Healthful Living and Weekly Workout Support Group - Week of August 6th [Archive]

Leslie Ferguson

08-06-2006, 10:54 AM

Summer�s here!!! Just in case you�ve been asleep for the past week or so.

Greetings friends, both long term and new additions to the community. As is my tradition I�ll open with an explanation about what this thread is all about. I welcome you all to the next in our weekly installments of the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout support group. For all new people, visitors, and lurkers, what the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout Support Group is all about: This thread is a weekly chronicle where the participants share their journeys in the world of healthful living in today�s hectic world. We share stories of our cooking experiences and family trials, tribulations, and successes. We also share our workout goals, successes, and failures. You will find all types of workout folks here - some that are just starting, some that are getting back into a workout routine, and still others that are using experienced workout programs. There is no requirement nor expectation for a participant to be �a runner� - in fact most of the people on this thread do non-running workouts: mixed cardio (aerobics, cycling, and elliptical), kick-boxing, swimming, and a myriad of other non-running events. One of the more interesting things about our thread is we try to remind each other that sometimes not working out is as healthful as working out. So if you are new to Cooking Light Community or if you�re getting back to your workout routine - welcome and please join us.

We�ve been having good discussions, newcomers bringing new goals and new perspectives to our weekly exchanges - and I, for one, appreciate that. It has been a good family week for most, an unsettling week for some, and a good week for many to look at their plans of the past 6-7 months and figure out where they want to be by year�s end. I hope that folks are experiencing the break in the weather that has been predicted - we can all use it. Sorry to get stuck on the weather but that�s kind of where things reside down here. With that said, over the last week or so things that have stood out include:

Karen - DS#1 went to the orthodontist and got braces and kept his palate expander too; DD going away to overnight camp this week (left today); had an A/C casualty that was quickly solved; sweltered in the heat that finally broke; got stuck with the pool (1) not opening due to the thunder and (2) being full because of the heat; trying to find things to do with DS#1 and DS#2 until the new school year approaches.
Terri - Getting hooked in by a friend to run in the Outer Banks (NC) half marathon; resolving some at-work issues but still looking for a final solution; making progress towards her �100 Class Challenge� at the gym but might find it difficult as she starts running more. How was your run yesterday and the first attempt at 8/1 run/walk intervals?
Laura - Been a little quiet here but I see her around on other threads; wrapping up the remainder of DS�s swim meets (if I remember correctly); preparing for her half marathon in San Jose; and making preps for DD to head off to college soon.
Jean - Hanging in there and wrestling with some eating habits she wants to break; getting to the gym most days and tried to get out with DD onto the trail for a 4-mile walk. Good to have her staying with us and good for me to have another night owl to hoot around with. ;)
Laura K - Another one doing well and making progress on her summer weight loss goal - way to go Laura and WW; getting cardio workouts in with DH. We�ve also gotten good reports about familial issues from earlier this year - hope the good news keeps flowing.
Me (Les) - Unsettled by birds all week, but good news from yesterday - saw an immature Night Heron in my front yard, what a sight; :) did part I (blood/lab work) last week and will do part II tomorrow (poking and prodding), not expecting anything bad from the check up but still disturbs my week; had a great time with my parents and sister on their vacation this past week; battling the heat and my reactions to it; got my confirmation packet for Rock �n Roll half that will happen in Va. Beach in less than 4 weeks.

I think I�ve already hit a lot of the healthful living things. I�m getting more sleep and enjoying it quite a bit. I�ve come to realize that the heat really does take a lot out of me, confirmed that after yesterday�s run in the 80/80 conditions. The remainder of my healthful week items - continue counseling, both in the clinical setting and with my spiritual advisor. And I forgot to mention that my ankle is bugging me again and reminding me that I haven�t been doing my PT exercises :( so reenergize that part of my daily regimen.

Workout items: lift today (as always) then run and/or ride this week. Depending on my schedule (which might not support early runs this week) I�ll probably ride 3 times this week.

If there happen to be any other lurkers out there - please drop in and chat, we love having new people come by for a visit.

But for now, this has gotten long and I need to get off to the gym to lift today. Until evening -

Peace,
Les

fuzzbo

08-06-2006, 01:53 PM

I am embarking on a fitness overhaul. I've been inspired by an Oprah re-run to commit 12 weeks to taking my fitness goals to the next level. The biggest change will be in adding a significant amount of cardio to my routine, but I've determined I can easily meet that goal by taking my daughter on daily walks (30-60 minutes.) Today I actually get the rare opportunity to go run by myself - a first this year. We'll see if I can even manage the 8:1 intervals! I've only run on the treadmill this year.

I'm also implementing the 3 hour rule for eating - cutting off the eating around 7pm, about 3 hours before bedtime (Les, believe it or not I'm usually in bed by 10pm to make my 5am wake up call. I've had a few sleepless nights, though!) The time between dinner and bedtime is my danger zone and when all kinds of unnecessary random eating occurs. Consciously making the decision to eat only when I'm hungry has helped in this area considerably, which makes the cut off time relatively easy.

My goals for the week:
6 days of power walking (35 pound daughter and stroller,too!)
3-4 days strength training
Fruit and/or vegetable at every meal/snack
Sit down eating & no eating after 7pm
Plan out work schedule
Plan 2 kid-free, social engagements

I made an Orange ginger (broccoli) slaw for dinner tonight - a CL Fast recipe. It's very light, filling, and tasty. Perfect for summer.

Here's to a good week!

Jean

TerriAb

08-06-2006, 06:30 PM

Hi Everyone!

I've been remiss again about checking in. It's been a busy weekend and it's hard to believe that it's already Sunday night again! I don't like time going by so quickly!

I did my first long run yesterday morning - 6 miles. I think (ok, I know) I was kind of freaked out about it because I ended up waking up at 4:30 yesterday morning and couldn't get back to sleep, thinking about it. I did it in 1 hour 20 minutes, which I know is very slow, but it felt good for me. I was hoping for less than 1-1/2 hours, so I made it. I ended up doing 5/1's. It seemed better for me. I'll work up to the 8/1's. The opening hill for me (about a mile in) about killed me. I was starting to think, "this is only a mile in, how am I going to make it the other 5?" But, I did. I ended up walking about the last 3/4 mile because about a mile out my right foot started tingling, almost like it was falling asleep. Turns out there was a blister forming on the bottom of my foot (in the arch, at the end of my orthotic). As soon as I realized that, I stopped running and power walked the rest of the way. I think the downhill (from the dreaded uphill) made my foot slide in my shoe and rubbed against my orthotic. I have a 2 mile run tomorrow and will run outside, so I'll see how it does. The blister has gone down, so I think I caught it in time. I have some moleskin here from my hiking days, so I'll put it on there to be safe.

So, first long one down and felt pretty good about it. A friend of mine offered to run with me next Saturday. She's done a marathon before and she's a runner. I told her I was turtle slow, but she said she's happy to do it. She lives out my Mt. Vernon and so we'll run along the Potomac, which is a beautiful area. Hopefully the weather will hold out.

After my run in the early morning, I went over to the women's shelter and volunteered to help make lunch. Another few hours on my feet. After that I went to a friend's house to help her make some invitations for our annual church women's retreat. It was a long day and was not surprised when I was crawling into bed at 8:45pm (which may happen tonight, too).

I have a few things ahead of me at work this week, but is still slower than I like. Not sure how this will be resolved, but I'm (re)learning patience in the process!

Jean - great goals for this week! Let us know how you are doing with them. I can't imagine power walking with a 35 pound child and stroller along with it! Just carrying around a 35 pound child is a workout!

Les (Bird boy) - Are you putting a sign out for the birds to come visit you?? Good luck w/ your poking and prodding tomorrow. Are you going to have the dr. check out your ankle again? You need to be in tip top shape for the RnR, so no slacking on your PT! I can't remember, is LW doing RnR, too?

Have a good evening everyone, I've rambled long enough. I'll check in again tomorrow.
Terri

karen w

08-06-2006, 06:33 PM

Good evening everyone. I hope the weekend was a good one for all.

Fuzzbo-I'm impressed with your goals for the week and the sound of your enthusiasm. I wish you luck. They sound like very reasonable and attainable goals so I'm sure you'll do great!

Les-Thanks for getting the week going again. That bird sighting(heron) sounds amazing. Is that a common sighting in your area. I don't often hear of seeing herons of any sort around here. We get huge families of wild turkeys parading all over around our area. Of course, after Thanksgiving they suddenly disappear!!! :eek: Go figure!!!!??? :p I hope they don't poke at you too hard tomorrow. Good luck, anyway.

We had a good weekend here. I did my ellipticizing and abs both Sat. and Sun. Yesterday was at home for me most of the day while DH got his testosterone fix at our brand new Loew's. Fortunately, he did not get into too much trouble. . . that I know of anyway! :rolleyes: Today we took DD up to camp. She seemed happy and excited. I'm sure she'll have a great time. On the way home, we stopped for dinner with the boys. The upcoming week will be busy. DH has the week off and is planning to try to keep the boys busy. Tomorrow he is taking them to the Natural History museum in the city, Tuesday they have dentist appts. Wed. overnight into Thursday is the battleship in Massachusetts, and Saturday is a cub scouting event(BB gun day, of some sort). I'm going to take the week to do some errands that I have not been able to accomplish with the kids at home plus maybe a "me" day for my nails/hair etc... :) For tomorrow I'll swim and box; the rest of the day . . . whatever I'm in the mood for at the moment!! How's that! ;)

Have a good week,
Karen

Leslie Ferguson

08-06-2006, 08:57 PM

It's great hearing from you all to start the week. Oh well, I guess I am odd man out (in more ways than one) being the only night owl in the group (by nature). The story of my life. But it's a burden that I'll willingly bear because it is a little of my daily "me" time.

Jean - Pushing a 35 pound DD in a stroller (that can't be that light either) will be a great cardio workout. Your plans sound well thought out and doable but still challenging. I hope you do well in the 3-hour danger zone regarding eating too. I'll (and I bet we'll) be cheering you on as you progress on your exercise and fitness reinvogoration.
Terri - Ouch! :eek: That blister sounds pretty daunting. A couple of the things that I've found that is one step better than moleskin are (1) Blister Guard and (2) Compeed. They are both like bandages but they provide a watertight seal and will last for 4-7 days as long as you put them on flat surfaces (like soles as opposed to heels). Thye bandages have a thick salve that helps prevent blisters and if you have one they will help the blister heal. When you put moleskin in your shoes you might want to put a piece on the tongue of your shoes (sounds weird but that will help prevent your foot sliding forward). Running by Mount Vernon on the Potomac - a beautiful place - and if your weather is anything like ours is predicted to be next weekend you'll have a blast. My hat's off to you for the work you did today - thank you from those who you served. I'll be thinking of you at work this week as you (re)learn patience and try to become setled with your work. I think the birds like my yard because I will chase the cats away and I've chased enough of them that most of the neighborhood cats stay away from my house.
Karen - The night heron is fairly uncommon this far from the water (we're about 110 yards from the water) and certainly as far from the best place for heron to hang out - the reeds that are in the boat ramp a couple blocks south of our street. There are a couple Night Heron that hang out in community as well as a couple Great Blue Heron but they are almost always at the water's edge. That's great that DH will be home to keep the kids engaged so you can have a relatively peaceful week. Try not to overextend yourself in any one type of exercise next week... ;) no need to burn yourself out.

Not much else from here. I lifted well today and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm a little down because I've got to get up and out early to get prodded - that seems odd that I get up early to make myself "uncomfortable" for a little while.

Best wishes to all and I'll see you tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

fuzzbo

08-07-2006, 05:28 AM

The morning is off to a good start. A good sign, perhaps...I was excited to get going this morning and was very restless from about 4am until I got out of bed at 4:45am. I implemented my new resistance training schedule, which took about an hour, and I'm feeling it. My plan, weather permitting, is to get out for my walk this morning. Right now it's raining, but I'm hoping it clears up. I did get out yesterday for a run and after my 1st interval of running, I decided to change my plan and walk the next full interval (9 minutes) and extend my distance. I think I was so excited to be running alone that I went a little too fast! I ended up going back and forth between running and power walking (more of the latter) for about an hour.

The eating (so far) has been very easy. I'm not feeling the usual 'withdrawal' jitters when I don't eat at night - I think the committment to this plan is my strength at the moment. We had a great, summer dinner -an orange ginger slaw with shrimp (and a little kick), homemade bruschetta, and couscous. That kept me sated through the evening.

Terri-those hills are a bear aren't they? I remember my marathon training route had a mile long hill right off the bat! I ended up running it on the first loop and walking much of it in subsequent loops (and found it didn't affect my overall time too much - I like to think I was conserving energy!) Hope you find a solution to that blister - no fun.

Karen-enjoy your week! And definitely take at least one 'me' day! Everyone needs those, and hopefully you'll be able to enjoy it without the guilt that seems to plague so many moms that I know.

Les-How is your ankle? Question for you...when you get up and workout first thing - what do you eat/drink?

Jean

TerriAb

08-07-2006, 05:43 AM

Good morning! Well, the best laid plans never seem to work out, do they? Today was my short run (only 2 miles) and I had planned to come in and run outside. It's a pretty easy run around work in the morning (traffic picks up for the rest of the day). Well, about 4:20 this morning, I hear plink, plink, plink on my window and a few flashes. By the time I got up and out, water was streaming down the parking lot it was raining so hard and I thought I was going to get hit by lightening on the way to my car! So, I got to the gym a bit late, because of traffic and driving slower than normal. I did my two miles, but on the treadmill instead. I've never seen such a storm in the morning! My blister was fine, didn't even put anything on it. Good idea about the moleskin in the tongue of my shoe, Les. I'll try it. That shoe is kinda funky - it's either too loosely tied or too tight. The moleskin may help.

Jean - Congratulations on you resistance workout. If you're feeling it now, your muscles will be talking to you all day. Good job on your not snacking. You'll need to find something to do with your hands in the evenings (knitting or such) to keep your mind and hands occupied.

Les - Hope your poking goes ok this morning. I also hope your spirits are lifted since it's over (or should be soon). How's your ankle feeling?

Karen - Glad to hear that you have a more relaxing week (although, you don't seem the type to really "relax"). I hope you get your girlie day in this week. You deserve it!

Off to the grind. Have a good day everyone!
Terri

tmsl

08-07-2006, 06:45 AM

What a good start to the week with everyone checking in!!

I was the energizer bunny on Saturday which is sort of unusual for me. I got up and did my chores around the house (dusting, bathrooms, laundry, etc) and finished rather quickly. Since I still had energy, I went to the gym and managed to run 2.5 and walk .5 miles in 40 minutes on the treadmill. I spent 20 minutes on a recumbent then did some arm weights. Back home it was shower time then shopping as we had a tax free, back-to-school weekend. I could feel the arm muscles yesterday since they have not been worked out that much lately. Yesterday was definitely a rest day as I only went out of the house for church. All in all a good weekend in my book.

I'll try for 3-4 days at the gym this week with cardio and maybe some light weights if I feel like it. I need to make a menu for the week today so we can get some groceries after work. Next weekend is my high school reunion so we will go back to my hometown for that.

Great job to Jean and Terri for getting up and out already this morning. Les, I hope the prodding was not too terrible. Karen, enjoy your "quiet" week.

Happy Monday

Laura K.

karen w

08-07-2006, 04:49 PM

Wow, everyone is checking in this week! :cool:

Les-How'd the prodding go? I hope they did not hurt you too badly.

Terri-Your rain traveled my way this morning. They had to close the pool again this morning, but lucky for me the thunder and lightening did not begin until 5 min. after I finished my swim. As I was leaving the pool area, the lifeguard muttered to me, "you're getting out just in time!" Phew! Did not want a repeat of Friday. Take care of those feet.

Laura K.-Wow, you really were the energizer bunny. I'm sure you were tired that evening, but that is always a good kind of tired feeling. . . knowing how much you accomplished.

Fuzzbo-Way to go on both your exercise and eating so far. Your dinner sounds delicious, too. I'll try not to feel too guilty enjoying my "me" time! ;)

As I mentioned I got my swim in this morning just under the wire. The storms blew through pretty quickly, too. After breakfast DH headed off with the boys to the city while I folded laundry, cleaned rooms, stripped DD's bed since she's away etc... Later I went to boxing. Great class this morning, but quiet. After lunch I did some gardening. The tomatoes and cukes are really swinging into high gear now. I also picked a bunch of chard to make a soup. Then did some errands for back to school at Target and Staples. Tonight I made my soup and had a nice quiet dinner. :) DH checked in just after 5PM. The museum had closed and they were going to get something to eat before heading home. I'll have to get the full report tonight, but it seems DS#2 did not behave himself the entire day. Not sure if this will affect his plans to go to the battleship on Wed. or not. I'll find out later tonight.

Tomorrow I will swim and box. The boys will be home as they have dental appts. in the afternoon. I am planning on getting my nails done in the afternoon(while DH takes the boys to the dentist!! :cool: ).

Have a good evening,
Karen

Leslie Ferguson

08-07-2006, 09:35 PM

Jean - What I eat depends a little on how far I'm running. Right now, before my long runs on the weekends I'll eat a couple mini-whole wheat bagels (Thomas'), a couple granola bars, and a little applesauce. In the past I've eaten everything from waffles with jam, bananas, and oatmeal. The trick is to find something that sits well and is easy to consume. The things I try to avoid are acidic beverages (causes upset stomach) and milk-based products (hard to digest). If I'm running in the afternoon and need a little pick-me-up it's something fairly carb heavy but still fairly simple - rice krispie treats and granola bars are good in the afternoon. Just how much I eat depends on how far I'm running. I was "taught" that before ~10-12 miles you should shoot for 500-550 calories (give or take) as long as you're putting something in during the run. But that is wholly adjustable and I'd even be able to adjust down if I was running easy and short. But just how much? I'm not sure. I hope that isn't too confusing. Good job with your exercise and eating - being dedicated and responsible to someone/some folks makes it a little easier to stick with a plan.

Terri - Sorry about the weather impacting your run today. There are some other ways to lace your shoes that I can send you that might be helpful to keep them tight enough but loose enough. A lot depends on where you like/need to have them snugger. I hope the weather behaves for you tomorrow - I wish some of that rain would come down this way, our grass is dying a quick and painless death (as is the moss that grows in the back yard). :rolleyes:
Laura K - It does sound like you had a great weekend and I hope you have a good high school reunion. My 25th is supposed to be this year but I think the class is suffering from a little "Southern California life" because I haven't heard anything. But then again we were late on our 10th (did it in January of 1992 instead of June on 1991).
Karen - It sounds like you had a good and bad day (or at least a good and not so good day). I hope for his sake that DS#2 didn't act up too much. What a balancing act you carry out, even when it's "only" 2 kids in the house. Way to beat the thunder this morning - no need to risk anything but no reason th miss a good swim too.

It wasn't a bad Monday. I got a thorough prodding (but not too painful - only ouched once ;) ) and was pronounced "fit enough for ordination." Of course, the doctor, being a Navy doctor he was a little perplexed because the standard was a little nebulous, something like "does the candidate have any medical condition that in your opinion might preclude them from serving in their chosen ministry?" His question was - and what exactly would that entail? I know what it takes to be fit for arduous sea duty and flight duty but I can't figure out what might be more arduous about being a minister. :) :rolleyes: Needless to say he signed off on my physical and sent me on my way. My ankle is up and down. Since it's a chronic thing I just have to remember to treat it correctly (which includes PT exercises). It doesn't hurt that I ran 14 miles on back to back weekends (which might not be the smartest thing). I think this coming weekend isn't going to be that long (at least that's my plan for now). As for today's physical exercise - by the time I got home this evening the thermometer on the bank was showing a paltry 97 degrees (that would include the heat radiating from the street but still...) so I rode. Darn it if my bike tire wasn't flat again - I guess it's time to do surgery again on the tire and figure out where the next leak is. If it's a bigger leak or I can't get the leak sealed I'll be replacing the tube soon.

As for tomorrow? Meetings... meetings... meetings. Then I'll try to run since it's supposed to be cooler (relatively) than today. We can only hope for rain and thundershowers.

That'll have to do it -- 11:30 has passed and it's time to turn in for my beauty sleep. See you all tomorrow sometime and peace to all,
Les

TerriAb

08-08-2006, 06:17 AM

Good morning! I only have a few minutes to check in this morning. I'm giving blood (or trying to) in a little while. I get rejected often for having low iron. I try to keep it up, but it could be a number of things. Anyway, I try.

Did my TBC (Total Body Conditioning) class this morning. It was tough and by our 5th set of (15) pushups - yes, 75 pushups! - I was about done. I did the abs class after. Trying to keep up with my 100 class club, but will probably fall short. Oh well, loftier goals. Tomorrow I will spin and Thursday I will run. I'm only going to do spinning for a few more weeks (I think). I had signed up for a spinathon (3 hour spinning class, but you do it in teams) before I signed up for the 1/2 marathon. I wanted to keep my commitment to that. It's good cross training at any rate.

Karen, glad to hear you got your swim in before the storms hit. They were something.

Les, glad to hear that your poking wasn't too hard and don't let the doctors fool you. I think ministry would be harder than any other job! If I can figure out how to PM you, I'll check w/ you about the shoe laces and other stuff.

Laura K, great job with your bundle of energy on Saturday. I love days like that when I feel like I've accomplished something.

OK, off to get stabbed. Talk to you all later.
Terri

karen w

08-08-2006, 05:17 PM

Les-On the contrary....I had a fabulous day yesterday. It was DH who dealt with the boys; not me!!! :D He took them to the city. As a matter of fact he brought home a very special treat for me too. . . .and they are ALL mine!!! Broo-ha-ha!!!! :D :cool: :p I now have 10 dozen Bialy's from Kossar's on the lower East side. YUMMY!! And if you don't know what a bialy is. . .well, you just have to have one to know. Basically an amorphous bagel-like bread with a depression(no hole) in the middle full of onions and poppy seeds(sometimes) and all powdery(floury) on the outside. Slathered with butter or cream cheese and I am in heaven! ;) Glad to hear you passed the prodding. I hope you find your leak, though.

Terri-I think what you have should be called a healthy dilemma. . .i.e. which exercise regime do I commit my time to; not should I exercise? I think that is a good position to be as it's not a question of getting out to do it anymore, but which should I do first etc... Sounds like you have a good plan.

I had a good day starting with a nice swim in my own lane for a change. Yay! Later I went to boxing. Small class again, but good as usual. This afternoon, DH took the boys to the dentist while I got my nails done. ;) I think I made out on that deal! :cool: Tomorrow DH is going to take the boys to the ship(U.S.S. Massachusetts). He has already made a reservation at a hotel, and the next day they are going to stop in Mystic to see the aquarium before coming home. That will give me more time to take care of some things at home and get some more "me" time. I will swim and likely box in the morning and will be getting my oil changed(in my car, that is :p ) in the afternoon. The rest....well, we shall see what I feel like doing! ;)

Have a good night,
Karen

fuzzbo

08-08-2006, 05:28 PM

Terri-I'm impressed by your 75 pushups! I continually have 'Do 10 pushups' on my resolution list! And I'm glad you mentioned donating blood - it's something I have been wanting to do for a LONG time, but just haven't gotten around to it. I will call the Red Cross tomorrow - thanks for that reminder.

Les-thanks for that information. I won't even tell you what I used to do when doing my marathon training! I eat breakfast daily now (although, I wait until I get back from the gym...I never know if I should consume anything before my workout...doesn't affect my performance either way) Back then I might've eaten a package of Gu before my long run and that was it!

Karen-I'm admiring your commitment to fitness! I know so many who put their health and fitness on the back burner as they devote themselves to their families and/or careers. Even I was guilty of that - always allowing something else to come up or finding a reason why I couldn't fit it in, but I'm so much more grounded and content now that I've made it a priority. OT question: when can kids start bathing without supervision? I'm just wondering when I can draw a bath for my almost 3 year old and let her have her fun without worrying or being charged with child endangerment!

Laura-I love those uber-productive days! I find them energizing :) and to end the weekend with a day of rest...sounds perfect! Sounds like you have a good workout week planned.

Today I got out by myself (again!) and did a 30 minute power walk/run. Then I met a friend for a 4 mile walk, which was more of a stroll, but movement all the same. Rather than sitting around watching our kids play, as usual, we decided to have them sit back for a change while we walked. Tomorrow is resistance day, so I'll do that in the morning and get in a 30 minute walk either early morning or late afternoon. I do have another stroll planned with a friend, but I don't count those outings as exercise, per se. Eating has been very good. I'm finding the commitment to my 12 week plan to be very helpful. I'm eating less and eating better without much thought or effort. Seems like before I was constantly fighting the urge to snack.

Just found out that the gym where I bought a temporary membership for when I visit my parents will be closed next week when I visit. I joined the gym at the local college and they're closing for 2 weeks before classes. I'm going to have to scout out an alternative! Rats.

Have a great night!

Jean

TerriAb

08-08-2006, 07:06 PM

Not used to doing a nightly check in! I'm heading to bed soon and thought I'd look in to see if anyone had responded today.

Karen, I'm glad you got some "me" time and it sounds like more to come. Enjoy yourself with whatever you decide to do! I've not had a bialy before but if there's bread involved, I know I would love it - especially ones with onions and seeds in the middle. Mmmmm, salivating just thinking about it. I'm an everything bagel kind of girl, so the bialys sound right up my alley. Two of my nephews live in NYC, so I might have to make an aunt visit to them soon and try them out!

Jean, I really didn't do all 75 pushups, but I probably did about 50 and they were girl pushups (on my knees), but I was still proud of myself that I did what I did. Now I just need to work myself up to get the rest in. I'm glad you asked the question about eating. I don't eat before I work out in the mornings either and my friend, the runner, told me I should eat something before I went out on Saturday, so I choked down a Kashi bar before I left. I thought I was going to be sick while I was eating it, but was fine after. I like the idea of maybe applesauce. I've always heard not to eat dairy before working out because as you heat up, the dairy starts to curdle in your stomach. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do tend to shy away from it if I'm going to work out. I did take a goo with me on Saturday and ate/sucked that along the way, which was fine. When I got home I felt fine and ate a normal breakfast (yogurt and granola). I usually eat within about 1/2 hour of my workouts and that's always worked for me. Interesting to hear that eating or not eating doesn't affect your performance.

I did end up giving blood this morning. With my finger stick, I thought I'd get rejected, but once they spun the sample, it all worked out fine. That finger stick is the worst part of the whole thing - well, that and taking that stupid bandage off my arm. I'm a huge wimp when it comes to pulling bandaids off. I'm the slow, one hair at a time kind. I just can't bring myself to rip them off! The good thing is that I have huge veins, so it's easy for them to get the needle in my arm (sorry if any of your are needle squeamish). My BP is a bit low again - 90/60, probably from all the working out.

Off to pack my lunch and get to bed. I'll talk to you in the morning.
Terri

fuzzbo

08-08-2006, 07:50 PM

Terri-I'm still impressed! I remember seeing Dr. Oz Mahmet (sp?) on Oprah who said a woman my age should be able to do 45 'girly' pushups, so I tried it the next day at the gym. I was shocked I could only do 20 or so, and barely that! So, regular or girly - I'm still working on those push ups!

Jean

Leslie Ferguson

08-08-2006, 09:28 PM

Oh Karen, I misspoke (or better I wasn't clear about my comment) - I figured you'd hear the details aobut DS#2 and that would wreck an otherwise great day. Glad to hear that it appears to be less an issue than I expected. Darn the bad luck that DH has the kids again tomorrow and the next day. What will you do with all that personal time? ;) The Bialy's sound interesting - definitely nothing that I've eaten or that I remember eating. My time running around Israel (where I would have had the best access to Jewish food) was 8 years ago and a lot of things have passed between here and there. I guess I'll have to figure out how to get one down here (the best deli closed down and I don't have a place to get good Jewish food any more).
Jean - Depending on what I'm doing for exercise first thing will dictate how much/if I eat before hand. If I'm running long or fast then I'll have to put something in the tank but if I'm doing something more easy then I'm more apt to limit my intake. I like your plan with the kids and it sounds like Day 2 was a success - again. Grat work!
Terri - Before long runs I fiddled with all kinds of things and really feel like the bagels stick with me the best and don't cause GI issues. I'd almost recommend bananas over applesauce (since those seem to go down well anyway) but the biggest thing I've found is whatever works for you is best for you.

I've developed an interesting MO on days when I do a lot of introspection - my running/biking seems to take back seat. But I do a lot of processing and not having to be distracted with cars and society helps that.

I'm off to rechare a little and go to bed before I fall asleep at the keyboard. :D ;)

So until tomorrow -- may you all have peace,
Les

TerriAb

08-09-2006, 06:16 AM

Good morning!

Les, thanks for the tip on the bagels. I'll pick some up this week. Those seem more palatable to me in the early morning than the Kashi bars. I love bananas, but they tend to not like me so much, so I stay clear of them when I can. If that's all there is, I will eat them. That's why I liked the idea of the applesauce. I'll keep experimenting.

Jean, when I first started working out, I don't think I could do five pushups. I have definitely built up to this.

Did my spinning class and abs class this morning. I felt a little sluggish, but I usually do the day after I give blood. I'll get a lot of water in today and I'll be fine tomorrow for my run.

Have a good day everyone!
Terri

karen w

08-09-2006, 06:55 AM

Hi guys,

Early morning check in since the boys just left so I have a few free moments!! :) I had another really fantastic swim this morning and even got my own lane again! Wonders never cease. I plan on boxing in an hour. Just finished stripping the sheets from DH and my bed. Figured this would be a good day to do that since it'll just be lonely old me in that big bed tonight. ;)

Les-On the contrary, bialy's are not an Israeli food. You would likely not find any there. Their origins were Jewish bakers in Bialystock, Poland prior to the Nazi invasion by Hitler. Unfortuantely that wiped out all of the Bialy bakers in Europe at the time. Nevertheless, I'll savor one or 10 dozen for you....O.K.! ;)

Jean-I'm trying to recall when it was exactly that I let my kids bathe alone. I don't think it was as early as three. Perhaps at that age I might have walked away for 5-10 min. at a time as long as I was in ear shot and on the same level of the house. Maybe around 4-5 yrs. when they were taking swimming lessons and doing well at the pool, and I noticed they were treating the bathtub like a pool, too. For example filling it up pretty high, lying down on their tummies or backs and splashing around not wanting to get out. Then I decided I can't sit there and wait until they turn purple. They'll get out when they are ready. It's funny...whenever we visit my mom and she bathes the kids, she always refills the tub with warm water when it gets cold. I keep telling her that if she does that, she'll never get them out of the tub. She'll never learn! :rolleyes:

Terri-Good for you for giving blood. DH does that on a regular basis, too. I've never done it before as I don't qualify.(I don't weigh enough :o ). Maybe some day. Great job on the push ups, too. I have to do 75 regular ones every month when I do my bo-black progress testing. Next test is August 24th. I've always been O.K. with the push ups since my arms/shoulders are pretty strong from swimming.

Hope everyone enjoys their day. I'll check in later tonight.

See ya,
Karen

Leslie Ferguson

08-09-2006, 07:32 AM

Les-On the contrary, bialy's are not an Israeli food. You would likely not find any there. Their origins were Jewish bakers in Bialystock, Poland prior to the Nazi invasion by Hitler. Unfortuantely that wiped out all of the Bialy bakers in Europe at the time. Nevertheless, I'll savor one or 10 dozen for you....O.K.! ;)
There I go... thinking again. I stand corrected and obviously I've never eaten a Bialy. Now I'm more intrigued but will not likely find a good one in Norfolk. But where there's a will there's a way. I hope you aren't too bored tonight at home all alone. ;) Enjoy your day tomorrow too since I bet your guys won't be home really early after enjoying the Mystic Aquarium.

Terri - It's always tough exercising after giving blood for me too. I try to make sure I donate on a Saturday after my long run (but not one of the longest) so I only have to contend with weights while being a pint low. Happy experimenting with what you can eat before working out. I've found over time that my tolerance has changed. BTW I'm not sure that the issues with dairy are as much curdling as it is the coating of your stomach and the potential gastric distress that might cause. Another neat fruit to eat pre-run (and post run too) is frozen grapes (especially in the summer). Those things pack a good punch and are normally easily digestible (but they can also have a laxative effect so be careful with them).

It looks like today will be a little cooler than it has been over the past week so I might try and get out for a run before the temps hit the middle 80s. One can hope.

See you later,
Les

karen w

08-09-2006, 04:43 PM

Les-Thanks for the well wishes for a good day tomorrow. DH just checked in with me. They just finished the boat at ~5 PM and were grabbing some dinner in the area before heading for their hotel near Mystic. I'm guessing they will jump in the pool at the hotel this evening to relax. Did you get in a good run today? How's the bike tire? Did you find the hole? patch it?

Rest of my day went as planned. Boxing was decent. The "taxi" had an oil change this afternoon, and I got some of the grocery shopping done, too. Tomorrow I'll try to accomplish the rest of my "to do" list...it never ends! :p

Have a good evening,

KAren

Leslie Ferguson

08-09-2006, 09:22 PM

The best laid plans of mice and men... but I digress for a moment and...

I'm glad that DH and the boys had a good time in and at MASSACHUSETTS Karen. I hope they didn't get stuck near Providence with the evening traffic and that they got to Mystic safely. That is such a neat area to be in (but I'm not sure I'd want to live there again). I hope your day goes well tomorrow and boxing and shopping are good and uneventful. DD comes back on Sunday right?

As for my day and for lots of reasons (working on subordinate's annual evaluations, etc.) my intention of getting out of the office promptly didn't come to fruition. And with church and guitar playing (and I had a fantastic time) this evening I shifted to the bike. Still have a slight leak somewhere (and I'm too lazy to find it) but a reinflation lasts for a day so my ride came off without a hitch. I'm befuddled by the leak right now but hopefully I can either find it or I'll be forced to replace the tube (but I am getting good a using the floor pump :rolleyes: ).

I plan on running early tomorrow (actually stepping out of the office before 10). If I keep saying that I'll go - really I will. :rolleyes:

Until tomorrow - I hope everyone else is having a great week. Be safe and careful out there and I'll see you all tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

TerriAb

08-10-2006, 06:06 AM

Good morning! I'll start out by saying I had a frustrating run this morning. I ended up walking a lot more than I was hoping. There are so many hills (and good sized hill, not steep, just really long) around here that it was very hard. So, I'm feeling very frustrated asking myself, why can't I do this? I'm in good shape! But, I get done, stretch, shower, etc. I'm on my way to get coffee and see a guy who works here, he's about my age and suffered a stroke about 10 years ago. Very fluke thing. He can walk but doesn't have much use of the left side of his body. I don't see him very often, but I'm glad I did this morning. It got me off of my pity pot.

So, that being said, I'm looking forward to my day off tomorrow and only semi-dreading my long run on Saturday. This one should be fairly flat, so I'll see if that makes a huge difference. I was also thinking that maybe I DO need to eat something before I go.

Karen - good luck w/ your to do list today. I hope you get a lot done, but get some enjoyable "me" time in there, too. I've never been up to Mystic (or anywhere up there, really). I'd like to go at some point, in the summer of course.

Les - Sorry to hear that your tire is still giving you trouble. I hope you do get out for your run this morning. It looks like it's about to rain here, don't know if you're getting the same. They said rain off and on all day. I didn't have any this morning, the weather was pretty decent.

Have a good day everyone!
Terri

fuzzbo

08-10-2006, 06:41 AM

Terri-I'm sorry you had a frustrating run! I have rediscovered that I while I consider myself in-shape as far as what I do at the gym - I'm not in running shape, at all, as my last few outings have proven! It's not a good feeling. But think how great you'll feel once you can conquer those miles with relative ease! Again, I'm the novice runner here, but do you have any flat trails or routes you can take? Get your distance down on those, perhaps, and save the hills for hill workouts?

Les-Hope you had a good run this morning!

Karen-enjoy tackling that 'To Do' list - uninterrupted! I always feel so accomplished when I can whittle it down a bit.

I'm getting ready to go for my power walk/run this morning. I didn't get out yesterday as planned - let other things take priority, but with the knowledge that I would have to go these next 4 days to stay on track. It's a beautiful morning and after our walk I'll walk my daughter over to the park to run around. We live in a town where you can walk to virtually anything you need (grocery, pharmacy, haircut, hardware store, etc.) and after seeing An Inconvenient Truth my plan is to do more walking! That will also save me a lot of money when I fill up my Hummer (just kidding!) Speaking of movies...I saw a screening of Little Miss Sunshine (Greg Kinnear, Steve Carrell, Alan Arkin) and thought it was among the best movies I've seen in a very long time.

Jean

Leslie Ferguson

08-10-2006, 01:50 PM

Drive by... claiming victory...

I did get out and run earlier (this morning). Not as early as I would have liked but before lunch none the less. A typical but uninspired run - about 8.4 miles (a good distance for a mid-week run really) but it just felt weird. Pretty much even tempo the whole way or at least even splits going out and back (or within 10-15 seconds on each leg). Glad it's over though.

I'll check back once I get home but hope that everyone is well. Comments will follow tonight - I promise.

Peace,
Les

karen w

08-10-2006, 07:14 PM

Terri-Sorry you had a frustrating morning. I have to agree with Fuzzbo....I thought I was in such great shape from swimming daily for years. When I started kickboxing, my muscles were so sore. It's a different group of muscles you work out for each activity. I know if I go away for a week, too, there is always that first few days back that you ache a bit no matter how great a shape you seem to be. Hang in there!

Fuzzbo-I hope you had a good walk today. I'll have to check out that movie, too.

Les-Glad your plans did not get foiled again today.

Another swim by myself this morning. It was kinda weird waking up early in an empty house to go swimming, but I kept to my routine. I ellipticized after breakfast to give my muscles a break from boxing for a day. I did a pretty good job on the "to do" list in the afternoon. Of course, we all know once it gets done, the new list begins!

DH and the boys returned home around 5 PM. They had a great time and brought back a few souveniers, too. DH was a bit underwhelmed with the aquariam in Mystic. We have seen bigger and better ones elsewhere(Monterey, New orleans, Chicago, Tennessee). I think this one was a bit more commercialized for lack of a better word. But the boys had fun and behaved reasonably. AND...they are all back safe and sound.

Tomorrow I will swim and box.

Have a good night,
Karen

Leslie Ferguson

08-10-2006, 08:57 PM

Terri - Running outdoors can be quite different than running on the treadmill. For years I heard "I can run an 8-minute mile (or whatever speed) on the treadmill then when I try to run that fast outside I die." My coach gave me some advice (and it was backed up by other professional coaches and that is to add ~1/2 - 1% incline when you run your "non-hill" miles on the treadmill. That slight incline tends to (1) remove the assistance the belt provides while you run at 0% incline and (2) isn't too much incline so you are beaten by a long hill climb. I followed that advice while doing some marathon training and logging lots of miles on the treadmill over the winter and it seemed to ring true in practice. I've found over the years that running on hills and inclines is quite a bit mental too. It's hard to explain what I mean but as Yogi Berra said 90% of anything is half mental. Part of the trick I've found on hills is to feel like I'm compacting myself into the hill at the base then imagine projecting myself over the top of the hill. It may sound weird but it really works to mentally throw yourself over the hill. I'll second that eating something will help you get through your long run (or any cardio intensive exercise) first thing in the morning. If it were my choice, I'd go to Connecticut in early fall not the summer. Too many tourists near the coast in the summer and the weather is generally more predictable and hospitable in the fall.
Jean - Oh how I'd love to live in a town that I could walk anywhere. When I was stationed in Newport RI years ago I actually got to the point where I was only driving about 300 miles a month (as opposed to nearly 900 miles a month in Norfolk). I walked everywhere except Church on Sunday and the grocery store. Thanks for the movie recommendation - LW and I haven't been to a movie in forever (but then I tend to like DVD because I can get subtitles to counter my hearing aids).
Karen - I appreciate the Monterey Aquarium more than any other one I've been to but the Oregon State Aquarium in Newport OR is a close second. Mystic Aquarium had started to get really commercial the last time I was there (~12 years ago) so I can only imagine what it's turned into now. I'm glad DH and the boys got home safe and sound. Personally, I think to-do lists are immortal because mine never is fully finished... there's always something on it.

Feeling pretty happy after my run this morning and a good evening of a calm dinner, abs work, PT exercises, and dedicated stretching for my hips and knees.

Tomorrow will be a rest day and it looks like it will be a decent Saturday for a run again.

Until tomorrow -- have a great Friday and peace,
Les

Laura

08-10-2006, 09:36 PM

Hi everyone,

Sorry I have been MIA. DD and I took a quick trip out to see my dad last week and to meet up with my friend from France who was in the States visiting family as DD will be living with she and her family next year. The trip was good, but also a bit of a reminder that my dad, although in remarkably good shape for his age (he is 94 and still lives on his own), is becoming more fragile.

It is for that reason that I have decided not to do the San Jose 1/2 this October. I want to be free to spend more weekends with my dad when I can, and an extra trip to the Bay Area, just to run a race really isn't in either my financial or time budget right now especially since I will be taking 2 weeks off at the end of the year to take DD and DS to France and Scotland. Still had a great run in San Diego (love that oxygen! :D) and hope to run 5 again this weekend. Realistically, with no race in sight, I think I will keep my long runs between 5 and 6 on the weekend. I am just not really motivated to push it much beyond that. The upside is that I can do more cross-training then I would otherwise.

Welcome Jean, I am inspired by your workout plans especially seeing that you have a little one at home!

Terri, I missed if you were training for something (just did a quick read through), but I also second the increase in the incline on the treadmill. The other thing I have learned through my years of being what I consider a non-runner who runs (meaning it is not something that comes easily to me), is that sometimes we just have bad runs and we need to leave it at that.

karen, as always, I impressed with all that you do. Enjoy your swims without the flailer or anyone else in your lane.

Laura K. Sounds like your week started out well with exercise. Send some of those energizer moods my way would ya?

Les, good job on the run. I do remember running those distances when training for my marathon, but I can't imagine a mid-week run of that distance just because. ;)

Well believe it or not this weekend will be spend getting the kids ready for school. Where did summer go? DS has freshman orientation on Monday and DD starts Tuesday. I have two kids in HS??? :eek:

TerriAb

08-11-2006, 05:51 AM

Good morning! Glad to see so many people checking in! Thanks to everyone for the running advice. Really, once I got going in my day, the bad run was kind of forgotten, but good to know that it was probably just a bad run and I'll leave it at that.

Jean - Thanks for the movie review. I've seen the trailers, but didn't quite get the concept of the movie. Glad to hear that it's so good. Hope you got your power walk in. Your day off may be just what you needed to motivate yourself for the rest of the week. Good luck!

Karen - Glad the boys got home fine. Sorry to hear about the aquarium being so commercial. Just thinking, I don't think I've been to a true aquarium (other than Marineland). I know there is one in Baltimore that's supposed to be pretty good, but I rarely get up there. About your To Do list, just remember that it's never ending, so take some time to relax. The To Do's will still be there later.

Les - Glad to hear you got your midweek 8.4 in :p Just the thought of 8.4 in the middle of a weekday, well, actually I can't even imagine it. I'd have to take the afternoon off work to get that in. Thanks for in the info on the incline on the treadmill. I had heard that before, just hadn't used it. My plan for the moment is to continue running outside. I'm going to tackle those stupid hills if it kills me (which it might)! Monday's my short run here and there is one good sized hill toward the beginning (about the first half) and then it's flat or downhill after that. It's amazing when I'm driving around now how much I notice hills and such. Unless the weather turns really hot again, I'll stay outside.

Laura - welcome back. Glad to hear you got a visit in with your father and I'm so glad to hear that you are planning on visiting him often. That's really setting your priorities straight! I'm training for the Outer Banks 1/2 marathon in November. A friend talked me into doing it with her. While I'm not really enjoying the running, it is a good push for me and a challenge. I'm glad to hear that other non-runner runners have made it through these long distances. It's encouraging to me. I can't believe that school is starting already! My marathon friend is a teacher and went back last week :eek: How can summer be closing out??

Tomorrow is supposed to be a perfect day outside here - low 80s and low humidity! Very non-typical August here, but I'm not complaining. I'll run in the morning with a friend and then will find SOMETHING to do outside for the rest of the day.

Have a good weekend, everyone!
Terri

tmsl

08-11-2006, 07:30 AM

Hi everyone.

My week exercise wise has not been as fruitful as I would like. Work has been extremely hectic this week and prevented me from getting in the workouts I had planned. I will try to workout tomorrow and see if the Saturday energy returns. I think I have managed to stick to the eating plan, so hopefully things will maintain at least.

Karen~to-do's never end...glad you had some peace and quiet for a few days and now all the chicks are back in the fold.

Les~I like the Yogi Bera comment!! :D I'll have to remember that for future use.

Terri~The hills will get better. As with anything it takes a little practice. Our town is hilly and I was training for the Cooper River Run a couple of years ago. I was freaked out by the 5.5% grade on the bridge but ended up strong after running the hills around here. I used to run at 2% incline on the treadmill and had little difference in my time outside.

Jean~Keep up the good work and thanks for the movie suggestion!!

Laura~Can you find another race closer by to train for?? I know the family time is more important but maybe you can still do a 1/2 locally.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Laura K.

karen w

08-11-2006, 06:31 PM

Not a lot of time to comment since I am busy with a new project at home right now, but....

Had a great swim and boxing today. Weather is positively gorgeous for a change!! Yippee. Tomorrow DH is taking both boys to a Cub scout BB gun rally, so it's just lil 'ol me again! :D I am going to exercise at home as usual on the weekends(bike/elliptical/abs/weights etc...), garden, continue to work on my project, may bake or not....we'll see! The boys will back home in time for dinner. Sunday we go get DD from camp!

Have a great weekend everyone,
Karen

Leslie Ferguson

08-11-2006, 08:57 PM

"Easiest to hardest," that's my mantra tonight.
Karen - Another day sans hommes... livin' the good life. :cool: I probably shouldn't say this but the only thing that ran through my mind when you said BB gun shooting was the scene from A Christmas Story where the kid wants a Red Rider BB Gun for Christmas and everyone he sees tells him "You'll shoot your eye out." I know they'll be safe and they'll have a good time. Enjoy another day by yourself taking care of yourself. And have a safe trip picking DD up from camp on Sunday.
Terri - As much as I hate the heat this summer I loathe running on the dreadmill more. I'll take running outside over running inside any day and twice on Saturdays. I haven't been to the Baltimore Aquarium but I've heard good things about it. Of course there's the aquarium in Virginia Beach and another good one in Boston. Walking up hills is always ok and once you get started on them you'll be powering up and over them with the best of them. It's taken me a while to be able to do 8.5 miles in a lunch 90-minutes (about 10 years of running) so you have something to shoot for. ;)
Laura K - Yogi Berra is one of my favorite philosophers of the 20th century (not really but I love his malaprops). Have a good Saturday run and I hope next week isn't as hectic as this week.
Laura - Welcome back and I too think you made the right choice to skip San Jose - there will always be other runs and that would have been just enough for the remainder of the summer and fall. Your kids are starting back to school next week? :eek: Where has the time gone. I don't think ours are back until mid-September (except for the universities). OOOH! Scotland! Do you need a baggage boy? ;) I've only been to Scotland once (very early in the morning after an overnight flight from Chicago to Edinburgh en route Birmingham). But seriously, have a great weekend and keep the miles at something that makes you happy without burning yourself out (like me).

I'll be soloing tomorrow morning (running partner bagged). I'm going to "hold it down" to 12 miles tomorrow (after 14 the past two weekends). I think my legs and ankles will be happy with me for the slight break. Oh well, time for a little sleep - getting up early for my run in the morning. Take care and I'll see you tomorrow.

Peace,
Les