Easy Street

After my first QiDANCE master class

Rest week, shmest week.  My QiDANCE DVD came in the mail today and I had to get my groove on.  I just about have the first song down, hip swivels and all.  This is probably where not having a full length mirror comes in a little handy; I can imagine I look just as sexy as I feel.  And after more than a week of jammin' out to the CD, the moves are coming pretty naturally with the music.  I have about a month left before the first class and I plan on bein' readier than ready. 

Strolling

Hey there, sheep.

Aside from my new dancing obsession, I'm taking it slow and easy (aside from a Tabat Boot Camp class on Monday, but I kept it within range).  I actually took an entire day off yesterday, leaving me feeling at loose ends and as though I was forgetting something all day.  Today, the babe and I strolled leisurely along part of my regular running route, stopping for some photos and to say hello to the sheep.  And then, of course, my QiDANCE extravaganza. 

And all the while, several times a day and sometimes several times an hour, that marathon is racing around the back of my mind.  I have created and recreated a mental checklist for the day prior and the morning of.  Both involve the camera, of course.  And the afternoon after involves Skinny Girl cocktails (after I replenish a few calories) and friends and family to celebrate.  I keep contemplating a tiara but try to convince myself that my new medal will suffice.  What I haven't been concentrating on is the actual running of the race.

Along my route

I've been training for approximately seven months with this marathon in mind.  I don't skip training and I don't quit when I feel tired.  I eeked out some runs and blasted through others.  Most importantly, I have finished each and every one.  (Well, except for the one that was interrupted by some nasty shin pain...but I made that up the next week.)  I have put my time in.  This body is ready.  The race is not the hard part; the hard part is over.  I finished seven months of the hard part.  I know I can do five hours (or less!) of the easy part. 

A view on each run

A friend and fellow runner just reminded me that I will only get one first marathon, and I don't intend to waste it worrying.  I want to relish every moment (and I will relay many, so consider yourself warned) and keep the day as special as it ought to be.  This is just the public culmination of the days, weeks, and months I've spent preparing.  But, hey...we all know I love a good public spectacle involving myself.  And the fact that I get a medal at the end of it just makes it that much better.

The Photographic Evidence

It's a quick one tonight, folks.  I had a day full of fevers, vomit, and gymnastics (although the last one was blissful, as I finally got to sit and watch my Bear flip and tumble whilst perusing the latest from Runner's World) and it is off to Skinny Girl Margarita-ville I go.

Anyway - I pledged to at the very least share my meals/snacks/etc from here on out, and so I felt obligated to stop by and do just that.  I have already been a sometimes faithful user of myfitnesspal (and I highly recommend it to anyone trying to lose or gain weight - it's free and it works.  What more can you ask for?).  This week, I was particularly faithful and have eased myself back into a normal eating plan vs. the good-all-day-gorge-at-night plan I had been following in recent weeks.  I alternated that with the it's-a-special-occasion-because-it's-Bear's-birthday/we're-out-to-eat/I-just-freakin'-feel-like-it-OK?!? diet...but that one, believe it or not, did not get me the results I was after either.  So it's back to basics, as it should always be, and I have given myself the added accountability of taking photos of each morsel consumed (pre-consumption, of course) and sharing the resulting photographs with all of you.  On the edge of your seat yet? Drumming fingers anxiously on your computer desk?  Well, stop it.  That's annoying.  (I won't care in a few moments, as I mentioned previously that my good girl liquor awaits).



Is it everything you dreamed it would be?

So there it is.  Ta-DAAA!  That's my daily breakfast, although the yogurt is typically substituted with a form of fruit.  I am weaning myself off of Nutella, but that shit is made out of crack.  The peanut butter crackers - from a vending machine after gymnastics.  I was starving and about to be Sponge Mom Angry Pants if I didn't get something in my belly.  Hubby outdid himself once again, mixing leftovers with cupboard leavin's (you know those packages of stuff that you never recall buying and never seem to get used?), so we had pasta with chicken and sauce for dinner.  Perfect on a chilly and rainy day.  Lunch - I did that myself!  I used fridge leavin's (leftovers and previously cut veggies and/or fruits so I only have to put forth minimal effort) and concocted a pretty bangin' salad for myself.  And...at long last...thank you, Bethenny Frankel, for the gift of Skinny Girl.  Tastey and low-cal enough that I feel no guilt over two servings (certainly not after two servings, as I have become a total lightweight in this arena). 

There you have it.  Not every day will be this detailed (I will be back to my random rants/ravings/blatherings as of tomorrow), but if you're truly curious about what I'm ingesting, friend me on myfitnesspal.  My username is Miller343 and my diary is public.  And hey, I can use all the eyeballin' I can get to keep me on track and eating like the athlete I picture myself to be.

There's An App For That

Oh, iPhone! How I love thee! With you by my side, I am never alone.  We play games, share old memories and create new ones.  You gently remind me to keep at my to-do list and follow through on my goals each day.  How did I manage to live so long without you?

 

Say what you will about overuse of technology.  Tell me how annoyed you are by the person chatting away through the checkout line, oblivious to the eye rolls of those around her (hey! I will take grown-up conversations whenever I can get them, thank you very much).  My love of my smartphone does not abate.  We share so much, iPhone and me.  She has aided me on my fitness journey every step of the way, from calorie counting to marathon training.  No matter what sort of guidance I needed, I soon discovered that there was indeed an app for that.  Here are my favorites.

1.  mapmyrun - I have all of my running stats in one place.  Awesome.  Even more awesome?  I can track each run in real time, and hear voice feedback informing me of my current pace and time (which makes my interval training tres easy).  When I finish, I have instant access to my workout info, so I can see how speedy I've become since my last outing.  I can then post my route and stats to Facebook and Twitter so everyone else knows how speedy I've become, because I know they've been waiting on pins and needles to find out.  Well, they don't have to wait!  Here it is!  Thank you, mapmyrun!  Also, I can go online to find local routes to match my mileage for the day, set workout goals, and find other friends using the app so we can brag to each other about how badass we are.

2.  RunCoachPro - I have a tailored walk/run marathon training program, complete with crosstraining days and pace runs.  I have charts and graphs to track my increasingly incredible progress, which is kind of like my gold star (I think we should all still be receiving gold stars for jobs well done, but this will have to do).  I can change my goals at any point and receive an entirely new schedule as well, which is applied right to my calendar for my convenience.  Now I have reminders every day (as if I needed them, but still...it's nice).

3.  myfitnesspal - Although I am active enough now that I don't feel quite so calorie-conscious, I still find myself curious about how much I'm actually burning during a given workout.  I can plug in virtually any of my exercises and get a rough number of calories burned.  It's another gold star (they sure do rack up, don't they?!?) and I like telling Hubby the unfathomable caloric burning heights I reach.  I also find it useful when we're on the road and forced to eat at a chain (*shudder*), as I can simply enter the name of any given spot and view a list of meals and their nutritional information, thereby making better choices.  And again, friends can link up and monitor each other's progress or lack thereof, leaving congratulatory comments or gentle reminders ("WHERE THE  HELL HAVE YOU BEEN???? YOU HAVEN'T LOGGED IN FOR THREE FREAKIN' DAYS!!!) for each other.  It's all about a positive support system!

4.  P90X - a Beachbody app at last!  Like RunCoachPro, I give it my start date and it autoprograms my workout schedule for the remainder of the program.  I can track Fit Test results, nutrition, before&after photos, and measurements to monitor my ever-amazing progress.  (Really, it is amazing.  I can do pushups without my knees touching the floor.  Soon, I'll add the clapping and one-armed versions, too.  Stay tuned for increased bragging.)  Now, I'm just waiting on a TurboFire app to really get my juices flowing.

The only app that could kick these down a notch would be my very own app - instant SweatItOut and event updates combined with results and stats and in-your-face catchphrases to get me motivated.  I suppose Facebook will serve for now. *sigh*

No matter what your fitness goals may be, I can guarantee you they have an app for that.  I mean, there still isn't an app to remove excess calories from chocolate cake or make it stop tasting so delicious, but I'm certain someone, somewhere is working their little brain around that.  Until then, total avoidance will have to suffice.

Ask Not What Your Body Can Do For You...

Let's talk body image.  Because, let's face it, that's a core reason and motivator for more than a few of us.  How many times have you scrutinized your nearly or completely naked body in the mirror, pinching and pulling real or imagined flab?  Turning from one side to the other, sucking in, letting it all hang out, sucking in again and standing taller?  I feel pretty certain that I'm not the only one guilty of self-criticizing.  I also feel fairly safe in my assumption that I'm not the only one who has walked away from this situation with less than fond feelings for my body.  So, why do we do this to ourselves? 

I don't want to hear that society is to blame - though it is at least partly to fault.  We're all grown ups now, and somewhere along the road to adulthood, we've all picked up minds of our own.  At least, most of us have.  Now, it is our choice how we view ourselves and our decision what sort of bodies we will have.  I'm not saying we can all decide to have Heidi Klum's body (I bet she wants to keep it).  What I am saying is that we can have sit-on-the-couch-and-scarf-Cool-Ranch-Doritos bodies or sweat-it-out-and-flex-those-muscles bodies.  I've had both, and let me tell ya, I much prefer the latter. 

I know that no matter how hard or how much I work out, I will never be a size 2.  These hips were meant for birthing and they ain't goin' anywhere now that I've decided the birthing has stopped.  What I do know is that I can strengthen my muscles and condition my lungs so I can run faster, jump higher, and lift heavier.  I can make my heart pump more efficiently and keep myself around longer.  I can enter half marathons, full marathons, and mud races as often as I please and finish them!  Two years ago, I could not say that of this body, but oh, how the times have changed!

I was once a hard partyin' kinda gal, chainsmoking and binge eating my way through life, and my body had no qualms about reminding me of its abuse.  Stairs stole my breath and sometimes simply making it through a workday at a desk stole my energy.  I used to watch my kids play outside while I stole a quick P-Funk.  I ain't gonna lie; I cringe when I think about OldMe.  Just the smell of cigarettes makes me slightly nauseous now; I cannot begin to think what taking a puff would do.  Ugh...moving on...

Fast forward to now...me, smokefree for over two years and living a Fit Life for over one.  Stairs shmairs.  I still have days when I'm weary, but I can generally attribute that to needing iron (anemia is often a source of fatigue for me, but that's what leafy greens and steak are for).  And I believe we discussed what I do when I think I may be too tired to finish a workout...

Also, I refuse to be depressed about my size or shape anymore.  This body produced three amazing babies and this body allowed me to carry them in my arms and on my shoulders, bounce them on my knee, and push them on swings.  This body takes me on meditative hours-long runs and sweats through exhilirating Beachbody classes.  This body will be hauling me through a Spartan this summer and Tough Mudder the following summer.  This body will allow me my first real run on the beach during family vacation and help me coach my daughter's cheerleading squad in the fall.  I have found that the harder I push myself, the better my body responds, rewarding me with increased energy, stronger muscle, and lasting endurance. 

Plus - who do I want my daughter to grow into?  An insecure yet thin girl counting calories, bypassing experiences and tastes for fear of bloating?  Or a strong and fit champion counting victories and accomplishments, facing challenges head on?  I don't think I even need to share my answer. 

Now, I could have opted to simply cut calories and be thin.  After all, weight loss was my number one goal when I began this journey.  But thin is no longer the reward.  I want medals around my neck and quality moments in my life more than I want smaller clothing in my closet. 

Of course, I enjoy the side effect of looking totally fabulous as a result of these newfound goals.  But it's the icing on the cake, and anyone who knows me knows that I couldn't care less about the icing, but I'll take a great big ol' bite outta that cake.