Polar Dash 2014

Love the duct tape shoes?

Well as usual, here I am saying "Oh it's been a long time since I've posted anything…."  Today I did the 5k at the Team Ortho Polar Dash in Minneapolis, MN.  I went so far out of my own comfort zone, I don't think I can ever go back to the person I was yesterday.  She is forever gone and a part of my past. And that is a good thing.

I was no nervous last night, and learned so much today, that I wanted to write it all down right away so that I don't forget and that I learn from my mistakes and triumphs.  The first thing I need to remember is to settle down the night before.  I got myself so worked up worrying about the weather, not being with Rico (he had to work), the parking, what to wear, catching the bus and everything that was so unknown, that I made myself sick.  I was literally SICK this morning and for awhile thought that I might not even be able to leave the house.  But, now that I know vaguely how this works, it will be better next time.  

The drive was good, the roads were good, but I arrived too early.  I arrived at the parking lots about 1 hour and 15 minutes before the race because I thought there was a "warming house". Warming house implies that something is warm.  Nope.  It was an underground garage, and while there were a few patio heaters around, there was nothing warm about it.  I learned that I hate winter.  Oh wait, I already knew that.  When I did my first 5k back in October of 2013, I thought it was cold that day.  I really truly did.  Man, was I dumb.  It was about 40 degrees that day.  Today?  Actual temps were around -5 with the wind making it feel about -10.  And I was miserable.  

I had a hard time deciding what to wear since this was my first actual cold weather race, so I scoured the Polar Dash Facebook page looking for veteran advice and found lots.  (Runners really are the nicest most helpful people in the world I think!   Honestly, out of 5,000 some odd people today, I cannot recall one rude one!)  What I decided on:

Top: sports bra, wicking tank, Under Armour cold gear turtleneck, stride long sleeve long shirt, and Polar Dash fleece jacket.  This was a PERFECT combination.  Not too hot, not too cold.  I wore a big old parka until right before the race too and then left it at bag check.  Bag check is AWESOME.  It was very well organized with extremely nice volunteers.

My amazing friends!!

Bottom:  wind gear tights and another pair of running tights.  This was NOT enough.  I should have worn another pair of pants.  I had worn just the wind gear tights at the Gobble Wobble in November, and was too cool, so thought that one extra pair would work well without being too much.  I was wrong.  During the race, my muscles in my thighs were cold and cramping and by the end, waiting for the buses, I was outright miserable because my thighs were so cold.  Lesson learned!

Feet:  compression socks and smart wool socks.  I also wore plastic BAGGIES over my socks, and then wore my older running shoes, and put duct tape over the outside of the toes.  Before the race, I was pretty miserable, and my feet were too cold.  I had wanted to wear another pair of thick wool socks, but there just was not enough room in my shoes.  If I did this race again in these temps, (which I will) I think I will get a larger pair of shoes and go with the three pairs of socks.  The first mile or the race, my feet started to warm up and it was ok, but before and after the race, it was pretty awful and I would have been happier with warmer feet.  But, the duct tape was a nice tip that I think helped keep things warmer.  

Frozen Finger!  

Hands:  epic fail.  I wore a pair of thin rubber gloves under my regular workout gloves, and a pair of wool mittens over that.  And I had disposable hand warmers.  Again, I arrived too soon, and there was no where to stay warm and I have problems with my right index finger getting number and cold when it's below 60 anyway.  So it went from bad to awful pretty quick.  I need better warmer mittens!  When the race started, I was already feeling pain in my right hand.  As the race went on, it got better, and I warmed up fine.  However after, I got cold VERY quickly, and then waiting in line for the buses, and this is what my hand looked like by the time I got to the car.  My entire index finger was yellow, I could not move it at all, and I honestly thought about going to a hospital, but I didn't know how to find one, and I just wanted to go home.  I ended up body heat warming it under my arm.  Fun driving, let me tell you.  LOL!  It took about an hour, but my fingers finally went back to normal.  It was really scary for a bit though.  They didn't just feel cold, it was like dead.  I felt NOTHING.  Hurt like a bitch as it warmed up too.  Yikes.  I think I may have a little problem called Renaud's, but that's for another day.

Head:  baclava and Polar Dash hat.  Perfect combination.  The baclava I just adjusted as I ran and uncovered my face or not, and it was just right.  I did end up having to take off my sunglasses though because they fogged up.  It was cloudy out though, so it was ok.  

All in all, not too bad for my first Polar Dash on the clothing choices.  A few minor adjustments, and I'm good.  

Overall, the race was WONDERFUL!  Being cold sucked, being there in a strange place with so many strangers (not my cup of tea) was very rough, BUT, I did it.  I did have to walk for a little tiny bit, but I think it was because I had my face mask off for too long, and the air was just too tricking cold that it gave me a horrible stitch in my side.  There were the usual wonderful people along the sides ringing cowbells and cheering.  I wish I could communicate to those lovely people how very wonderful and helpful that is for me.  They have NO idea!  My eyelashes and face did frost up, which was very odd - I've honestly never had that happen before.  I wasn't able to get a picture of it because it was so cold that my phone kept shutting off.  LOL!

Best hot chocolate ever!

This wasn't an official timed race, and I started my Runkeeper too soon and forgot to turn it off, but I think I had a similar time to what I had at the Mankato Marathon 5k.  The only problem, per se, was I wish walkers would have stayed to one side.  They all just sort of plopped right down the middle with no awareness of people around them, and I felt like I did a lot of "Frogger" style moves trying to get around people.  I am not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but I did want to run, and it was difficult just due to the sheer number of people there.  Had the walkers stayed off to one side, it would have been easier I think.  

At the end, when the very sweet volunteer handed me my medal, I started to cry.  She was cold and standing there and could have looked miserable but she smiled at me and said, "first one?"  I couldn't even answer her.  I know it's just a little piece of metal, but to me, it symbolizes everything I've worked for the last six months and everywhere I want to go with the rest of my life.  2014 started out with me healthier than ever.  I've lost almost 70 pounds, and feel amazing.  My depression I used to battle with is no longer an issue.  Turns out losing 70 pounds, getting closer with your husband via a shared hobby, and the awesomeness of running just trump the shit out of depression.  ;)

So, next stop, The Get Lucky 7k in March.  Rico will be running that race with me, so already it's a better situation from the get go.  My wonderful girlfriends will be there with me too.  It's going to be warmer too.  I just know it.  :)

That white stuff on my scarf
and arms is FROST from my breath,
and it's hard to tell in the pic,
but my eyelashes were all icy. SO WEIRD!

5 pounds!

YAY!  The bodybugg system is really working for me.  It's like having a conscience sitting on your arm!  The strap isn't enough to irritate me, but it's a gentle reminder that, "Hey, you spent $200 on this thing, do something with it."  HA!


It's been a little over 2 weeks now, and I am down five pounds.  I am very happy with that!  I really am liking the food logging more and more.  I had forgotten how good it feels to be back in control of my eating and my life!  


I cannot recommend this system enough!  I was also reading that since The Biggest Loser started using the bodybugg in season 4, all the winners since then have been the ones who used their bodybugg the most and logged their food the most.  The simple science of it is so awesome!  Calories in vs calories out.  


Ok peeps, have to go up my burn for the day.  Off to hit the treadmill.  I think I shall celebrate my 5lb victory with a pedicure tonight.  Whoop whoop!!!


Love ya!
Jen

Just Checking in

Ah! Sunday mornings! I love them. Everyone at our house is so relaxed and refreshed. We have a crazy busy week ahead of us, but that is the norm when you have a house with three teens!

I have been on the phen since Wednesday, but I started cleaning up my eating before that, and I am really starting to feel the effects. I've been eating SO good. I think the cholesterol screening pretty much scared the shit out of me, and so I've been an angel with my food! I also started taking my vitamins again. I take an obscene amount of vitamins and supplements to be totally honest.

After several years of being on just about every diet, every exercise plan, ever diet pill, I've done a lot of research. I know what makes MY body tick. Yours is different, and I can't advise what you should take, but I know how my body functions best. I know how to lose weight. I know how to be healthy. I just have aforementioned mental issues that hold me back. I have to overcome those.

But, more about supplements. Over the years, I have read a lot of books on medicine, health, weight loss and fitness. I take a lot of things that I have learned I am lacking due to restricted diet and the fact that our soil just doesn't have the minerals and vitamins in it that it used to have. Also, thourgh cooking, freezing, etc food loses a lot. So, I try to put it back as best I can. I take extra fiber because when I do, it really helps my IBS, and fiber is good for you to help clean out your system and lower your cholesterol. I take fish oil supplements. I think everyone has heard how awesome these are for you! Someday I will list everything that I take, but I think most people would be shocked and I don't want to freak you out. LOL! Let's just say that it works for me :)

Anyway, side effects from phenterime. Well, Wednesday was my first day so that makes 4 full days on it. I am quite sure that if anything bad was going to happen, it would have by now. My side effects are actually awesome ones.

1. I am never hungry. I have to make myself eat. I can see how someone who didn't know anything about food or nutrition would take this and go for days barely getting any food. It's a dangerous thought. I have heard the noise of my stomach grumbling, but felt nothing. It is hard to explain but it was more like I could hear it growling, does that make sense? I felt no hunger pangs and my brain sure wasn't telling me to eat! I have been trying to eat every 4 hours just because, through my research, I know that this is how my body functions best and loses weight.
2. Speaking of weight, in the four days I have been on it, I have lose 3 pounds. Very nice. Understand though, the medicine itself doesn't make you lose weight, what you do or don't put in your body does. This medicine has given me the control and will power to decide what goes into my body!
3. I have noticed that I feel colder than normal. This is a joyous thing. Most overweight people would agree with me I am guessing. When you are carrying around an extra 30,50,90 pounds, you are always warm. You have this disgusting laying of blubber insulating you all the time and always feel hot, damp, sweaty. Disgusting. I have noticed that I am acutally chilly and have been losing actually snuggling up with blankets!
4. I am thirsty for water. Specifically water, not just "thirsty". I am loving this one! I know that I normally don't drink enough, so this is another fabulous benefit.
   
5. One weird one, and I am keeping a close eye on it. About once or twice a day, I get a weird sensation in my cheeks like they are numb. It's a minor irritation, and it's not constant, and with the benefits I am seeing, one I will gladly take.

Other than those 5, I really haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Blessedly, I haven't had jitters, crankiness, or any of the more serious side effects that other have reported. I am hoping that this will finally be what I need to get control of my weight back once and for all. 40 will be here April 3, and I want to look and feel amazing on that birthday!!!

Happy Sunday and have a great week!

On the Third day of P90X Tony Horton Gave to Me...

On the third day of P90X Tony Horton gave to me...

Arms made of jello...
Shoulders made with noodles...
Triceps made of rubber...
and abs that are, hmmm, well, just sore!

I figured I better write about day three right away because it's hard to type even now and it's going to be worse later. My arms are just limp. I am sure they will be sore tomorrow, so if you don't hear from me for a few days, it's just because I can't type with my nose very well.

In all seriousness, it was an amazing workout. Not too much, not too little, intense, hell yes!!! Again, they show many variations and ways to do everything.

One thing I also like abut each DVD (I can't remember if I already mentioned this, so if I already did, too bad :p) is that you have several options on how to watch it. Normal, with some music in the background and Tony talking. Normal with no music. Music with minimal talking. Music only or silent. Very cool. If you get sick of his voice, which I haven't yet, he's very funny and motivational, you could change it up. I like having options!

So, day three and I can't say I've lost weight yet, but I am feeling really great about this and about the fact that I am doing something to change my condition.

The opening episode of The Biggest Loser really helped get me motivated. If they can do it, so can I. I am already partial to teams pink and green, but we will see where the season goes!

I can't wait to get back below 200. (Yikes, did I mention I'd crept back up there?) Ya. Barf. 9 pounds to get back to Onderland, folks. I need a mini goal. Hmmmm, I think when I get back down there, I will go get my nails done! They are really bad so I hope it doesn't take long :)

Have a great day! Check my blog tomorrow for my review of P90X Yoga!!!

I Lived Through the Second P90X Workout!

They call it "Cardio-X" I think the X is latin for the 10th stage of hell. WOW! The workout is 43 minutes and 18 seconds long. According to my heart rate monitor, is took me about 50 minutes because I had to keep pausing to remember how to breathe, take water, and pray my heart didn't explode! Man, I am sooooooooooooo out of shape.

Al of that aside, I loved every second of it. I was sweating so bad I had to towel off several times. Tony Horton is AWESOME! He is so real. I know that sounds lame, but he is just so ordinary. He was doing a move, and lost his balance. He laughed and said something like "It happens to everyone, you don't need to look pretty, just keep moving". He does stress proper form, but he also "keeps it real" by not being perfect. I love that! Most fancy videos would totally take it out and redo it when the trainer fell over or screwed up, and this one doesn't, and I like that. It gives me hope that although I am not perfect I will get better.

I also like that along with Tony, there are three other people doing the workout. 3 different from yesterday's, so I am guessing each one has new people. That's good because I would get sick of looking at the same people every single day.

The four people, including Tony Horton, show different angles and modifications. He also says that maybe you won't even be able to do what those four are doing, but stresses to do the best you can, and keep moving.

I really am liking this system so far!!! I am learning to "bring it" in my own way...one day at a time!!!

Mini Goals

Today I want to talk about goals. Sure, I want to wear a size 4. Sure, I want to look smoking hot. Blah, blah, blah. When you are obese, you don't see yourself as thin. You see yourself as disgustingly fat, and seeing your end goal is impossible. It's frustrating, counter productive and if you keep thinking of how much weight you have to lose, you will fall down into a pit of despair and not even try. I know this. I have been there.

But then one day I read about small goals. I am not talking 25 pounds as a small goal. Think smaller. Tiny baby step goals. TINY! When you break your weight loss, your exercise and your diet into little smaller chunks, it's much easier to focus and to wrap your brain around it. I've been doing little tiny baby steps for awhile now, and they add up. I am down 55 pounds. Had I started with "I am going to lose 50 pounds" I never would have done it!

Let's focus on the three main areas - your weight loss, your exercise and your diet, and find small manageable goals within each one.

Let's start with weight loss. Everyone has a different opinion on the scale, and personally, I think you should weigh yourself every single day. People who say "Only weigh once a week" are probably skinny people. For all of us that are overweight, we know that it is all too easy to have a really bad week and pack on five pounds or more! If you weigh yourself every single day, granted, maybe there is some water weight involved, but it keeps you honest and helps you stay on track. Did you eat pizza last night and the scale is up 3 pounds today? Then let your small goal for the day be to eat clean, workout a little longer, and not let that 3 pounds spiral out of control.

What do you weigh right now? For me, I am hovering bouncing back around 180 for a bit now. My goal right now is to get below 175. Note that I am not looking at a HUGE goal. I am not looking at the weight I want to be forever. I am focusing on the weight I want to be VERY soon. I remember not all that long ago that my big goal was to be able to stand on the scale with all my clothes on and be under 200. Obviously I can do that now, and it feels great. I adjust my mini goals as needed. Sometimes it's just a matter of wanting to lose half a pound.

We are going on vacation next week, and I am pretty nervous. I won't be doing my workouts every day, but I will be walking at the amusement parks a lot. I will be eating out a lot, so that makes me nervous too. My weight goal for vacation is to not go above 185. That's five pounds above where I am now. If I can get back from vacation and be under 185, I will be thrilled. 185 is my magic 50 pound number, so this is very important to me.

By setting small weight loss goals and limits for yourself, you eventually will accomplish the bigger goals. Now let's look at exercise mini goals. If you tell yourself, "I am going to work out for 2 hours every day for the next three weeks" chances are you will crash and burn. Take it one day at a time. One workout at a time. I have days where I even take it one song at a time. One mile at a time. One minute at a time.

Plan and prepare are key to success. The night before, make sure you set out your workout clothes, and pack your gym bag. It's so much easier to fail if you do not plan. It's easier to NOT go to the gym, right? But if all your things are sitting out, well, it's just plain easier. Now, let's say you are on the treadmill. I know I can't run five miles, but I know I can run 1 minute. Maybe starting out you can only run ten seconds. Maybe you are stronger and can run for one song on your Ipod. Figure out what works for you to break it down into manageable pieces that you can accomplish.

I used to be only able to walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes at about 3 mph when I started. Now I can do 45 minutes with 2 minute intervals of jogging at 5.2 mph and walking at 4 mph! That's a big difference. But it didn't happen overnight. I built up slowly. Reevaluate your goals as often as you need to do so.

Now let's talk about food. Again, planning is so key. You aren't going to go from existing on McDonalds to eating sprouts overnight. By going WAY overboard, most people set themselves up to fail. Make small goals, small changes. Maybe your goal today is to get rid of five things from your pantry that aren't healthy. Your goal for tomorrow could be to clean your fridge. You can take your food goals in steps. For instance, you could go from full fat salad dressing to light salad dressing to fat free salad dressing to dressing on the side and only dipping your fork into it, to no dressing, just a spritz of oil/vinegar. You could go from 3 slices of cheese on a sandwich down to 2, down to one, down to low fat, down to 1/2 a slice of low fat down to none.

Cutting cheese WAY down in my diet was a huge deal. Cheese was my favorite, and I never thought I could live with out it. I used to put cheese on EVERYTHING! Sandwiches, soups, salads, on vegetables, and more. It was just on everything. I cut to one slice. I changed to low fat. I broke it down. I told myself I would have one sandwich without cheese, and then next time I could have one with it. Funny, I never went back. I told myself one day, "No cheese on your broccoli today." And I never went back. Little by little I cut it out. I do still eat it but very rarely, maybe once every week or two. I do still enjoy a nice piece of pizza here and there, but I don't eat it multiple times a day like I used to do.

So, to wrap up, break it down. Small, manageable goals! You can do this. We are all in this together!!!

Love, laughter and light,
Mrs. ChildFun