To Leap or Not to Leap

For the most part, it makes no difference that February has 29 days this month (except to my friend Gretchen who actually gets to celebrate a birthday this way). But for the rest of us, what's an extra day in the calendar? For some reason though, I feel like I should celebrate it. Like I have been given a gift of an extra day. One more day to be 28, one more day to make money so my gross income is higher than usual, one more day to have that spring-is-almost-here anticipation, one more day to become super-buff in 2008. It's like that extra hour you get during the "fall back" time change, but it's a whole 24 hour day. So what should I do with my extra time? Maybe just spend time with good friends, who show me that sometimes we leap too often!

Split Shifts

I almost always work Wednesday evenings until 9. Generally I try to get up at my "normal" time and go to the gym in the morning. If this doesn't work out for me, and my body instists on sleeping in, I make myself go after work at 9pm. Late, I know, but that's the price you have to pay if you turn your alarm clock off. Today however, I had to work a split shift. This means, I work 9-1 in the am and then 5-9 in the pm. This is the worst possible workout senario. Like I have mentioned before, I cannot make myself get up before work. Sometimes I can make myself go in between shifts -- but this equals two showers (and I had done a very nice job of blowing my hair straight today!). So that leaves after work. Since I have been up since 8am though, I am going to be too tired to get myself there. I tried to talk myself into all day. But I also need groceries. And when I went to have cereal for dinner and the milk expired 12 days ago, I knew I needed to make that a priority. Fresh and healthy food tonight; heart-healthy cardio workout tomorrow. I work a standard 12-9, so I will start the day off with the gym. And Erin - if I don't, I will buy you dinner this time!

Carrying On

Well, it's time I got back on track. I have taken a week off of exercise (and life). I did manage to attend my two BodyPump classes last week. But I couldn't make myself go in to do any cardio -- too much time to think. It's hard to clear your mind when you're trying to run two miles or eliptisize for an hour. As I have told many of you, I do not intend on running that 5k at the end of March any longer. Many of you agreed to run it with me -- but it will just bring up too many emotions. This does not mean all my workout goals are over. I still have weight loss goals, and in time I do plan on making some more running goals.

Because I was house-sitting and dog-sitting for my mom, I missed my Monday morning weigh in. I went ahead and weighed in this morning instead. With much disappointment, I was only down a pound. So, now I have 14 weeks left, and 28 pounds -- which is right at the 2 pounds/week requirement. I was hoping to be a bit farther along than this, especially after my good effort the first week. But, it wasn't in my plan to have a personal melt down either, so I guess I can't fault myself.

Last night Jennifer and I spent an hour going through my old clothes and boxing them up to give to goodwill. We stopped when we got to 5 boxes of clothing they can haul away when they drive their trcuk by my house next Wednesday. I was really proud that I got rid of that much stuff... and really surprised that I had that much clothing crammed into my bedroom to begin with. Among the clothing was a pair of short-alls that I wore in my senior picture (hey they were really cool back then!). That picture was taken almost 11 years ago! I tried them on last night and THEY FIT! They may even have been too big; I don't remember the overall fitting system. What a great feeling; I can still wear the clothes I wore in highschool! I am keeping them as a gauge.

Personal Melt-Down

I am currently having a personal melt-down. I have not been very good at working out. And truthfully I have hardly eaten in the last few days. I will update once I am past this. Until then please keep me in your thoughts!

15 weeks till Summer

Well this week was not as great as it could have been. I did not lose any weight. This confuses me a bit, since yesterday morning I was down 1.5 pounds. And I was hoping that the two hour work out yesterday would shed that last .5 pounds I needed for the week. But alas, instead I gained it back and am exactly where I was a week ago. To be completely fair, I did eat quite a bit of chocolate this week -- with Valentine's day and all. And I don't understand the human body enough to know if working out today will effect my weight tomorrow. So perhaps I will see a loss later in the week. That leaves me at 29 pounds left to lose in 15 weeks -- still right on!

Two Mile Difficulties

So all weekend I have been trying to get a two-mile run accomplished. And it hasn't been working. As I mentioned, I couldn't do it Friday evening because of the ovary pain. Then I had hoped to do it Saturday morning, but I didn't stay long after BodyPump, because I had lots of things to get done on Saturday. So I went to the gym this morning with really good intentions. But I hardly ate anything yesterday and I was just too weak to run more than eight minutes. I was a third done, but I just couldn't face the other two thirds. So I walked and biked. Then, I went back to the gym this evening. Shocking, I know! I just had to get two hours of working out in before the week was over. I was sure I was going to make the two miles tonight. But, the ovary pain came back. Arrrghhhhh! This is just so frustrating. At least it masked the toe pain I was experiencing all afternoon. Tomorrow I am going to try doing Intervals again, because at least the pain doesn't get in the way when I am only running for 4 minutes at a time. Then I will attempt the two-miler again this week -- Wednesday perhaps.


I did make it to BodyPump on Saturday morning. I am always proud of myself when I get out of bed early on a Saturday just to go work out. But I have noticed this trend: I am too tired in the mornings to increase my weights. So if I am interested in increasing, I am going to have to do it on Tuesday evenings. Next Tuesday I will try to increase my squat weight and try to do the higher tricep weight again. I am thinking about going to BodyPump three days a week. I have just heard so many good things about weight-lifting. And now that I know it burns so many calories, it is totally worth the time committment. Perhaps I could schedule two BodyPumps per week and one free weight lifting session with Curtis. That will work different muscles too!

A Pain in the...

Ovary???

Lately everytime I run I get this sharp pain right where I imagine my left ovary to be. The first time I noticed this pain was when I ran that 5k last October. It was really hard for me to go on at about mile 2 because of this pain. Then I didn't notice it again until December, but I basically took November off from running. Jennifer pointed out that it appears to be "cyclical". It happens the weekend after my "cycle". She was right on -- it happened again in January. In February it didn't seem to be too bad, but now it has happened three days in a row. This does not fit the pattern.

Wednesday I meant to workout, but I was lazy. I seriously laid on my couch and watched tv for like 3 hours. Then I went to bed at 9:30, telling myself I would get up early and go to the gym on Thursday. But, I wasn't able to fall asleep until about 11:00 anyway, so I didn't get up early on Thursday. And since I just had to get a workout in on Thursday, I had to cram it into a 3 hour lunch break I had. I made myself run 1.75 miles at the 12 minute/mile pace. I had to take a few breaks (especially when the aforementioned ovary pain began). But I guess I did it.

On Friday, I presented Curtis with his Valentine's Day gift: a membership to Gold's Gym. So we went together. I was supposed to run 2 miles. But I just couldn't do it. The ovary pain was just too much to bare. I even had a fan, and the gym was empty, and Curtis was running 2 miles right next to me. He suceeded; must be nice to not have ovaries. I ran about 1 mile, and then spent some time on the bike. I guess I will try again tomorrow, but it will be after BodyPump, and that's never easy.

I love you because...

A love letter to my body:
I love you because,

• you have shown me that if I treat you right, you treat me right.
• you want to be a runner even if my mind doesn't.
• you get stronger and stronger every day.
• you often surprise me with what you can do.
• you allow me to sleep almost 8 hours every night and you are an excellent nap-taker.
• even though you had a lapse of judgement a few weeks ago (and allowed me to get sick) you recovered fast -- that's just how you are!
• you drag me to the gym everyday, even in blizzards, when my car doesn't have heat, and the electric blanket is calling me.
• no matter what size you are -- you will always have cute feet.

And I thank you for that!

Yours, Karrie

577 Calories per Hour

Yesterday was my day to do speed intervals. My goal was to do 5/5 segments for 40 minutes. That 11 minute-mile is just too fast for me. It's like a full out sprint for 5 whole minutes. That's just too long. So I ended up doing 4/6 intervals. Good enough! I will stay at that for a few more weeks, and then see about increasing to 5/5. I moved up to 24 in my challenge. However, my lack of running today has pushed me back down to 26th. I am moving up the ladder pretty fast though -- that's pretty exciting.

I made it to BodyPump today. Hardly anyone was there. Maybe it was too cold out, but I am hoping that the January (New Year's Resolution) crowd has died out. Everything went smashingly! I burned 577 calories. I don't know how accurate that is; my heartrate monitor only tells me how many calories I am burning based on my last calculated heartrate. So when I am sweating through squats I can't take my heartrate until the end. But 577 calories were way more than I thought I would burn. I attempted the larger weight on triceps again, and did very well. Then Mary, (the teacher) said to boost your weight on biceps, because it was a short track, so I took her advice. Perhaps it was short, but it was very near impossible. I should be feeling that one tomorrow. Other than that, I might be ready to increase my squat track next time. Sweet improvement! I didn't get to stay after and do any cardio for a variety of reasons, including my aunt was in town and wanted to see me, and my car was ready to pick up at the shop. OH! I got Jennifer to go back to the gym today... what could she say -- I needed a ride?!

16 weeks till Summer

I had a great weigh-in this morning. I dropped 4 pounds! I am now only 29 pounds away from my goal. This was just the jump start I needed. It puts me right back at the weight I was before I went to California. I did a great job of limiting my calories this week, and I got in seven hours of exercise, including my two BodyPump classes. It just shows that if I put my mind to it, it is possible. I just need to keep working hard for 16 more weeks. And the rest of my life I guess.

But get this: whenever I estimate my perfect weight, I assume I have a "large" frame. I mean, I am a tall girl, I have always been a tall girl, I was always one of the tallest people in my class in elementary school. And, to be honest, it is easier to think that I should be at the highest portion of my weight class rather than the lowest. When I want to be painfully honest with myself I might look at the "medium" frame weight. But, think of my shock, when yesterday as I was reading the current Self magazine and it explained how to determine your "happy weight". This is the weight that you can live at comfortably, without working out constantly or limiting everything you eat. To calculate this weight, you have to know your frame size, and the article explains how to measure your wrist to determine that. Well, I have a small frame! Like really small; like I would have to gain over a quarter of an inch around my wrist to even come close to a medium frame. And get this: my happy weight is 143. I guess I have further to go than I thought!

A New Plan

I have a new idea concerning training for this 5k at the end of March. Two days a week I am going to work on distance. I am currently capable of running one 12-minute mile; so I am going to start there and build up to 3.25 miles, by increasing .25 each running session. (Is that too much? Some running books advise to only increase 10% each week. But is that only for beginning runners?) Then, one day per week I am going to work on speed. I will do segments of 5 minutes running / 5 minutes walking at an 11 minute-mile pace. I figure this training schedule will allow me to build up my speed without sacraficing my endurance (which seems to be what's happened currently). What do you guys think?

So today I ran 1.5 miles. It was hard, but I powered through. I was running in perfect conditions. It wasn't too busy, and therefore, not too humid. I was able to hit the gym at about 4:30, so my lunch had digested, but I wasn't running on empty. After the running (18 minutes) and a little bit of hill walking, I rode the bikes for 30 minutes. It was a good change. Tomorrow I will try my 5/5 plan.

Tonight for dinner Jennifer and I made some delicious BBQ Turkey Burgers. They were very low-cal and yummy. I have grown to love ground turkey in the last year. I always use it when I make pasta sauce or when I am making chili. But I had never tried it (at home) as a plain meat -- meaning without sauces covering it up. You can find the recipe at cooking light. I'm ready for my weigh-in tomorrow morning. This has been a perfect week.

Two Times a Week

I made it BodyPump again this morning -- woohoo, two times this week. I suppose I notice that it is getting easier again, but I'm not yet back to where I feel like I could lead the class. It seems like I have difficulties through every track. I did use a higher weight on my triceps today though. And congrats to my friend Jen, who went back to BodyPump today (in Omaha) after 6 months of not going (because it wasn't offered in her KC gym)! I wish you luck with the next three days of pain!

I stayed after to get some cardio done. I was hoping to do a little running -- like 1.25 miles, but all the *good* treadmills were being used. So I used an eliptical machine for 30 minutes -- going pretty fast and high resistance. Then, when I finally got on a treadmill I was dead. I ran for three minutes before I stopped and told myself I could try again tomorrow. I am perfectly on track to get all 7 hours of exercise in this week.

Then Jennifer and I went out for Bagels and Coffee -- and I ate up as many calories as I burned. At least I got the light cream cheese.

Early to Rise

At work yesterday I mentioned to Erin that it was already Thursday and I had only worked out 3 hours this week. (Remember I need to work out 7 hours per week to meet my goal.) I mentioned that Friday was shaping up to be a no-workout-day, meaning I was busy in the evening. And it is impossible for me to get up before work to work out. Then Erin says: "I'll meet you at the gym in the morning, but you have to promise to be there or I will go home and cry." I agreed! So this morning, I made myself get up and meet Erin at the gym at 7:00am. I thought that there would be no way I would get a good workout in because I would be too sleepy to go hard-core. I warmed up with 30 minutes on the Eliptical machine and told myself I would run/walk the other 30. By that time I was more awake. So I ran one 12-minute-mile and walked the rest. That's a really good mile for me. I was able to do this in November when I was running a lot, but I haven't done it in a long time. It was hard, and I was sweaty, but I powered-through! And I have moved up to 31st in my nike challenge. Thanks Erin!

Now I have accomplished 4 workout hours this week. I only need three more hours and I have two days to get it in -- no problem. I usually plan to go to Bodypump on Saturday mornings and stay after for an hour of cardio. Then I will get one hour in on Sunday -- and everything will fall into place. I am doing fairly well on my eating this week. I haven't gone over 1100 calories yet.

Squeezing It In

Today I was supposed to work some crazy schedule: 9-11:30, 12:30-4 and 6-8. That is the worst possible combinations of times to work. It ruins your morning, afternoon and evening. I didn't think I'd be able to squeeze in a work out anywhere. Then I did some rearranging and decided to work 11-8. Much better! Generally, I have not been very good lately at working out in the morning. No matter how good of intentions I have, no matter how well I prepare (10 hours of sleep) I cannot peal myself out from under my blankets to get to the gym. But this morning I made myself get up at the same time I would have if I had to work at 9:00. And I made it to the gym. I did a combination of walking and running for 40 minutes and then I did some hard-core uphill walking (which burns more calories than anything else I ever do). It wasn't a great workout. But at least I got one squeezed in. And when I get off at 8:00 I will be able to get some things done around the house that I have been neglecting.
As I was running at a 12-minute-mile pace for 5 minutes off, 5 minutes on, I realized that I need to reasses my goals. I am just at a stalemate right now. I am improving a little, but I don't have any immediate plans for improvement. I need a goal! Obviously I still want to run that 5k at the end of March. But am I alright with doing it at a 12 minute-mile? Should I try to work up to doing that by the end of February and then see where I can go from there? I will think about it and create a training log -- that always makes me so happy! (Remember back in college when I would plan peoples' class schedules!!! It's like that.)

Good Work

I wanted to skip BodyPump last night because I was still sore from Saturday's class. But I realized that I am busy every other time that it is offered this week until next Saturday. I really like to go twice a week -- so it had to be Tuesday evening. And even amid a blizzard, I went. It helped that Erin and her friend Lisa were going too. My own friends seem to have bailed on me with the Tuesday evening Bodypump. It used to be a routing thing - now Jennifer has an excuse every single week, and although Brandy is usually there, she isn't always. The nice thing about the snow was that not many people came to class. It was still tough though; my muscles haven't gotten back to their prime (before Christmas) days. Erin asked me yesterday how many calories I thought BodyPump burned. Honestly, I have no idea. For the most part, I am not sweating. But your heart-rate does get up there on squats and lunges and back. So next time I go I am going to wear my heart-rate monitor and see what kind of calories I am knocking off during that hour.

Monday evening I got in my best run ever. I ran one mile at 12:30 and then I ran at that same pace off and on for an entire hour. I'm sure I burned a lot of calroies that evening. And I felt really proud of myself. I even moved up to 32nd in my challenge.

I mentioned before that I am having trouble making myself use the other equipment at the gym. Well, here is my motivation to use the eliptical machine once in a while: it burns way more calories than running. When I run I have to take these slow walk breaks, and overall I end up burning less calories than I do when I go steady on the eliptical. So I'm going to take Jen's advice and do at least one other workout per week. Eliptical it is.

17 weeks till Summer

As of this morning's weigh-in I have 33 pounds to lose. So as I have stated before, that means I am going to have to lose two pounds per week if I want to reach my goals by summer. I will give a weekly update; I usually weigh in on Monday mornings. This morning I thought that I broke my scale (turns out I "zeroed" it incorrectly) because all of a sudden I was 11 pounds lighter. I didn't think I had done that well this week! I fixed it though, and unfortunately I have not lost 11 pounds.

Nike Plus

So Curtis got me the Nike Plus chip for my birthday. This is a device that goes in my Nike shoes and calculates how fast I am running and how far I actually go. It's pretty cool! I really like going home after my work out and logging my run online. Every day I try to run a little faster or a little longer. For even more motivation I joined a beginners ladies "Challenge". I am competing against 59 people to see who can run the most miles in the next 60 days. This challenge began the first Sunday that I was on vacation (January 20th). I figured that was okay, how far behind can I get in a week? Well then, I came home and was sick... so now I am starting almost two weeks behind. Generally that is just the kind of competitiveness I need to get up and moving. But, the leading woman is at 65 miles. I am at 6! That is 59 miles I need to make up, while she continues to run-wild! I am in 39th place right now. Maybe my goal should be to come in within the top ten! (Number 10 is only at 29 miles -- only 23 ahead of me.) One problem: I am so addicted (or intent) on getting running (or walking) miles in, that I am not giving myself a chance to do other workouts. I see using the stair-climber as a waste of precious work out time. Perhaps when I get back to working out more than a half-an-hour I will spend half of it on the treadmill and half of it doing other work.

Tomorrow I begin my 17 week countdown to summer. I will give a weekly update on my weight loss (or gain). If I want to eat 1200 calories (which I really do) I would have to work out 7 hours per week. That's not unfathomable -- but it's going to be difficult.

Slow and Steady

I finally made it back to the gym last night. I was feeling pretty good all day at work -- and I hadn't even taken any cold medicine in the afternoon. I didn't want to over work myself though, so I did a light 40 minutes of running and walking at a slow pace -- like 13 minute miles. Just something to get back in the hang of running. It was so hot at the gym and there were a lot of people there for a Friday evening. Guess I'm not the only one who doesn't have a life!


I also made it back to Bodypump this morning. I usually enjoy the Saturday morning class because it has a lot of grown-up women in it. And by that I mean, ladies in their 20s and 30s, and not the college cheerleader crowd that sometimes inhabits my gym and makes me feel inferior. But this morning I got there a little late and it was very packed. I had my choice between smashing into the very back row so people who wanted steps had to climb over me, or I could be in the front row with the instructor. Maybe in my glory BodyPump days I would have picked the first row, but I haven't been for almost 2 weeks, so I crammed into the back. I didn't do so well. I don't know if it was the short break, or the fact that I am still recooperating, but I had to take a lot of breaks and it really got my heart-rate up. I was a little worried about passing out at one point, and nobody I knew was there, which worried me even more. But I got through it.

I had intended on staying to do some cardio, but since I wasn't feeling well, I went home a took a two hour nap. And I ate something. That did the trick. I was able to go back to the gym this afternoon and get a pretty good run in. Since I am trying to get back to it slowly, I am allowing myself to run at a 12:30ish pace. I was able to keep that up for 10 minutes. I took a short break and did another 5 minutes. With walking breaks, I got 2.20 miles done in 30 minutes. Then I let myself go home.

Tonight -- I am going bowling. Does that count as a work out?!?!