I have to say is:

I told you so.

FYI: For those who actually read and keep up with my blog (which are few and far between) - my current goal has been going *mostly* well. I've only missed 3 days out of the last 10. That's 70% for you math folks. I know I need to start over, in which case, yesterday would have been day 1. Its going to be a long (but rewarding) process.

I Love 80s Music, But I Love the 21st Century More

Here is why:

You Can't Be a Disciple without Having Discipline

I amazed myself the other day. I finished a novel (non-Harry Potter at that!) in about 2 days. I didn't count the hours, but I bet if I added them all up it would maybe be less than 24. The last novel I read took me months. I really wasn't that excited about it.

Yesterday, I started a new novel. I will probably finish it before the month is out depending on how much I dedicate my time to it. Then, I started thinking about how I've neglected to read this other book I've been meaning to get into again lately.

A few days ago I came across a blog post on self-discipline. I say this like I just "happened" to find it. Actually, I read Penelope's blog pretty regularly. I highly recommend it if you are career-minded and can handle candid opinions. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, after reading it, my immediate thought was "I need to be more disciplined with my workouts, and this is how I will be self-disciplined again," because well, I have been somewhat of a slacker at late.

However, as the days rolled by, I kept having a nudging feeling (especially while I was enjoying my quite time alone with my novels), that I need to be more self-disciplined about something else that I have cast aside. When I googled the word "disipline" not surprisingly the wikipedia entry came up. So I read it. It led me to another word: disciple

Now, I took enough years of Latin in high school to remember that discipulus means "student." So I started thinking, "Am I really a student of God?" Sure, I believe in God, belive Christ died for our sins, yadda yadda yadda. But, do I really study him? My answer would honeslty have to be no. I probably used to. In college. Back when I was single, took 12 credits of classes, and didn't have any money. I had all the time in the world to devote to studying God (because, seriously, who went to class really). But, as I get older (and thus more "responsible") I seem to have let this aspect of my life slip.

But recently I have been feeling the pull to get back into it. So I need to take action. I need to make time to study God. Afterall, I obviously have time to spend an hour in the gym everyday and an hour or two reading for fun every night (and time to write this blog!), so therefore, I have PLENTY of time to study Him. My problem, actually doing it!

My new goal: spend 30 mintues every day studying God. For a month straight. If I miss a day, I start over! (Just like in high school swim practice "If you miss the interval, the whole team starts the set over!")

As a motivator (you'd think my salvation and relationship with God would be enough) will be to treat myself to a new Bible. My old one was given to me by an ex-boyfriend from college (I contemplated naming him), and still has my maiden name on it. It has tons and tons of writing in the margins (despite the fact my ex told me specifically NOT to write in it), passages underlined, and pictures taped to it. Full of memories. I will never throw it away, but merely archive it, and, when inspired, revisit to see who I was between the years of 2001 and 2009.

Today will be day 1. I think I shall retreat to the porch and indulge myself.

Halfway to 2010

Since I did a 1st quarter review of my "Resolutions", I thought I might as well do a 2nd quarter review as well. Helps keep me accountable (or at least that's what I tell myself).

Here it goes:

1. Finish my Master's - Graduated May 2, 2009.
2. Improve my 5K time and finish under 30 minutes (and then some) - My current PR is 28:35. You can verify here.
3. Travel outside of the US - I made it to New Orleans and to Orlando. Do these count?
4. Get back to my "Pre-Florida" weight - Still staying stagnat - I should change this goal, because, why the number on the scale is above where I used to be, the number on the tag in my jeans has decreased. Therefore, I consider my progress thus far successful.
5. Prove to the world that 30 is the new 20 - I'm trying to remember what the heck I was even doing at 20. I'm going to guess gallavanting around Ellis Hall chasing boys. All I know, is that, I am definitely smarter than I was at 20, and, I make more money too. I also think I'm in better shape despite the fact I was swimming 20hrs a week back then.
6. Become more well-read - In the last week I finished 2 novels. On The Road by Jack Kerouac (which, I loated every second of), and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (which, I obviously loved because I finished it in a weekend). A few girlfriends and I have decided to start a book club. We're open to recommendations for our first book.
7. Spend more time in my music - I can honestly say I've only opened my violin case once, maybe twice since the last update. Also, I'm not sure I've sat down at my keyboard in weeks either. Not doing so hot anymore.
8. Get ahead in my career - I am in an interesting situation here. I've had an epiphany about my current position since March. All I can say, is that I'm having more positive experiences lately. I'm going to guess that there is some divine reason for this, and therefore am going to go with the flow for now.
9. Participate in a triathlon - I'm being a wuss on this one. I can't seem to consciously commit to this. I want to do it, I really do. September 12 is still on my calendar. And, I've been training (kinda). But, I haven't actually signed up to compete. I think part of it is because I know I'll be flying solo. All the past races I've completed I've done with a buddy. I'm slightly nervous to do one alone. Steve will come watch and support me no doubt, but, I like knowing someone actually in the race. But, really. I need to sign up. That will be my goal for July.

Things I think I already knew but needed to hear

Last week, I had lunch with one of the managers where I work. I've been somewhat intrigued by this person since I started my current job. I'll admit though, that not all of my past opinions of this individual have been positive. I was subjected to a myriad of negative gossip upon the start of my current position, and much of it invloved this person.

However, over the past year or so, I've started watching this person (ok, sounds slightly stalker-ish, but not what I mean). I wanted to see if I could figure out how he "finagled" his way into his current position. Interestingly enough, he is not the manipulative sycophant many people describe him as (or wish he was). He really is just a charming, yet humble, individual who seems to have a great knack for comprehending and establishing working interpersonal relationships with great business-sense. I believe this skill (which I'm really hoping I can learn from him) really helped drive how he got to where he is today.

So, I asked him if we could do lunch. I wanted to pick his brain and get some advice. I learned four tidbits of wisdom that will help me get ahead in my career:

1. Surround yourself with good people. And, surround yourself with the right people. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of shoulder rubbing if it will help you get to where you need to be. You must market yourself and been seen if you want to get ahead. But don't just rub shoulders with anyone. Don't waste time with negative people, even if they are bigwigs. Their negativity could rub off on you, making you less likeable to those who can have an impact on your career.

2. Look for opportunities (projects) that will have a big impact. This can directly relate to #1. If people don't know you, they most likely won't think of you when they need something done. However, if you see a need, then jump on the opportunity to be involved. Don't wait for someone to ask you to do it.

3. Be good at what you do. This falls right in line with the first two. If you aren't good at what you do, your projects won't be successful. People will remember the lack of results, not that you "did your best". Spend the time to learn how to be the best at what you do now.

4. Get supervisory experience**. This will come with time. No one gets to be a manager right away. But, the sooner, the better (I'm guessing). This is one thing I currently lack in my career. I haven't had any opportunities to supervise. I have however, had plenty of project management experieince, in which, I did have to directly work with others and manage their work. Not quite like being a supervisor, but, still holding myself accountable for others' results.

So after all this, he suggested we meet again in a month. I had yet had any time to absorb anything he said. I wasn't even sure I had paid enough attention to what was being said since I felt nervous and out of my comfort zone the entire time. So much so I don't remember eating anything - but I'm pretty sure I downed three big glasses of water. But, apparently it sank in as I wrote this entire post on it. I agreed to a second lunch, but I think I sounded somewhat hesitant about it. Like I said, I hadn't really figured out if I got anythign out of it until later. So, I will reconfim this week, and go ahead and schedule it now so I can make it a priority.

I may just have a mentor here....something that has been absent from my professional career since leaving NCS. I'm looking forward to learning more, and I have a ton of stuff that I want to ask now. Next time, I won't be so nervous - hopefully, and, I might actually eat something.

**Between you and me, I hope #4 is in my very near future. My boss retires at the end of this month, and, I've applied for his job. I'm really going to have to turn my charm on over the next few weeks.

The Big Easy

Early yesterday evening we got back from New Orleans, LA. It was more fun than I remembered it to be, and just as beautiful as every. Vieux Carre is truley one of the places that everyone from the U.S. must visit at least once. It is filled with so much beauty, history, ghostly encounters, and just plain fun. Even the famous VooDoo Queen Marie Laveau has a beautiful tomb. Extremely creepy? Sure. I felt like I might be cursed just by taking photos of it, but, it was too beautiful to forget.

It saddened me that the city doesn't take better care of their historic cemeteries. Ok, I realize, they are flat broke and then some due to Katrina. But, the dilapidated tombs made me feel sorry for the people who rest inside of them. Did they realize that after hundreds of years of being laid to rest that the world would soon forget and not care about their lives? I guess however, the fact that these tombs still exist at all is a miracle. Another creepy thought would be if a hurricane DID take out these cemeteries and dead bodies and skeletal remains ended up floating around the French Quarter. The city would for sure be cursed, if it's not already.

On a lighter note, the food was just as fantastic as I remembered it. Cajun hot sausage, jambalaya for breakfast, red beans and rice w/ andoulle sausage...makes me hungry just to think about it. Too bad I ate way more than my share of food. At least the majority of it was fresh food versus fast food. Although, I ate more than my fair share of fast food as well. And, can I just say, I think my body is rejecting fast food in its old age. I cannot stomach it, and haven't been able to for about a year, no matter where it is or what I get. Its guaranteed that within an hour of consuming that devilish food I get a wrenching stomach ache that makes me wish I could be a temporary bullimic. Yet, I don't seem to have learned my lesson, as I just had McDonald's for lunch today. And, yes, my stomach felt like crap until about 4pm today. I really just need to lay off the juice!

So, I think I will have a new goal of avoiding fast food whenever possible. I don't eat it all that much. I'm no junkie. But I do have a hard time denying myself when we're on the move and my stomach feels like it's about to implode if I don't give it food. Get a salad you say? Well, I'll admit that while most fast food joints have come a long way in attempting to offer healthier alternatives, not all fast food salads are created equal. Generally, you end up with a brown, wilty, almost moldy bowl of iceburg lettuce with two tomatoes and sliced carrots. I'd rather take my chances with the tasty burger and fries thank you!

We'll see how it goes I guess.

What's up D.O.C.?

I didn't make it to the pool today. Right around 5pm, I got a raging headache. It came out of nowhere. I drank plenty of water today as well - I had about 2.5 liters. Dehydration is no excuse. So I used my headache as an excuse to go home and pour myself a glass of cabernet.

I've had a good week. In fact, I've had a great week. Not something you'd expect from someone who worked on their day off. My week is only going to get better. We're leaving for New Orleans tomorrow. I leave work at noon. I will get to see my mom, her hubs, and my brother, Drake. I have not seen Drake since our family reunion in 2007. He lives in Japan, and, I'm pretty sure he's never coming home.

I hated Drake as a kid. He annoyed the crap out of me. Always in my way, following me around, trying to get me in trouble. Typical boy. Not to mention, since he was "the youngest" he got away with EVERYTHING. When I got in trouble, I had to stand in the corner with my nose touching the wall. My mom would even come check. When he "stood" in the corner, he was allowed about a 4 foot radius in which he could fart around. And, if a cat came walking by, well, watch out. "Time out" turned into "Cat Torture Time."

I always had to baby sit him, and, while I liked being "responsible" I secretly wished they would take my brother with them. One time, he threw my mom's sewing scissors at me. He was 4, I was 11. I was livid. As livid as a 5th grader could be anyway. I remember wanting to hurl those scissors back SO hard!

We never really connected until we were "adults" - and the Vancouver trip was pretty much our first "adult" encounter with each other. He was 20 in the summer of 2007. Its weird to think he'll be 23 this year. I met Steve when I was 23. Seems like such a short time ago I was still living behind Woody's off Laurel in Fort Collins.

23.

When I was 23, I was certain I would be married and have 2.3 children by the time I was 26. I didn't get married until I was 26. I still haven't had any children. I'm 30.

Reminscing about my early 20s makes me miss my Colorado friends dearly. I'm reminded about Poudre Canyon and going sunbathing on a rock over the Poudre River. Remembering the sunrise hike up Greyrock we took to only spend over half our day getting lost hiking down (Ange & Molls, I still remember Psalm 24) . Praise God for those days.

I could use some of those days. I recently reconnected with one of my CO friends, she's living in the UK. Its amazing how much changes in such a short time. I can only imagine what my brother will be doing when he turns 30. Maybe by then, I'll have my 2.3 kids.

I have a lot to be thankful for and I often forget it. I am bad about taking the every day things for granted. I remember I did an exercise once where I was supposed to write down EVERYTHING I was thankful for. I got bored and stopped after 2 journal pages. I got the idea.

So, thanks be to God for my brother (Drake Oscar Crane, USN), and for my husband, and for my kitties, and the rest of my (our) family and friends. And for my job, and our house, and for the freedom to be able to have a house and a job. I'll stop there, lest I bore you with the myriad of "thanks" I need to give. :)

Never Been a Fan of Lobster

I feel the direction of this blog might take a turn. I know I am supposed to be using it as a psuedo-workout log. But you know what, I can't make that kind of committment. I need the freedom to write about whatever I want - which, I pretty much do anyway.

So - quick workout update:
Monday: Biking (20min), Running (15min)
Tuesday: Legs/abs (lunch)
Wednesday: Swimming (45min)
Thursday: Upper body (lunch)
Friday: none
Saturday: Hauling beach gear back & forth in the sand in 99 degree weather.

our umbrella village

Yes, I said BEACH!!! Best beach day of the season (so far). I love going to the Cape (that's Florida-speak for "Cape San Blas" to all you non-locals). Slightly upset we didn't pick up some live shrimp. No bait fish in the entire ocean.....excluding the mini dead mullet I "caught" in my cast night. I was unable to catch my dinner. Sad, sad day.
I did see a giant sting ray which was pretty sweet. No, I did not catch that in the cast net thankfully!

boys on the MEGASTATION aka "U.S.S. Sofina"

Oh, and did I mention I got sunburned? It looks like I have a white bathing suit on when I'm naked. No joke. I am usually OCD about sunscreen, but, I think with the grossly hot temperatures compelling me to hang out in the water (and sweat off my sunscreen) highly contributed to my lobster-esque color. Oddly enough, my face and arms are sunburn free. Can't say the same about my legs, back, stomach or chest.

me in my new beach hat - $2.50 at Target!

Does this mean tomorrow I'll be tan? Wait - I'm Irish. I don't tan. Skin cancer here I come!

Ah well - the day was a success. I'm going to conclude the evening with a glass of Shiraz and Episode 10 of Harper's Island.

Tomorrow's Goals: Church, Mow Lawn, Clean House, Get Groceries

Next Weekend's Adventure: New Orleans!! I'll be seeing my brother for the first time since Vancouver (2007). Radical!

Where O' Where Have I Been?

Feel free to point out that I've neglected my blog over the last month or so. Since I generally use this as a tool to keep myself accountable for my workouts you can pretty much guess I haven't really been working out. I've been swimming a little, but not consistently. This is about to change.

I figure, what better way to get back into blogging than to review my New Year's Resolutions?

1. Finish my Master's - I FINISHED and have officially been awarded my degree!!
2. Improve my 5K time and finish under 30 minutes (and then some) DONE!
3. Travel outside of the US - really not sure if this will happen this year. One HUGE obstacle being that Steve gets next to nothing for vacation. There are still very tentative plans for a cruise the week of Labor Day, but, not sure we can swing it.
4. Get back to my "Pre-Florida" weight - I'm pretty stagnant in this currently. I mentioned my workouts have been sporadic at best. Really need to get on goal #9 to help out with this.
5. Prove to the world (or at least my friends) that 30 is the new 20 - So, I had an ok b-day. I turned 30 gracefully (I hope), and I know I'm probably healthier than the average 30 year old. But for some reason, I seem to LOOK older than I remember...no fair! But I guess I can cross this off. :)
6. Become more well-read - Still working on this - Currently reading Jack Kerouac's On The Road. Been reading it for several weeks and should be finished by now - been distracted by The Sims 3 ;)
7. Spend more time in my music - been slacking here as well. However, sounds like quintet will start back up next Wednesday. Better dust off the old violin.
8. Get ahead in my career - since graduating, I've updated my resume and managed to toss it around at a few places. I'm also working on utilizing LinkedIn a little more. Even though I've read that the average user is in their 40s, I still think it has a lot of good information and resources. Leveraging social media is something I've been working on lately.
9. Participate in a triathlon - I've been swimming, I've been running, and I've been biking. But, I've been pretty chicken about actually comitting to this whole triathlon thing. There is one in August. I need to bite the bullet and actually register. That will get my butt moving!

First Lunch Workout

Cardio: 45min Swim - 500cals

Weights: Upper Body - Endurance (3x20 reps)

 

Food: Breakfast - Total Cinnamon Crunch (190) w/ 1/4 cup skim (23) - 213

         Lunch - Bumblebee Sundried Tomato & Basil Tuna (110) w/ 5 Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers (70) - 180

         Snack - Fiber One Vanilla Yogurt - 80

         Snack - Fiber One Strawberry w/ Almonds granola bar - 140

Total Food: 613 no dinner plans yet - still debating

 

 

I made it to the gym over lunch today.  It was a VERY speedy workout - but, it was a good endurance strength workout.  I did my exercises as if they were compound sets.  Basically, I did 1 set 20 reps of chest press, then straight into 20 reps of curls - then back to chest, until I finished 3 sets of each.  Then, I took a small break - then went into bent over rows & lat raises.  I did this because it REALLY saves a ton of time vs. resting between each set and between each exercise.  It also gives you a slight cardio-like boost which is good.  I probably should have mixed some abs in there, and I think I will next time.

 

And, my goal is to still hit the pool after work today.  I haven't been at 5:30 before, and I know there is a water aerobics class - so hopefully they don't close too many lanes for it.  I guess I'll find out. If it sucks, I'll have to find another way to get some swimming in.  Maybe take a longer lunch once or twice a week.  We'll see.

 

As for dinner - I'm going to decide what to make once I get home.  I'm not sure what time I will end up getting home.  I'm planning on 6:30ish I guess.  So, depending on my energy level, we'll either do meatloaf or goulash.  Exciting I know.

 

Anyway, I need to try to get motivated to work some more.  I'm stuck trying to build a tracking database.  Fun!  Only 5 hours left!

 

Call me Master!

All I can say, is that it will be great to get into a regular routine again.  Granted, while in school, I was in a routine, and while it was the same from week to week, it was far from regular.  I like being able to go into work and leave at the same time everyday.  I like not having to juggle wether or not to go to the gym or the grocery store because I had to work later into the evening because I had to go to class.  I like not having to come home and work on homework instead of doing something more fun, like tend to my garden, do home improvements, or just be lazy and play video games or watch TV.  Its going to be nice.

 

I started my 4-day work week this week.  I have Mondays off.  Although, for every Monday between now and July I will need to work at least 5 hours.  We have two vacations coming up.  One at the end of May into early June, and one at the end of June.  I will need 70 hours of leave for these two vacations combined.  I have 25 right now, and will only earn another 16-20hrs between now and then (not all at once either).  But, I can handle 45 hour weeks.  I technically did more than that while in school.  Just, not all of it was work-related.  And, knowing I can do those 5 hours during any time on Mondays is also nice.  So, if I'm feeling motivated, I'll go in at 7am.  If not, I'll go in at 10.  I like having that option.

 

As far as the triathlon goes, the July 4th Freedom Springs Tri is going to be a bust.  July 5th is Steve's birthday.  He wants to make a trip to Orlando to go to Universal Studios for the weekend, since we get the 3rd off, and I get Monday the 6th off.  We have family down there as well who are our age to hang out with (cousins).  So, I need to start looking for other tri's in the area (decently driveable) to train for.  This is probably better anyway since, I really didn't have any time to trian the last few weeks with finals, graduation, and family coming into town.  I'm hoping to get on the boat this week or next.  I've been swimming lately, which is nice.  Especially in the summer in Florida.  And, while its great, and I love being able to do it - I can't help but still feel some of the negative feelings I used to get in college & HS. 

 

Butterfly day????  UGH!!!!  Distance Day???  We'll never finish 7500yds before its time to leave for school!!! 

 

Its nice to know, that if I miss an interval, I won't be required to start a set over.  Or have lounge chairs thrown in the pool at me for farting around.  And, if I don't want to do butterfly or breaststroke, well, by golly I don't have to!  And I won't feel bad about it either!!!

 

Surprisingly, I'm not as slow as I thought I would be either.  I did some 50 free's on the :45 and made them ok.  Did some 100s on the 1:45 and made them pretty easily.  My only problem is, getting enough yardage in.  I've been swimming about 45min and getting about 2500yds in.  Its really weird to think, that, 45min is a lot of cardio.  And, when I run or bike, I don't do much more than 45-60min at a time.  But, 2500yds in the water seems so short!  Probably because i'm used to doing anywhere from 3500-7500yds in any given practice.  I mean, some of our practices would be over 2 hours long depending.  That's a LONG time to be working out.  I think an hour is good.  I'd like to average 3500+ yards in an hour. 

 

My first day back in the pool, I did 2000 yards.  I told Steve my warm up was 800 yards.  It was the standard warm up I did while in OK: 200 Swim, 200 Kick, 200 Pull, 200 IM. He said "It takes you 800 yards to warm up?  When you're only swimming for 45min?"  I thought about it.  Yes, it seemed odd.  But, my body needed it. 

 

I need to do more sprints, and more distance.  I haven't done any sets that require anything over 200.  Which, I did 200s (free) on the 3 minutes.  I made all 4 of them.  Funny to think I used to swim a 200 backstroke in 2:12. 

 

It feels weird saying the swimming portion of the triathlon will be the easiest.  But, really - 400 yards, when I do 800 yards for a 'warmup' on any given day, should be a piece of cake.

Tumbalalaika

Training for: Freedom Springs Triathlon

maybe - just found out the pool near my house is finally reopening. I think I need more time to train since this is my first tri - looking for one in the early fall.

Cardio: 0 today (yesterday I did a quick 2 miles)

Weights: 3x(upper body 4x20, abs 4x20, lower body 4x20) alternating exercises for each of the 3 sets

Food: Breakfast - Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - San Miguel's (B-day lunch today courtesy of the coworkers)

Dinner - Steak with steamed veggies, soba noodles, and ginger sauce (find it here)

Self Confidence: 9

So - another thing to cross off my Resolutions list - #5 - I'm 30 - and I feel pretty good. Although, the reality that I'm a real adult is starting to sink in. And while society says you become an adult at 18, I don't think I really acted like a real adult until around...oh.....age 25 if I'm lucky.

A little over two weeks until graduation. That means less than two weeks to finish my remote sensing project, which, I am having issues with by the way. Thanks for asking. Due to my self denial of taking the class, more or less actually having to do assignments for it, I have backed myself into a corner, pretty much becoming the epitome of procrastination. I actually entertained the thoughts about what would happen if I just decided to blow off the whole project. That lasted a day or three, and well, here I am. Running some crap analysis that is taking forever hoping that I can get a decent enough result to fudge a report with. Lucky for me, I have somehow 'wowed' my teacher with my profound GIS abilities and have found favor in his eyes. I have unintentionally turned into "teacher's pet" with pretty much zero one-on-one face time. As bad as it sounds, I hope this works to my advantage when I turn in my project (if I turn it in......only kidding!).

Because of this project and other random stuff, I have been in a sporadic workout routine. (I just laughed at myself for using 'sporadic' and 'routine' in the same sentence) I've been averaging 2-3 days a week...max. Which, is ok I guess. I'll be running another 5K on Saturday. I don't anticipate a record performance by any means, but it would be nice to stay under that 30min mark.

On a side note - I've been playing a decent amount of piano lately. Well, keyboard if you want to get specific, since, I don't own a piano. I've self-graduated to "Level 2" and one of my favorite songs is the second in the book. You can watch a gal play it here - and, only those of you learning the song, or who know the song, would know where she screws up. I must say, her mistakes are better than mine, since, she is able to keep tempo and plow through them. I haven't gotten to that phase yet, when I screw up, I pretty much have to stop, and restart a measure or two before. But hey, I'm still learning. Either way, its one of the few songs in these cheesy beginner piano books I actually enjoy. If I were to give one critique for her (which, would satisfy my friend's resistance to middle school musical style) is that she pay attention to her dynamics! There are clearly two parts that require a dramatic crescendo, which we do not hear. I am working hard on incorporating those into my practice, and hope that this makes you proud Jenn!

Good News for Me

I mentioned that I was quietly excited to go off BCP because of the sheer fact that I might loose weight.  Well, here is some more good news about being off "hormone therapy!"

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30266121/

Uninspired

Its been weeks since I've posted.  I haven't been motivated.  I'm not even motivated to follow the 'format' I had set up originally.  It would be pointless as I have made zero progress on anything lately anyway.

 

But, I will tell you the following:

 

• I haven't been to the gym since last Tuesday
• I've eaten a slice of cheesecake and have had one brownie every day since Sunday
• I'm exhausted from working 12 hour shifts and from working last Saturday (which I volunteered to do)
• My brain hurts from thinking about a project that is due in 2 weeks
• I turn 30 in 4 days

 

Despite all this, I was down to 144lbs on Sunday.  Going to go to the gym today to hopefully prevent me from gaining weight this week.

 

I apologize I have nothing exciting to add to this crappy post.  Hopefully I can get back into a routine soon enough.

 

1st Quarter Review

Since today marks the end of the 1st Quarter of the New Year, I thought I would take some time to review the resolutions I made:

 

1.      Finish my Master's - Still on track to graduate, May 2nd, 2009.

2.      Improve my 5K time and finish under 30 minutes (and then some) - This can officially be crossed off.  My split at the 10K was 29:14.  Prior to this, my 5K time right around 31:00.  I have all confidence that it will continue to get faster as well.

3.      Travel outside of the US - still working on this. Currently planning a cruise the week of Labor Day.  It's only to Mexico, but, it's a vacation out of the country.  Not as exotic as I had hoped, but, should be fun nonetheless.

4.      Get back to my "Pre-Florida" weight - This has been slow going.  I dropped a total of 6lbs so far this year.  But, I put 3 back on the past weekend (damn those fresh fried sweet potato chips from Springtime Tallahassee).  But, I'm hoping to get back on track and then some this week.  I was already a pound lighter (of those three) today.

5.      Prove to the world (or at least my friends) that 30 is the new 20 - I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a "Birthday Weekend" this year.  My b-day falls on a Sunday.  People don't come to parties on Sundays.  So, I'm thinking, let's go dancing on Friday night, then, maybe dinner and some cocktails on Saturday night so when midnight hits I can officially celebrate.  My BFF is looking into coming into town with her hubby, so that should make for a fun weekend.

6.      Become more well-read - Slowly but surely this is coming along.  I just finished The Mummy by Anne Rice.  I'm currently reading On The Road by Jack Kerouac.  I'd like to get to some of the books on my bookshelf I've started but never finished.  Including Don Quixote, and The Decameron. 

7.      Spend more time in my music - I've been doing pretty well on this.  In fact, recently music has been one of my distractions from doing my work for school.  Annoyingly enough, I'm not learning piano fast enough to my liking.  I want to wake up and be a pro already.  Believe it or not, its frustrating transitioning instruments, especially when the music appears really easy to my eyes, but my fingers can't seem to make it work.  I might start taking piano lessons.  But, I also really want to find a community orchestra to play in as well.  I can do it all, right?

8.       Get ahead in my career (kind of goes along with goal #1) - I have applied to a few federal jobs in the DC area (feds seem to be the only one hiring).  I need to start networking more with individuals in the private sector of GIS here in Tallahassee.  I hate the public sector here (i.e. State of Florida).  You can't get promoted unless someone in the higher position retires or dies.  However, the public sector isn't hiring much since they are mostly contractors for the State of Florida, and if you haven't heard, we're in a budget crisis.  What fun. 

9.      Participate in a triathlon - I currently plan to participate in the Freedom Springs Triathlon on July 4, 2009.  I have no idea what to expect.  I think I'm going to go watch the Red Hills Triathlon this weekend.  I specifically want to focus on how to do the "transitions" - i.e. water to bike, bike to running.  I'll probably just wear my running shoes to bike in and end up wearing my swim suit for the whole thing.  I don't have those fancy clip on pedals like some people do - not to mention, I have a mountain bike anyway, not a road bike.  I won't be breaking any records, but, I'd like to finish in a decent time.  I'm semi nervous, and I wish there was a sprint triathlon later in the year so I can give myself more time to train for it.  I might still look into this.  But, I should just suck it up and go for it.

 

Well, there you have it.  Q1 in review.  So far, I'm pretty happy with my progress.  Hopefully, once school ends, I can start focusing on 6 and 7 more.  I really need work on 8, and I feel that will be a year long process.  But, it will be good for me.

ANTM Season 13 here I come!

Training for: Freedom Springs Triathlon

Cardio: 2 miles - walking on breaks - 165

Weights: 3x(upper body 4x20, abs 4x20, lower body 4x20) alternating exercises for each of the 3 sets.

Food: Breakfast - Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - Leftover Pizza - 1 million

Dinner - I need to go shopping - maybe grilled chicken salad.

Self Confidence: 6 (i'm mostly feeling indifferent today)

 

So, I think I'm going to run another 5K in April.  But, not specifically going to train for it.  Its going to be more for fun, and, I hope I set a new PR - which I think I will since I set a PR halfway through a 10K.  Plus its on a course I know very well, Tom Brown Park.  A friend of mine is a member of the Junior League of Tallahassee and they're hosting it.  Plus, as most races are, its for a good cause.

 

Beach season is coming upon us.  I really want to be in bikini shape ASAP.  I hope this new lifting program I'm trying will help with that.  That also means its time to start shopping for a new suit.  I hate bikini shopping, but, not for the reasons that most women hate it for.  For me, I enjoy getting to try on a bunch of different suits.  I pretty much know that 75% of them will look horrible on me, but, its fun to try them anyway, just for that 25% chance that one I think will look terrible, will look fantastic.  You never know.  Like with most clothes, they usually look terrible on the hanger, you really need to put them on to know whether or not you're going to like them.  What I hate is the fact that they cost so much friggin money.  And, then, even after you drop $80 on a suit, they fall apart or get sunbleached after a year.  I have yet to find a suit that holds up over the years.  I usually get 2 seasons out of a suit, which, in my opinion, is not long enough for less than a yard of $80 fabric.

 

Speaking of shopping, I also need new work clothes.  Luckily, my birthday is coming up.  Every year my mom always gets me some clothes, which is great.  But, my main problem lies in finding good quality work pants.  I have LLS - long-leg syndrome.  Now, many of you may not think this is a problem, and say "Man!  I wish I was tall and had long legs like yours!" No, really.  You don't.  Now, I LOVE being tall, in fact, I'm pretty much obsessed with it, and in fact, I'm not even that tall - only 5'7".  In fact, according to America's Next Top Model, 5'7" is short.  But, it is quite impossible to find pants to fit me.  You see, my inseam is longer than my 6'1" husband's inseam.  I need at least a 34" inseam.  And that's if I'm wearing flats.  If I want heels, I gotta bump that up to 36". 

 

Guess what.  Tallahassee shopping sucks.  Even places that carry "long" pants are a joke.  For instance, Express.  I love Express, but their "long" inseam is 33".  Yeah, not going to cut it - especially after they get washed once.  I'll look like Huckleberry Finn and people will start screaming "Where's the flood?!?"  Even stores that generally carry long sizes, such as Gap, Banana Republic, etc, rarely have them in our ant-sized stores.  Apparently there are no tall women in Tallahassee. 

 

Shop online you say?  Ok.  Good idea.  However, do you know what a pain it is to buy, and then return things from online if they don't fit?  A few years ago I went through approximately 6 pairs of Lucky jeans (and eventually returned them all), and several pairs of J.Crew pants.  You see, the length isn't the only problem.  How do I know what size I need if I can't try them on first?  Size charts are a joke.  Not to mention, those Lucky jeans cost me an extra $40 in "restocking fees" - never again will I shop with them online.  Even if I do find a pair that fit one year, styles inevitably vary from season to season. 

 

My coworker complains about having the "same, yet opposite" problem.  She requires 30" inseams.  I tell her to go to a tailor.  She says that it costs too much.  If only I had the luxury.

 

So, my game plan is - go to the stores we do have in Tally, and try on different styles of current styles.  Then, write down what style and size fit me.  Then, go online, and pray that they come in long and hope they still fit the same when I order them.  Wish me luck.

 

 

 

 

 

Starting Anew

Training for: Freedom Springs Triathlon

Cardio: 0 (yesterday I burned 762 calories during the race)
Weights: 0
(it's Sunday, and I just finished a race. I'm resting)

Food: Breakfast - Cheese Toast (370)
Lunch - TGI Friday's (too many I'm sure)
Dinner - I have no idea

Self Confidence: 8-9

So. I did it. I ran a 10K. Me...someone who used to always get out of running during cross-training for swimming. Someone who, just a few years ago could barely run for 10 minutes without stopping. And, I did it in under an hour. I finished with a time of 59:23. Don't believe me? See for yourself. I was bib number 418.

I passed the halfway point at 29:14. This is a personal best for a 5K time as well. I can officially cross off one of my goals for the new year.

I didn't get a chance to make my ideal playlist, which would include Beethoven's 9th 2nd movement as my last song so I could be extra pumped while crossing the finish line. That would have been so cool. Instead I was too lazy to time all this stuff out so I put my Aphrodite album on repeat for the whole hour, which seemed to do the trick. And, actually, it never had to repeat. I crossed before it finished.

Maybe one day I'll be as fast as my friend Katie. She finished in 47:47, and the last 5K she did was under 24 minutes. Really though, who am I kidding. I'll never be that fast. But you know what? I can take her in the water any day.

So the 10K is over, and is classified as a success. Time to move forward into the wonderful world of triathlon training. Which, I have no idea how to do. I can swim. I can bike. I just proved I can run. Now, can I do all three?

I found a recommended training plan/schedule. And, its pretty intense. I'll attempt to follow it. We'll see how it goes. I'm still waiting for the friggin pool at Myer's Park to open. They are now claiming April as the open date. We'll see. If I want to follow this 12 week schedule, then my start date would be on Easter.

In the mean time, I'm going to back off for a little while - in some sense anyway. I will still aim to hit the gym 5 days a week, but, I don't plan to run quite as much. My knees and hip need time to recover, so I'll be mixing up the cardio a little. Probably start biking to work again 2-3 times a week. Maybe do some mountain biking through Tom Brown as well.

Also going to mix up my weight lifting routine. I'm going to entertain myself with some circuit training. Specifically, one I found at bodybuilding.com. Oddly enough, its a pretty intesnse circuit - so, while I'll be backing off on cardio, I'll make up for that by doing circuits. Its a workout that some guy wrote for Jessica Simpson - hypothetically. Kind of funny, but, I actually liked what he had to say and am interested in trying it out.

Actually, I bet this workout will kick my butt, and, I bet after a day or two I quit following it. I have a hard time following things like these.....but, hopefully I can do it for ONE week? So, that is my goal this week. Follow this dude's faux celebrity workout. I'll let you know how it goes.

Who would have thought.

Training For: Springtime Tallahassee 10K

 

Cardio: Myer's Park Run (undecided on length) - 4 to 6 miles

Weights: 0

Total Calories:

 

Food:  Breakfast - Quaker Take Heart Blueberry Oatmeal - 160

          Lunch - Jimmy John's Beach Club (on whole grain bread, no mayo) - 610

          Dinner - Tuna and Soba Noodles - 240+100+sauce??

  Total Food: 1110 +sauce/seasonings

 

Self Confidence: 7

 

I'm getting nervous about running the 10K - mainly because, my hip is still sore from last Tuesday, and, I have to put more miles on my new shoes between now and Saturday.  But, I also don't want to run too much this week since I do have to run 6.2 miles this weekend.  But, I'm also excited at the same time. 

 

Never in my life have I considered myself a runner.  I am a water baby.  I'm pretty sure I was conceived by water.  We used to run as cross training for swimming, and, I used to put myself at the back of the line and walk at every opportunity.  I could barely run 10 minutes in HS.  I do remember my fastest mile time was a 7:46.  The only reason I finished so fast was because I just wanted it to be over with.  The track coach was my English teacher - she tried to recruit me.  I told her no way.  Plus, I didn't have time for track - swimming was a year round sport.  And, I wasn't going to give up any of my time for a sport that I loathed.

 

I could barely run a mile back then - and forget running 6.  When I graduated college I *attempted* to run - mainly because, I needed excercise, and running was free.  But, after a 15-20min run around the block (literally) I declared myself done.  I had no stamina.  I could swim for hours, but I could barely run for more than 15 minutes.  Put me back in the water please!

 

Biking was another thing.  I used to bike to class since I didn't have a car in college.  Not to mention, we also would bike as cross training for swimming in college.  We used to bike about 7.5 miles out to this little lake that a supporter of the team lived on - swim the length of the lake (about 1000 yards) then bike back.  My favorite workout ever.  I'll never forget the attempt to bike up Horsetooth my freshman year.  My friend Emily and I got about halfway up the first hill before deciding we could walk our bikes up the hill faster than we could ride them.  So, we got off and pushed.  Got to the top, and cruised down.  By far the best part. 

 

I also had a friend in college that liked to bike ride.  We would go ride for hours together out Overland Trail, over to Bellvue and Laporte.  Nice 2-3 hour rides.  Also, whenever I got pissed off at my roommate for something, I'd just take off and go ride my bike.  It was about as far as I could get away from her (since I didn't have a car).  She would of course be all mad when I got back saying that she "freaked out" cuz she didn't know where I was.  Which, was, pretty much the reason I would do it. 

 

Here I am today - about to run 6.2 miles, in a competition no less, for fun.  I must be on crack.  Not to mention, working my way towards the sprint triathlon in July.  Speaking of - I need to see if Myer's park pool is finally open.  They *supposedly* opened last week - but, this has yet to be confirmed.  I'll  check when I go for my run this afternoon.  Now, I'm wishing I packed my suit, cap, & goggles just in case.  A swim would be a perfect thing after a long run.

 

 

 

Change of Plans

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 10K (yes, that's right, 10K)

 

Cardio: 0

Weights: ??

 

Food: Breakfast: Quaker Take Heart Blueberry Oatmeal - 160

         Lunch: South Beach Diet Turkey Bacon Wrap Kit - 240

         Snack: yogurt - 60; orange - 62

         Dinner:  Thinking Tacos.....not sure on cals

Total Food: 522 +tacos

 

Self Confidence:  8

 

So - as you can see from the top of my post, I've decided to man up and run the 10K next Saturday instead of the 5K.  I was hoping to improve my 5K time originally.  But, thousands of people run in the Springtime Race - meaning, its going to be similar to the Turkey Trot, where it took me *at least* a mile to get to the speed I wanted to cruise at.  This is because not everyone is courteous and places themselves in the correct area based on speed.  Several people with strollers, dogs, younger kids, you name it were close to the front of the crowd.  This requires other runners, who want to go fast, to dodge obstacles and hopefully not trip over leashes while passing around people.   So, I figure I'll do the 10K for fun, just to say I did it.  Plus, my friend Katie will be running - she's a super speedy 5K runner (did the last one in 23 minutes), but says she doesn't think she can run a full 10K without walking - but, I think she undersells herself when it comes to running - she's modest.  So, I'll run it with her and hopefully I can keep up!

 

Something else new - I got fitted for running shoes.  Formally, by a local running store.  I was pretty excited about this, as, I had never been told what the correct shoe I needed was by a professional before.  However, I'm having issues with these shoes.  I ran on them for the first time yesterday - only did 3.5 miles just to test them out.  They felt great for the first 20-25min or so.  But, then they started to feel like I was going to get a blister on the inside arch of my right foot.  No good.  Also, after I ran yesterday, my left hip started to kill me - right where my hip flexor is about.  It was pretty sore - sore to the point where if I rolled weird in the middle of the night it would hurt.  Its hurting as I sit here and type this. 

 

After work today I plan to go and return the shoes.  I'm almost hoping a different employee is there - mostly to get a second opinion.  My initial thought is that they are at least a half size too big.  My heels slip - and I couldn't get them tied tight enough to prevent it.  Not to mention, if its a shoe that fits properly, I shouldn't get blisters.  So, we'll see. 

 

Another thing I'm going to do (hopefully today) is start seeing a chiropractor again.  I really like my Tallahassee Chiro.  He's fantastic, and, very preventative-minded and extremely health conscious.  I originally went last year for a TMJ episode I had (my jaw went crooked - not fun).  But, since my insurance sucked, I couldn't really afford to keep going on a regular basis. But, I have different insurance now, so its more affordable for me to keep up with it - so I'm going to call to make an appointment to become re-established.

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Final Chapter)

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K; Freedom Hills Sprint Triathlon

 

Cardio:

Weights:

Calories Burned: 

 

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal - 160

         Lunch - Chicken Salad Sandwich (with Craisins!) - 338

         Snack - yogurt - 60; snack bar - 100

         Dinner - ??  Maybe leftover lasagna?

Total Food: 658+dinner

 

Self-Confidence: 9

 

Ok - so, you've made it through the boring stuff, none of which actually told you what makes me crazy.  But, the background is important, it will help you understand "why" I'm crazy. 

 

So, in summary - here are 6 things that I obsess about when it comes to nutrition, fitness, diet, and weight loss:

 

1.  I weigh myself daily.  Twice, daily.  I weigh myself in the mornings, naked, after I emptied my bladder - I do this on purpose because I KNOW that this will be the lightest I will be all day.  Then, after I work out, I weigh myself again.  This is to determine whether or not I made progress during the day.  I figure, if I'm within 1/2lb of what I was that morning, I'm doing good.

 

2.  I get really irritated when people plan fun stuff during my "workout time" - this includes after work happy hours.  In CO - my neurotic coworkers would always schedule our happy hours around our workouts.  We didn't meet up until 7pm.  This was perfect, and a mutual agreement.  However, I don't have many fitness freak friends down here (if any) so most of the time, I blow off my workout for a few cocktails and just deal with being pissed at myself later.  One of the many reasons why I haven't maintained my "Pre-Florida Weight."

 

3.  I'll be honest.  It annoys me to see overweight or obese people eating fast food or any other unhealthy food.  I scream inside "DON'T THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE KILLING THEMSELVES?"  The even more ironic thing is, I don't normally see that unless I'm in a fast food restaurant myself.  Hello, hypocrite??  And, I actually HATE when I have to eat fast food.  Even though, I relish every second of it.  Thus is the dichotomy of Jessica.

 

4.  Even if I do reach a goal - I feel like I am still the same, and thus am compelled take the goal just one-step further.   For instance, when my goal was (and currently is again) to be 135lbs - and I reach, 135lbs (or 136), I look at myself and say, "Well, it says that's what I am, but, I think maybe I should shoot for 125lbs.  Might help my mid-section a little more."  Or, if I want to be a size 6, and I reach a size 6, I say "Why stop now, I'm going to shoot for a size 4."  I think this is the perfectionist coming out in me - I'm never really 100% happy with where I am, and always think I should do just a little more.  I would probably do this until I withered away into nothingness - if my body would let me.  I'm pretty sure I max out at 136/size 6.  

 

5.  I said I went off BC because it was healthier for my system.  Secretly, I am ecstatic because I really really really hope that being off hormones will allow pounds to melt off of me like how cheese slips off overly cheesy pizza.  Sure, not getting migraines, and having regular cycles will be great.  But, really, getting rid of the extra weight its forced me to have would be worth the trouble.  Realistically, I doubt I will see any change.  But, I can still hope!!

 

6.  I am a secret binge eater.  My worst time to binge is in between getting home from the gym and dinner.  I usually get a whole 2 hours to myself, and I almost always come home from the gym ravishing.  And, no one but the cats are there to witness my weakness.  Some days I'm good and limit myself to a slice or two of Steve's lunchmeat.  Other days, I devour boxes of cheese nips and thin mints.  I often exclude these from my daily calorie totals to make myself feel better. 

 

 

I'm going to guess, that there are probably more if I dig around my brain long enough - but I think this sums everything up for now.  The moral of this story is, its ok to be crazy and neurotic (you're not the only one) - just do so in moderation, and accept the fact that you are indeed, crazy and neurotic.