Oh, it is ON!

Well, it's official.  I gave up my garage parking spot at my office as of June 1 and am now traveling to work via my own two feet.  This takes some planning on the weekends because I do not want to be schlepping my clothes and lunch on my back four miles each way over a huge hill, so by Sunday I need to have dropped of a weeks worth of work clothes, a fresh towel, and breakfast, snacks, and lunches for five days.

So how is my first week going so far?  Different than I planned...

Yesterday I got up over the top of my first moderate hill and had a change of heart about going up that second burner of a hill that stands smack in the middle between the office and me.  I veered right.

In veering right, I knew I was committing myself to two extra miles, but I just didn't want to deal with huffing and puffing over Capitol Hill.  Not on a rainy Wednesday morning.  So my alternate route got me there in about an hour and I enjoyed the run every step of the way.

You can see from the picture how beautiful it is.  It looks like a rural road or a temperate rainforest, but it is actually smack dab in the middle of the city.  I know - it's awesome living here.

At the end of the day I suited up again and struck out headed north to my parents' house in Wallingford, exactly four miles on foot, door to door.  My pops was nice enough to drive me home at the end of the evening.

This morning, despite having logged ten miles yesterday, I felt great - not tired at all!  I woke up 1 minute before my alarm and popped out of bed.  This may have been because I knew I had an easy day.

I'm having dinner with some friends tonight who live a mile and a half away from my office, so I drove and left my car near their place, which cut my on-foot part of the commute to only three miles total.  I got to the gym with enough time to spare to bust out 60 reps each of chest presses and bent rows before my shower.  Now here's the part where you're going to call me nutso:

I made plans to run with a friend today at lunch.  Yep, that's right!  No rest for the weary, folks!  I need to look good this summer for a variety of reasons and I'm not going to get in shape by doing the bare minimum.  What would you think of someone who just does the bare minimum?  And let's be honest:  I do want to express myself - in a bikini on a boat, preferably.  So onward-ho!

Running 'Round the Lake and Other Adventures

I went for a run around Lake Union today and snapped this photo at my halfway point.  The sun on my face felt as amazing as this photo looks.  It's days like these that almost make me forget how much I hate the winters here.  Truth be told, though, I felt like hell the whole way around the lake, trying not to puke because I was running so hard.  Being nauseated while running is not awesome, but it was totally worth it.

When I got home I decided to take a go at crock pot marinara - cooking from scratch for the lazy girl.  My kinda cooking.  My aunt gave me a mini slow cooker recently and I'm making it my mission to use the heck out of it.  I've tackled cheese fondue, but something about marinara seems more practical for daily life.  So my plan for this marinara is to layer chopped raw ingredients into the crock pot and keep it on low all night.  Here's what's in it before I tweak it tomorrow morning:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 chopped onion
5 cloves chopped garlic
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1-1/2 tsp sea salt
8-10 chopped roma tomatoes
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey

I needed a little something to get me out of my slump, and refocusing on the two things that helped me drop 30 lbs in the first place, running and nutrition, seemed like a good bet.  I'll check back and let you know how it came out.

Update on May 18: I woke up in the morning to the extremely powerful smell of onions.  I mean whoa.  It looked good when I gave it a stir, and I decided to take the immersion blender to it for a few seconds to lightly puree the ingredients.  The taste was meh, so I added another tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a quarter tsp of ground black pepper.  It's still bubbling in the crockpot today while I'm at work.  Hopefully when the liquid cooks down a bit it will have a nicer richer flavor.

Currently On My Workout Mix - Janet Jackson

You want a song to make you feel sassy and strong while you're lifting weights? This is your jam. I squat lower, curl tougher, and feel like a total badass when this song is on. Do it.

Currently On My Workout Mix - Alan Jackson

This song is great for helping you pump up your running speed without noticing. Even if you're not a country fan, I recommend this one if you're trying to break through your current speed and step it up a bit.

More Milestones

image source

As I was on the treadmill yesterday, I pumped the speed up until I hit my stride, and noticed I was easily running a 9-minute mile.  This isn't a race-winning speed, by any terms, but what it means is I have shaved an entire minute off my average mile pace in just three months. I was thinking about how far I've come in just about three months, and it really humbles me.  I've rediscovered running, given my diet an overhaul, and gotten my weight down to what it was when I was 19.

Yesterday I was excited to report that I was at my weight-loss halfway point from the goal I set at the first of the year, but what I didn't remember until later is, I have actually lost thirty pounds from my very heaviest in 2006. It was not a great time for me; I hated my job, drinking cocktails like it was my last night on earth, not making exercise a priority, and I was busting the seams of my size 14 clothes.

Today my life seems to be a complete 180, and though I abandoned a career path that seemed like a fast track to success, I have made peace with it knowing that allowing myself to step back and let my career flounder in my 20s was ultimately the right decision for my own happiness, sense of self-worth, and personal empowerment.  I knew that the field I was in was actually a toxic element in my life and choosing me over my job was what I had to do.

Saying that out loud feels like a deep breath of fresh air.  Thanks for letting me share with you.

Currently On My Workout Mix - Kenny Loggins

Beat the Rain!

I went on a four-mile run with Trainer Wade at lunch today, and it was glorious weather - slightly sunny, not too cold, and fresh clean air.  It felt great.  Then not 20 minutes after I got back the sky opened up and there was actual thunder and lighting.  It's still going.  Whew!  Just got that one in under the wire!

Currently On My Workout Mix - Ke$ha

Taking It to the Trails

Over the weekend we were invited by my aunt and uncle to join them at their cabin on a small lake about 2 hours outside of Seattle hear the foothills of the Cascades.  Near the lake are some old logging roads that are closed to motor traffic but open to hikers and bikers, so on Sunday Andrew and I went out to explore.

The trails were wide, gravelly, and stretched for miles and miles over hills and around pine groves.  It was wonderful.  For about an hour (and a half) I ran while he biked next to me.  The air was fresh and clean, and the scenery was beautiful.  Right before our halfway point, we came to a cleared area that had a great view of the Cascade foothills, some dusted with snow in areas.  The photo doesn't do justice to how stunning it was.  Andrew snapped pictures of the panorama from the top of the hill while I ran down to flex my muscles a little.

Right before we turned around, Andrew got a picture of me in a triumphant pose.  We're about 3.5 miles out into the wilderness.

Now, we quickly discovered the roads all look the same, so they are well marked at every fork with a number and an arrow, but without the visual cues, it was tough to remember at which point we may have turned, so it got a little dicey on our way back and we found ourselves debating whether we were supposed to take road 1641 vs.1646; we ended up going down to a few dead ends before we eventually made it out to the highway again.  Whew.

Currently On My Workout Mix - Wocka Flocka Flame

This is another one of those songs that sounds ridiculous if you're listening to it in your car, but is awesome when you're burning through a difficult weight-lifting circuit.

I Ran to Work! And Home Again!

photograph by Curtis Cronn

Yesterday morning I got up at 6am as I usually do, ate a banana, packed Andrew a lunch, drank a glass of water and popped 3 advil, and I was off! With a pack on my back filled with my wallet and my clothes for today, I huffed and puffed up Madison and over the top of Capitol Hill.  Photo above was the shipping container I ran through next to the lightrail station construction.  This is where the hill crests at the top of my 400 foot climb.

Here's a chart so you can really see what I went through.  That big hill was really REALLY a bitch.  But I did it.  Then I ran back home that evening.  That's 7.8 miles total, team.  You probably won't be surprised I fell asleep at 9:15 and snored loudly all night.  I woke up this morning feeling great!!  Think I can do it 5 days a week?  I'm going to wait until the summer months to make the full transition, but I'm glad to know I can do it at least once.

Currently On My Workout Mix - Jay Sean

Weekly Update

I am not happy to give today's update.  As you can see, I gained almost an entire pound and it all went straight to my ass.  I used to say I am lucky because I'm an all-over weight gainer without some unfortunate localized telltale area.  No, folks, I was wrong.  I apparently do have one and it's my ass.

I made some bad decisions over the weekend, drinking a lot of wine, eating sweets, and generally eating too much, resulting in feeling bloated and over-salted.  So despite my best efforts to get out and be active every day, my poor diet choices came back to bite me in the... well... ass.

Today I made sure I got out and pounded the pavement for five miles at lunch.  I took a coworker with me and she had me sprint the last two blocks, which I hate doing but it feels awesome as soon as I stop.  Plus I don't want to look like a sissy.  Overall, it felt really good and I didn't feel sluggish, so maybe I'm on the mend.  Here's to a better update next week.

I'm Getting Speedy

Just a quick post before I run off to the gym for a fast workout before heading to my parents' house to celebrate my fella's birthday. Again.  We do birthday dinners around here for days after the actual event.

One great thing I've noticed about losing 10-ish lbs:  I run faster.  My body feels less weighted down because, ahem, it literally is less weighted down.

My average pace used to be about 6mph.  It's now about 6.3mph.  To compare it another way, that's taking a 10-minute mile down to a 9m30s mile.  That's three whole minutes off a six-mile run.

Progress Update

I'm pretty damn proud of this week.  I stayed on task and the results are in:

2 lbs from my weight
1 inch from my waist
2 inches from my hips

My body fat is calculating as higher than last week, but I'm skeptical that it was an accurate reading.In fact, I'm skeptical of this week's reading too.  I've been going off of a tool I use on the Shape Virtual Trainer, which takes into account, your height, weight, neck, bicep, forearm, and thigh measurements.  Seems pretty thorough, right?  Either I carry it really well or this is off.  I got a second opinion from LiveStrong's body fat calculator and it had me at 26.6. I'm thinking this is more likely and I'll tell you why.

Remember this?

This chart tells me that I'm at the "fitness" classification of body fat, according to the number that the Shape Virtual Trainer threw at me.  Well, I know my body and I think I fall more along the lines of "acceptable."  And no, I'm not being hard on myself  I'm just sayin' it like it is.

This is me today:

See?  Acceptable.  I want to look more in the fitness range.  Gotta keep at it.
That being said, I feel like I'm moving toward my goal at a reasonable rate.

Tonight I'm going to the gym to power out 7 miles and get some weight lifting in.  High five!

Currently On My Workout Mix

Making It Happen

I accomplished six miles on the treadmill yesterday followed by an intense strength circuit training session.  Today I clocked another five miles on the pavement and rounded it out with a Jillian Michaels six-pack workout.  I still have some work to do to make the scale go down, but I'm willing to invest the sweat equity in myself to make it happen.

Running with Trainer Wade

image via

Since I'd done seven miles on the treadmill on Tuesday, I wanted to get two things out of my next workout: pavement time, and less mileage so as not to overdo it on my body.  Yesterday was a glorious day in Seattle, so Trainer Wade and I took the opportunity during the lunch hour to run our four-mile loop.  It was perfect conditions: crisp sunny weather, open trail, and good company.  I like running with Wade (even though he takes pride in being a pain in my ass as often as possible) because he's always up to push a little harder or go a little further, and I need that in my life these days.

Pushing the Limits

Last night I hit the gym for my scheduled 6-mile run.  At about 5.5 miles, I was thinking about yesterday's post and how I talked about pushing my limits, so I decided to practice what I preach and change my goal on the treadmill to 7 miles.  It was hard.  I haven't run more than 6.5 in a long time, and while a half mile doesn't seem like much, I still had to push myself for that much longer.  I had my ipod cranked up while I told myself, "I can do this.  I can do this."  And I did.  I felt triumphant when I completed that seventh mile, drenched in sweat, and I found myself wishing there was someone there at the gym I could high-five.  No one there knew I had just brought myself to a new level.  But I did, and I guess that's what matters.

Currently On My Workout Mix

I ran the perimeter of Lake Union again today.  Six-point-five miles of sweatin' and Missy helped me get through it.