A Peppy Post!

A quick little Wednesday update.  I’m super pumped right now after an awesome Zumba class at the gym!  I also did a good 20 min speed walking warm up, and my Jillian Michaels mini ab and arm workouts.  Tomorrow will be a week into Jamie’s and my workout plan.  We aren’t retaking stats until week the end of week 2, but I have a pretty good idea that I need to work harder to attain some progress by then.  I’ve done pretty good on everyday I’ve gone to work and been able to go to the gym.  And I’ve fit in a couple home workouts on days I couldn’t, but the long weekend kind of killed me. 

We went up to the family cabin on Saturday evening, ate decently and then I went for a brisk walk with my mother-in-law and puppy on his new ‘gentle leader’ collar.  I did my Jillian Michaels workouts earlier in the day.  Then Sunday came around… let’s just say snacks abounded, Dad’s smoked cheese called my name, and cards and wine completed the day.  I did get a short run in… as in chasing my dog down the road in bare feet and pajamas.  Adrenaline helps boost metabolism right?!  ;)  We stayed up late and I had to turn around at work early AM Monday morning.  After work I Just felt sick most of the day, so I was pretty lazy and did a lot of sleeping.  Tuesday and today I have felt much more energized and have done the workouts with gusto trying to make up for my lazy weekend. 

Note to self:  maybe snacking at canal is ok… just don’t sit next to the snack table while playing cards, you eat way too much!

As for the rest of life, things are starting to get a bit more organized, which just makes me feel good overall! 

See you soon!

Sam

Operation: Long Distance Workout Buddy!

Introducing my dear dear friend Jamie!

This is me and Jamie on a trip to the zoo with her kiddos last year!

Jamie and I are both in the ‘getting back into shape’ mindset and we have been chatting back and forth about our ideas and goals for doing this.  Recently she suggested we do this Jillian Michaels routine and compare/keep track of our stats.  And also make each other accountable for actually completing the workouts each day.  I have almost exactly 8 weeks to kick my butt into shape before going to Hawaii to visit family so this is long overdue!  I’m really super excited to have a workout buddy even though she lives an hour away.  In a sense it should be easier because we can each fit the workout into whatever time frame works for us and then compare notes later.  For our kickoff day today I texted her that our side goal should be to make sure we are drinking that 8 cups of water! 

The part we are doing the same of are the Jillian Michaels’s mini workout for abs, and mini ‘armed and dangerous’ workout.  Both of which can be found on youtube!  As for cardio we are each going to do what works for us.  She is going to be working on her treadmill and home machines, and I am going to continue taking my YMCA classes and swimming.  As for a day like today when I am not going to going to drive to the gym, I’m going to do a Kinect workout at home!  Or I’ve thought about looking up the P90x workouts too on youtube, but I’m not sure I’m quite ready for those yet! 

On the food note.  Busy is no longer an excuse for eating like crap!  I’m thinking I need to go grocery shopping more often and buy more fresh stuff to eat instead of falling back on the out of the freezer meals.  Also, hubby is having a weight competition with his Dad on who can lose the most weight before Hawaii.  But it is before they leave for Hawaii which is in one month, and it is by percentage.  Last night, Aaron decided he would track what he was eating with me so we downloaded the ‘myfitnesspal’ app on his phone and I think it will be quite the eye opener for him.  And here is to hoping we can spur each other on for eating better at home! 

Now that our re-siding project is almost done at home (all we have to do is finish caulking and paint!!!), getting reorganized in general is going to help a ton.  Managing time and making time to eat right and workout will help us get in the groove.  I bought a new planner with a great layout for a daily time schedule and I’m really excited to get my life more on a schedule so I can fit in more time for me! 

My personal challenge this weekend is going to be the fact that we are going to spend some time at the family cabin, and eating right and working out always seems to fly out the window.  But I’m not going to let that happen this time.  The weather is supposed to be nice so I am planning on swimming in Hood Canal for a workout, and I could also take the dog for a walk/run.  Cutting back on the alcohol intake wouldn’t hurt either, and paying attention to portion control and the snacks laying around will help as well!  I’m planning on posting a progress update after the long weekend so…

Happy Healthy Labor Day Weekend!!!

Sam

A Day of Rest

So I am still totally diggin on my YMCA membership.  I am also still totally in love with Zumba, and am trying to learn enough so I can groove on my own time as well!  I’ve been a member now for almost 3 weeks, and am completely comfortable with the facility and what they have to offer.  I also am continuing to try new classes.  On Thursday I tried a class called Define.  It was a fantastic mix of cardio and strength training, using a step, two sets of handweights, a bar weight, a mat…. and other days, other things are included.  I definitely have to get there early so I can grab my spot and all that equipment! 

Last week I went to the Y every single day, even on my day off (which was Wed, and the best zumba class… so of course, I HAD to go).  Then this weekend my husband and I worked on our house, which was definitely also a workout.  Lifting ladders, carrying huge sheets of OSB, climbing ladders and scaffolding, holding things in place while hubby loads nails into nail gun, awkwardly cutting back roofing in an 18 inch overhang (yes, I was squeezed into that area in the picture below.  Myself and a multi tool in very small slanted area makes for a very sweaty little workout.)

Anyway, after 7+ days of physical activity, today definitely called for, actually screamed for a rest day.  My body has never protested so loudly when getting out of bed at 4am for work.  Everything ached, and my arms and shins were very very sore!  So after work I came home, took some Aleve, and took a nap.  I’m feeling much better now as I write this in early evening, and am looking forward to another Define class tomorrow after work!

On another note, even though I have been doing so great in the exercise category, my eating has gone downhill.  So in order to force myself to pay more attention and not take the easy fast food option, I downloaded ‘myfitnesspal’ app today, and it seems like it is going to be a great little tool if I keep up on it.  Once I set my goals, it gave me a calorie goal, but also specific goals in terms of different kinds of fat, fiber, carbs, protein and the like.  And so far everything I have put in today food wise has been in their amazing vault of nutritional information, even down to my obscure costco brand pesto.  Neat feature too… I can scan barcodes and it will come up with the nutritional info.  Worked on my Fred Meyer brand shredded Parmesan.  Can you tell I had some pesto pasta for lunch?  It will also track my exercise, water consumption, and any notes I add.  And being that my phone is never more than an arms length away, I think I can enter food instead of check facebook a few times a day! 

Anyway, looks like I’m off to have cereal and fruit for dinner since I ate well the rest of the day!  J  See you soon!

Sam

can I get a “Y…M…C...A…”

I’m going to make this quick because in fact I am leaving in a half hour to go to the Y, and I am still in my PJ’s… but…  I LOVE THE YMCA!  Seriously.  I’ve only been a member for a week and a day, but I am in love with this facility.  I joined the Haselwood YMCA in Silverdale (http://www.ymcapkc.org/page.php?id=948)  and it is freakin amazing.  For one it is brand spankin new, so all the machines are top of the line, new and amazing.  They all have screens that you can either see your progress or watch cable of course!  Not to mention, every machine has an Ipod hookup so if you had videos on there you could watch those too!  But beyond the fact that it is a beautiful facility, what makes my membership worth it is the pool and the classes!! 

I get off work at around 10 every morning, and head straight over to the Y.  (It’s basically across the street from Michaels, so very convenient).  Go in, get changed and head upstairs to check the class schedule.  The classes that work for me best because of when I get off work start at 10:45 or 11, so I check to see what time and decide which class (because usually there are a couple to choose from) and then I head either to the elliptical for a warm up, or back downstairs to pump some iron.  Then at 11 I go take a class.  So far I have taken “have a cardio ball”(twice), zumba, and kickboxing.  And today, even though I don’t work I am going to take zumba again.  And all of the instructors I have had so far are AWESOME!!  I’ve taken workout classes before, but none like these ladies teach!

Sidenote…. If you like good music, high energy, and even remotely like dance I highly recommend zumba if you ever get the chance!  The hour long class flies by because it is so much fun!  And don’t get me wrong it is way fun, but you will definitely be sweating like a pig and sore the next day, or at least I was! 

On Fridays I tend to get off work later so it is perfect for the adult lap swim hours.  Last Friday I went and spent about 45 minutes in the pool doing various strokes just to start logging some swim time!  I’m very excited for this to become a weekly habit!

Anyway, so far my membership has been completely worth it, and I am so excited to keep it up!  Off I go…

Sam

'Samantha Plans'

Not sure if I have talked about ‘Samantha Plans’ before, but my Mom deemed my plan making by that name years ago.  The thing about a ‘Samantha Plan’ is that they never quite end up the way they were planned in the beginning, or they just fail miserably and I end up creating a new one.  They are good because I am always looking to the future and trying to better myself.  They are bad because they never seem to be quite attainable, hence them failing over and over again.

In that respect, this Triathlon goal turned out to be a ‘Samantha Plan.’  Don’t get me wrong, I still want to do a triathlon, I really really do.  But realistically it just isn’t going to happen in the 5 weeks I have until the Danskin Tri I was aiming at.  Even though I was never going to race for time, I still wanted to be prepared and race to the best of my abilities.  The best of my abilities at the moment might be able to finish the race, but it would take hours and I fear injury from not cross training enough to this point.  So instead of spending the money on the race, I joined the new YMCA in Silverdale.  It not only has an awesome workout facility, but has a pool too!  That way it will be much easier to cross train.

I haven’t picked a date for my next triathlon goal, but the furthest it will be is next year’s Danskin in Seattle.  I think the main issue in this ‘Samantha Plan’ was not breaking the goals down far enough.  I got so caught up in running that I completely ignored swimming and biking, and I think it hurt my running as well.  I was getting burned out, and my cardio was not improving the way I wanted it too. 

I work 3-4 days in Silverdale every week, and with the RARE exception, I will be going to work out at the Y every day right after I get off work.  Because of when the lap swim hours are as well, at least one if not two of those days I will have a longer workout consisting of weight training and then swimming.  There are also some great looking classes that are included in the membership that I really want to take advantage of.

Some miniature goals for now are:

-          Just get healthy.  Workout in multiple areas to increase fun and fitness.

-          Take some time to break down smaller goals for triathlon and figure out a good timeline to be fully prepared next time around.

-          Going to Hawaii at the end of October to visit BIL/SIL and niece!  …Hawaii=bathing suit.  Deal with hubby is if I get fit and nice tummy like I want by then I get to buy a new swimsuit!!  YAY! 

I’ll let you know more about the Y after I workout there for the first time TOMORROW!!

Sam

Back in the Groove

I promised it wouldn’t be a month between posts… it’s been a month and a half instead!  LOL.  Oh well, life has been so darn busy, when I got a free moment this blog honestly didn’t even cross my mind.  In fact, working out and eating super well hasn’t really crossed my mind either.  There are some good and bad things from that.  The good is that although I wasn’t really ‘dieting’ anymore I didn’t gain any weight.  I’ve become better at just thinking about what I’m putting in my mouth, and more importantly how much of it.  So I’m hoping when I get down to where I want to be weight wise, I will be able to maintain it without too much of a struggle.

The bad is that the Danskin triathlon is in 7 weeks!  7 weeks?!  Yikes.  Have I run in the last month?  Not really.  I have even really worked out in the last month, hmmm… well if you count the amount of exercise at work and now at the house since we are redoing our siding... then yes.  And I have gone on a couple of mountain bike rides, but it’s been a while since those too.  So running, biking, and swimming haven’t really been in the picture as much as they need to be.

Now I’m on a mission to get back in the groove.  My schedule is fairly regular.  I have the time.  And even though there is still a ton going on (residing the house, my new photography business, BIL/SIL/niece moving to Hawaii)… NO EXCUSES.  So today was the day, Mondays are always good to start things on.  I went running!!  Yay!  It was short, but I did an ab and arm workout when I got home too.  Back in the groove means that you will see me back on here weekly I believe as well.  J  but no promises, see how well that worked out last time.  :P

Sam

Please Excuse the Absence

It has been just about a month since I wrote last.  My computer went haywire and I FINALLY have a new working computer!  Yay for extended warranties that actually pay off!

To catch up, here are a few little anecdotes about my fitness journey in the last month:

-          My back pain has finally completely gone away so I have been working on building up my runs again.  The most recently completed full-run-with-no-walking was 28 minutes, and it was seven days ago.

-          I started trying to take Maverick with me on my runs… it became a back and arm workout instead of just a run. It also gave me something else to think about besides running.

-          I stopped trying to take Maverick with me on my runs… not only did it aggravate back problems but it caused both he and I to almost injure ourselves many times due to the fact that Maverick is a bird dog… and he wants to chase the birds anytime he sees/hears/thinks of one.

-          I was trying to mix up the runs so I went for one in Banner Forest which is close to our house.  I got lost.  My 25 minute run turned into 25 minutes running PLUS a two hour hike.  I swore I would never go running in Banner again.

-          Went running in Banner again.  Looked at map before going and did not stray from the main trail.  Much more successful. 

-          Because runs have increased in time and I’m getting a little faster, my typical running path dead ended, and I literally ran out of room to run.  Yay for a little accomplishment.  I have found a new route from home, much more scenic, but a few more hills… not sure how I feel about that yet.

-          I moved to replenishment shifts at work.  This means getting up at four AM most days of the week and WORKING for a solid 5 hours.  And by working I mean getting paid to work out… hauling freight, unloading semis, lifting heavy boxes, squatting to lift boxes, squatting to set planograms, climbing ladders… and the list goes on.  This is great in terms that I am getting paid to workout and I can feel some muscle building starting to occur… HOWEVER, this is not great in the fact that it is really hard to go for a run after having a five hour workout at work.  Cool little side note -- I received these samples of Playtex new Sport Body Wipes, and i've been using them after work so I can go run errands on my way home and not feel completely gross.  They are actually really great, makes me feel refreshed and not like I need a shower immediately.  Should be available in stores soon, watch for them!

This brings us up to this last week.  On one of my off days I did that 28 minute run with no walking.  I have since not been able to complete a whole run and it is really starting to frustrate me.  I’ve been running three times since that, and each time I have stopped and walked during the run.  On Friday, the most strenuous day at work… I came home and tried to run but my lower back hurt so bad that about 17 minutes in I just could not run anymore, and walked the rest of the way home. 

Today I tried again.  I think I ran about 25 minutes total, but it was really broken up.  I ran the first 15 minutes straight, and from then on I ran in spurts with a little walking.  I cant explain it really, I mean, yes… my back hurt, my shoulder was cramped, my hips hurt (which is new), and my left foot fell asleep… but I didn’t make a conscious decision to stop running, my jog would just slowly turn into a walk.  And try as I might to keep starting to jog again, it wouldn’t last very long.  So I don’t know what is up with that… but I’ve decided it really is time to start cross training some more and maybe my body will stop throwing a fit.

I’ve got a little over three months until the Danskin Triathlon, and I’ve done very little biking or swimming.  I’m not as worried about the events, but I still need to work up the distances a little.  So goal for this week: besides running a couple times, bike and swim at least once each!

I promise there won’t be a month lapse this time… see you soon!

Sam