All Aboard the Fit Train

LAZY (adj) averse or disinclined to work, activity, or exertion

That would be me, when it comes to working out. Ugh. Hate.It.

It's amazing to me how I can be so highly motivated in every other area of my life, but just can't seem to get my self together when it comes to exercise. I having a treadmill in my basement, a loft area perfect for Tae-Bo and every mat, weight and exercise video a girl could want. And yet, I sit like a bump on a log, lamenting the fact that I am so freaking lazy.

It usually goes something like this: I lay in bed at night, fantasizing about how smoking hot I will look by our beach vacation in May. I vow to work out for at least an hour a day, starting tomorrow morning. I will do it first thing so that nothing can distract me. I can do this! I will do this! I fall asleep with visions of Victoria's Secret swimsuits dancing in my head.

Cut to the next morning. I jump out of bed, throw on my workout gear and head downstairs. I'll just check email really fast because maybe I got an email about a job overnight (yeah, right!). Now since I'm already online, I might as well see what everyone is up to on Twitter. Oh look, so-and-so linked to their blog post. I'll just read that and then go downstairs for a run. I wonder if so-and-so posted that link to her fabulously cute shoes? I'll just log into Google Reader and check really quick. Oh, crap! It's 9:30. If I don't go to Starbucks soon, I'll be past the time when it's appropriate to show up without makeup on. Better go now. Well, dang. I can't run for at least an hour after drinking a Venti. Think I'll sit down and read a book until my 'breakfast' settles. Well, would you look at that! It's time for lunch. Can't run on an empty stomach! I might pass out and there would be no one around to find me for hours. I'll straighten my hair and do my makeup while my lunch settles, run my errands and still have time left to run before Nate gets home. Dang. My hair looks awesome! How often do I have a great hair day like this? Can't ruin it by sweating it all flat! Okay. No run today. But tomorrow. For sure tomorrow!

And then I lay back down again a few hours later, berating myself for not working out, fantasizing about how smoking hot I will look by our beach vacation in May. I vow to work out for at least an hour a day, starting tomorrow morning. I will do it first thing so that nothing can distract me. I can do this! I will do this! I fall asleep with visions of Victoria's Secret swimsuits dancing in my head.

And the cycle begins again....

Surely I am not the only person who so completely and totally lacks in motivation? What do you do to keep yourself motivated to work out?

The sky is falling....

Or pigs are flying....

Or hell has frozen over....

Or aliens have taken control of my body....

Because today I eagerly chose to take a 3-mile run rather than submit to the agony of Jillian's 30 Day Shred for the third day in a row.

Surely this is a sign of the Apocalypse.

Couch to 5K - The Finish Line!!

Glory, glory hallelujah!!

Hear that? That's the sound of angels singing. I swear I could hear them as I crossed the finish line of my very first 5K today!

The race was part of Indy's Irish Fest downtown. My running buddy Jamie, her friend Bob and I showed up about 8:00am to sign up for the 9:00am race. Everyone knows that the only reason you run a race is for the race t-shirt, right? Guess who got the last shirt? That would be moi. Thank goodness, or I totally would have turned around and just gone home.

The weather was perfect for running - sunny but cool with a slight breeze. I wasn't at all nervous until we actually got there and then I started wondering what on earth I was doing here. Am I actually paying money for the "privilege" of rising at 6:00am and running 3 miles? What was I thinking?

Once the race got underway, I couldn't wipe the dopey smile off my face. At one point I turned to Jamie and said, "We're running a 5K, girl!" We'd been talking about it for so long, it was kind of surreal to finally actually be running it.

Running with Jamie and Bob made a huge difference in my endurance. I tend to run really fast for the first two miles and then flame out in the last mile because I can't catch my breath. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to pace myself any slower. An 8 or 8.5 minute mile for the first two and then a 12 or 13 minute mile for the third. I had never actually run the entire 3.1, always having to walk for at least 1/8 mile at the end to catch my breath.

I am proud to say that Jamie and I both ran the entire 3.1 miles and I actually felt pretty good the whole time! I finished in 31:49:4. As I crossed the finish line, I wanted to throw up and cry at the same time. I was not at all surprised about the puking (I didn't) but I was not expecting tears. I think it was a combination of relief that it was over and pride in having accomplished something I never expected to do.

All in all, it was a successful day! I'm so proud of Jamie and myself for sticking to it and completing the race. Having a friend doing this with me made a huge difference. When I didn't feel like running or had hit a mental wall, I could always count on her to push me just a little harder. Thanks, girl!!!

I wouldn't call running fun yet, but I can see how people get addicted to it. I don't exactly enjoy it while I'm doing it, but I like the feeling of accomplishment I have when I'm done. And now that I know I can do it, I'm eager to push myself harder and improve my time. Which, I guess, means there will be a next time. Who'da thunk it?

Racing toward the finish line

So race day is quickly approaching (September 19th!) and I am not quite there yet. I've been successfully running two miles for a week now but had hit a wall. I knew it had to be entirely mental because if I can run 2 miles, surely I can run 2.25 right? I was getting more than a little frustrated at my lack of improvement and motivation to push through the wall.

Until Thursday,that is, when my running buddy told me she'd finally run the full 3 miles. Holy motivation, Batman! That was all I needed to hear to get my rear in gear. On Saturday, I decided a change of scenery would do me good (I usually run in our neighborhood) so I went down to Forest Park to run on the trail. Let me tell you, there's nothing like mile markers and the promise of some good ole Tennessee football to get you going!

I managed to eke out 2.5 miles and was pleased as punch with myself at the end. I walked about 1/8 of a mile at the 1.75 mark to catch my breath. Today I went back and finally did the entire three mile stretch! I walked 1/8 of a mile twice (again at 1.75 and later at 2.25) but still managed to finish in a respectable 29 minutes. My first mile was 8.5 minutes which is pretty darn good for a non-runner!

Now that I've worked through my mental block, my biggest challenge is my breathing. I end up walking not because I can't run but because I can't breath. I need to spend more time concentrating on regulating my breathing and less time bobbing my head to Sara's Kickass Running Playlist on my i-pod. I wonder what all the mommies on the trail would think if they knew I was singing Jay-Z and Juvenile in my head as I wave and smile at their cute little kids?

Never let a bad day get you down

I have a confession. Couch to 5k hit a bit of a snag last week. I am majorly bummed but determined not to let it sidetrack me!

I swore up and down that I would run at least once while I was in Florida last weekend. I even gave up coveted carry-on space to pack my running shoes, only to arrive in the middle of the first tropical storm of the season! It rained off and on all three days that I was there. And then I returned to Indy to find more of the same - three straight days of rain!!

So it was a full week before I got to run and I'd missed two training days of Week 6. My first day back was a run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute day - which I'd completed successfully twice the week before. I even added distance the second time I did it! I was so proud! But the first day back was a different story - I only completed 2 rotations before I started having chest pains. I ended up taking a huge break smack in the middle and walked for five minutes while they subsided. I have random chest pain every once in awhile, but they usually aren't brought on by exercise, so it totally threw me off my game. I was eventually able to run for a third set of 4 minutes but that was it. I was so disappointed in my abysmal performance, I came home and did Level 3 of The Shred as penance!

Needless to say, I was not very excited to run again on Sunday. I was worried about the chest pains coming back and irritated that I'd manage to lose progress in just a week. I'd been thisclose to enjoying my jogs and now I was actually less enthused than when I started this whole thing! I decided to stick with Week 6 since I'd performed so dismally the first time through it. I did a 4/1 training day and completed it without incident, although I definitely noticed I was slower than before.

Today I stepped things up to a 5 minute run and a 2 minute walk. It went better than I expected, although I found myself glancing at the ipod a lot to see how much time is left. It's sad, but I motivate myself by counting down how much longer I have in each little rotation - half way done! only 2 more minutes! only 1.5 more minutes! only 1 more minute! Pathetic, I know. But hey, whatever gets me through, right?

Couch to 5K

I have a little confession to make. I've been keeping a bit of a secret from you.

Now before you start dreaming in pink and blue, it's not that kind of secret. Sorry.

A few weeks ago I was out with some girlfriends and the conversation turned to working out. This was in the midst of my Shred workout and I was trying to figure out how to keep my momentum going after my 30 day Shred was over. We were tossing around ideas and before I knew it - BAM! - I'd agreed to run a 5k in November.

Say what?!

Those who know me IRL are laughing out loud right about now. It's okay. Admit it. The idea of me running anything is laughable.

I hate to run. Loathe it. Despise it. I'd rather go a month without shopping than run around the block. That's some serious hate, ya'll.

But oddly enough, every few years I get the urge to 'become a runner'. The first time was the summer that Nate and I started dating. Trying to be a good girlfriend, I agreed to go running with him. I was young and in shape (enough), surely a mile or two would be do-able, right? Wrong. Half a mile in, I was huffing and puffing like a two-pack-a-day smoker while Nate literally ran circles around me as we jogged at a snails pace. Three quarters of a mile in, I waved the white flag and walked to the cafeteria where I drowned my embarrassment in soft-serve ice-cream.

The most recent time was two years ago when we moved to an apartment with a gym, complete with nice big treadmills on which to run indoors. Had to be easier than running outside, right? Wrong. Half a mile in, I was bored out of my mind. Why do people do this? This is so not fun. How do they make the time go by? I know! They get in the 'zone'. I'll close my eyes and find my zone! Twenty seconds later, I was no longer running upright on the treadmill. Note to self: Real runners do not close their eyes while on the treadmill.

Clearly my, uh, track record with running leaves a lot to be desired. But as Nate has gotten more into competitive running lately, I've found myself once again fighting the urge to pound the pave. So when my friend Jamie mentioned that she was starting a program to teach herself to run, I found myself not only asking to join her but suggesting this....




Before the night was over, we'd agreed to run the Indianapolis 5K Turkey Trot together this Thanksgiving. And just so I wouldn't chicken out, I talked about it to anyone who would listen while we were on vacation. Nothing like public humiliation to get a girl motivated!

The program starts out slow - nothing but walking for the first two weeks. Then it slowly starts building your running time and then once you are comfortable running, it builds your distance up so that by the end of 8 weeks, you're running 3.2 miles.

The first two weeks were easy, peasy - just walking longer and longer distances. The hardest part was making the time and finding the motivation to do it. Quite honestly, that's why I didn't mention it here earlier. I was afraid I'd just get bored and move on to something else. But doing this with a friend has made all the difference! We don't actually train together, but we text, email or talk each running day to see how it went and to keep each other accountable. Knowing she's going to ask how it went is just the kick in the pants I need to get out there and do it.

I'm going into week 5 today. My runs are now more running than walking and I dare say, I am kind of starting to enjoy it a teeny tiny bit. It still sucks to be all sweaty and sucking wind and I run as slow as molasses, but I feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I get done. I'm not to the point yet where I want to go out and run, but I don't completely dread it anymore either. That's progress, right?

What should be half way....but it's not

{image via JillianMichaels.com}

So today is Day 15 of The 30 Day Shred. I should be enjoying a leisurely stroll through Level 2 right about now. But of course, I'm lazier than a beached whale and didn't start working out until a scant 19 days before vacation. So instead, I'm trucking on in to Level 3 today!

To be perfectly honest though, it's only technically Day 14 of my Shred. I had to take Saturday off because I jacked up my shoulder somehow. I felt so guilty for slacking off, I seriously considered working out when we came in from the fireworks at 11:30pm! I hated to break the streak. I was hoping I'd just slept on the shoulder wrong and a day off and a good night's sleep would fix it. It seemed better on Sunday, so I did Level 2 again. But I woke up all tight and achy again today. Not as bad as Saturday morning, but still a fair amount of pain. So I'm not sure what's up with that, but I didn't let it stop me again.

I decided to move onto Level 3 in the hopes that it would have less plank activity and spare my shoulder a bit. There's less plank activity for sure, but let me tell you....Jillian Michaels ain't messin' around on this Level 3 business! Holy Cow! That was a very intense 20 minutes! But I actually kind of found it...dare I say it.....fun?

Of course, it being Monday, I measured myself again. I find it very hard not to measure myself every single day. I'm doing pretty well, only really measuring fully once a week and maybe measuring my trouble spot hips every other day. Obsessive much?

Two weeks in, I've lost 2.75 inches on my waist. I want to think this is a mistake, but I measured like 3 times to make sure it was true. Even when I breathe out and make myself as 'large' as possible, I still come up with the same number. I notice a definite difference in my ab strength too. There's no six pack yet, but I definitely see a muscle or two popping out at the top!

The rest of the measurements aren't nearly as impressive. One full inch off my thigh and another off my bust (hello, so not what I was going for!). And my hips are holding strong at the EXACT SAME FREAKING MEASUREMENT. Ugh. So frustrating. But I think that Level 3 might finally start to make a real difference there. There is a lot more plyometrics involved in this level and that might finally be what I need to unload these saddlebags.

Oddly, my weight and my body fat measurement have not wavered a single bit. I like to think that is because I am gaining muscle and losing fat, but the body fat number would indicate otherwise. I'm not too concerned with either of those numbers though, as I'm at a healthy place already for both. As long as I feel better, look better and my clothes fit better, I'm a happy camper.

Only 4 more work out day left until vacation. You can bet I plan to make the most of 'em!

Hips don't lie

{image via jillianmichaels.com)

I am proud to say - so far, so good. I have stuck with it and made time for my workout every day this week!

If you recall from my first Shred post, I barely made it through the first 20-minute workout. But by day 3, I was actually enjoying it a little and by Day 4, I could do all forty of the push-ups. By day 5, I was kind of wondering if I was ready to move to Level 2. It seemed early but Level 1 was already getting easier. So yesterday (Day 7) I graduated myself to Level 2. Definitely harder, but I actually found it to be more fun than Level 1! The second cardio interval is tough (she says she wants you to be swallowing your heart, and I definitely am!) and I struggle to get through the third set of strength moves (they're hard, ya'll!) without going down to the modified version, but I already did better today than I did yesterday, so I know I'll get there.

Of course I was dying to see if all this hard work was paying off. I resisted measuring again until a full week into the program. I lost a full inch off my waist and thighs and 3/4 inch off my bust. No change on my hip measurement and no change in my weight. I'm fine with the weight part, but was a little bummed to have no discernible difference in my hips. I know it's only been a week, but I have high expectations, ok?

I do find that I am more hungry in the mornings now. I am back to counting calories as well (more on that in another post), so I'm just trying to make smart, filling choices in the morning to combat snacking during the day. I'm not normally a breakfast eater, but this work out pretty much makes it necessary.

All in all, I'm pleased so far. Looking forward to hitting Level 2 hard this week and hopefully (fingers crossed!) seeing results on the hips this week too.

The Great Shape Up: Take 3

That Garfield cartoon has pretty much summed up my attitude toward working out for the past two years. I tried briefly to get into gear back in January, but shortly there after, I found out about the layoff, started working ridiculous hours and then totally lost all motivation when I officially became unemployed. With nothing to do all day for five weeks, I had the perfect opportunity to get in shape - instead, I ate. And loafed. And managed to gain eight pounds. So not only was I bummed about losing a job that I loved, now I was angry about gaining weight too.

A vicious cycle for sure. I have been talking about getting back in shape for months now, but I've finally put my money where my mouth is. We've got a vacation coming up, one in which we will attend two weddings and see many friends from both undergrad and grad school. Talk about motivation! No way do I want to look anything but my best for this trip!

I decided to skip boot camp for now. A big part of me wanted to go back just to prove that I could do it, but the pragmatic part of me couldn't stand paying for a month of camp when I could only attend twice per week for three weeks. Just can't justify it. So on to plan B - Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.


I've heard tons of people sing the praises of her 30-day Shred program. When I saw Mrs. Realife take it on a few weeks ago, I watched with anticipation for her first report back. She lost at least 1/2 inch all over in the first ten days - SIGN ME UP! I ordered it that night.

The Shred is designed with three 20-minute workouts, with the idea that you move up a level about every 10 days (or as you feel ready). Each 20-minute workout is broken up into three sets of 6 minutes - 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. It's supposed to maximize your calorie-burn and muscle building. Personally, I like it because I can always tell exactly how much longer I have left by how many cycles I've completed - sad, but true. I swear, the first day was the longest 20 minutes of my life! But already the second and third days have been easier. And I feel good when I'm done. That's the best part of working out, isn't it? Feeling good about yourself when it's all over.

Sadly, I will only get in 19 of my 30 days before our vacation but if I see results even half as good as Mrs. Realife, I'll be happy. Even just knowing I'm finally on the road to getting in shape makes me feel better about myself. If I feel this great after Day 3, I can't wait until Day 30!

You know you're out of shape when....

....you go deaf, dumb and blind 15 minutes into your workout.

Ok, so for those of you who don't follow me on Twitter (and if you don't, you should!) you may have missed the entire boot camp fiasco. A few weeks ago, I signed up for exercise boot camp. I'd been thinking about it for months and finally talked myself into paying money for someone to yell at me while I ran laps at 5:00am. Fun, right?

So the night before, I lay out all my stuff. Weights and mat in the car. Shoes and socks by the door. I parked in the driveway so I could slip out the front door without waking the dogs. I was ready to DO THIS.

Drag myself out of bed at 4:45am and drive out to the park....to find no one there. Not a soul. I'm pretty sure even the birds were still asleep. WTH?

Called the chick, only to find out that boot camp in my area had been cancelled due to lack of interest. Surprised? Not so much. She claims to have emailed me to let me know. I think that was a load of bull. Whatever.

So I was disappointed......and also slightly relieved. Dodged that bullet, right?

Until Tuesday night's bunco group, that is. Turns out one of the ladies I play with goes to another boot camp in town and she invited me along. This one is at night. Suh-weet! Sign me up.

The trainer is really nice, assures me that I have nothing to worry about even though I am jumping into the middle of the class. Everyone else has been doing this for two weeks, but I'll be just fine.

Three warm up laps in, I am huffing and puffing like 80-year-old smoker. Six sets of lunges later, my face was cherry red and my shirt was soaked. Four sets of inchworms later, my vision was blurry and my ears were ringing. I was going deaf, dumb and blind right on the basketball court.

Trainer Matt comes over and tells me to lay down on the floor with my feet up against the wall. Not quite sure exactly what he said (I was deaf, remember?), something about blood pressure and the inchworms and my equilibrium. I wanted to die of embarrassment right then and there. I mean, who pansies out 15 minutes in?

After about 10 minutes, my head cleared and I finished the class. I was sure I was going to die (or at least puke) about a dozen times, but I made it through to the end and even actually enjoyed the stretching cool down.

So clearly, I am in worse shape than I thought. I'm still debating whether to actually join the class or not. Maybe it's a little too hard core? Or maybe I'll get used to it? I don't know. I've got until Friday to figure it out.

Just when you need it most

Sorry for my silence this week, I've just been feeling a little less than my normal sunny self. Lazy. Unmotivated. Blah.

Which is why I signed up for this today. Crazy? Yes. Necessary? Very.

I need something to get my rear in gear. I know once I get motivated and start seeing results, I will be able to continue on my own. Someone just has to give me a good swift kick in the pants.

___________________________________________

I also got some delightful awards this week - always guaranteed to make you feel all warm and gooey inside.
Mmmmm......warm and gooey....wonder if there's any cookie dough left in the fridge....

(See why boot camp is so very necessary?)

Sorry, where was I? Oh, yes - awards.


First, from the lovely Leah and the sassy KT, the Love Ya award. Leah is one of my oldest friends and we found each other again last year through the lovely world of Facebook. She is expecting her first baby in just a few weeks and has the cutest baby bump ever! KT is a girl after my own heart - she reads two or three books a week and is always game to share the book-love. If you don't already know these ladies, you are missing out!

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbon of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.


I also received the Queen of All Things Awe-Sum award from the vivacious Valentine. V blogs with her sister about all kinds of randomness, including their love of all things vampire, the necessity of being grammatically correct and the origin of the phrase 'that took balls'. I mean, who doesn't want to know where that phrase came from?

My Queen Duties are as follows:
1. List 7 things that make me awe-summm.
2. Pass the award onto 7 bloggers that I think are awe-summm.

Seven things that make me awe-summm (this part is harder than you think!):

• I've got mad organizational skills. All of my jewelry is kept in little clear plastic bags, sorted by color, and stored in craft cases according to type. (OCD, much?)
• I'm a pretty cool big sister (in my own *ahem* humble opinion).
• The tips of my fingernails grow out white, like I always have a perfect french manicure. I don't have any idea why or how this happens, it just does.
• I have a very unique birthmark on my neck. I hated it when I was a kid. Nate has a smaller one in the exact same place on his neck. Kind of seems meant to be, huh?
• I can wiggle my ears.
• I tend to speak my mind. I will always give you my honest opinion if you ask for it. (But I'm not much for giving unsolicited advice - that's just rude.)
• I spell check every post. Nine times out of ten there isn't a single error. I'm oddly proud of this fact. (Sad but true, folks. Sad but true.)

Since I don't have the time nor the inclination to list 15 blogs between the two awards, I'm just going to list a handful of new ones I've discovered recently.

Little April Rose - B is very pregnant with a beautiful baby girl, April Rose. April has some complications and may not live outside the womb. B is already an amazing mama and April is lucky to have her.

I'm Living Proof - Helene has not one but two sets of twins. Her adventures in multiple baby juggling are hilarious.

OMG! We're Pregnant - I can't remember how I happened upon this unexpectedly expectant duo, but these two are too freaking funny. And they're European, so they say cute stuff like mates, wags and arse. Love it!

___________________________________________

Last but not least, I have not forgotten about the giveaway. I just haven't had a moment to enter you all into Random.org and answer your burning questions. This weekend, I promise!

WANTED: Self-discipline

Anyone know where I can find some?


I promised myself that after New Year's Eve, I was going back on The Wagon with my eating habits. I have basically let myself eat anything I want since Thanksgiving and my jeans have recently reminded me of why this is a not-so-good idea. But despite my displeasure over the current state of my bottom half, I cannot seem to get my rear in gear.

Working at home has been murder on my eating and exercise routines. Like, literally killed them because I basically don't do anything anymore. I was disciplined for a long time but after we left Knoxville, I just never got into a good routine that works. I know that I should take advantage of not having a commute and use that time wisely but here we are a year-and-a-half later and so far all I've done is think about it. I plot and plan at night when I can't fall asleep but come morning, I find every excuse in the world to run to Starbucks or just snuggle up with a book after work, instead of doing what I know I should do - exercise.

I know it is cliche to do this at this time of year, but I figure maybe if I say it publicly here, I will be shamed motivated into finding my self-discipline again.

Going to eat sloppy joes and have a glass of wine (or two) on my last night of freedom.

Dead girl walking....