Queen of the Mountain

You know I can't resist a chance to flex my muscles while wearing a sweaty tank top.

Yesterday I tackled Mt Si (yes, the big one) with a local summer hiking group.  It was 4 miles of steep switchbacks.  We jumped over streams, trekked over stumps and roots, and then when we were finally at the top, there was a rock scramble to what we thought was the tippy top.  Turns out there was another slightly higher tippy top right behind it.

So we scrambled up to the higher point.  And celebrated.

Then I did this:

because I was too short to do this:

...which is what I had initially envisioned for my top o' the mountain photo shoot.

The hike, round trip, was 8 miles total.  It took about 4 hours.  When we got down to the bottom of the mountain, we all felt like rockstars.

Next outdoor adventure?  Kayaking!  Fo' sho'

Running Successes

Just checking in on this.  I know some of you think I'm crazy, but my first half week running to work was great!  I think this is going to be a good summer.  Plus, the money I save by not having to pay for parking and the gas to get to and from work every day could finance a very comfortable vacation each year.  Double bonus!

Here's the rundown on what kind of mileage I actually did:

Wed: 6 miles in, 4 miles back for a total of 10 miles
Thurs: 1.5 miles in, 4 miles at lunch, drove back for a total of 5.5 miles
Fri: 4 miles in, lifted weights at lunch, 6 miles back for a total of 10 miles
Sat: ran around Lake Union for a total of 6.5 miles

Week's total: 32 miles

Not bad.  Sunday will be a Jillian Michaels day for sure.  Gotta have at least one day off from running since my average weekly total will be between 40 and 55 miles.  I'll be in bikini shape in no time!

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!

Getting Outdoors

Well hello!  No, I didn't get to go hiking over the long weekend, even though I wanted to so badly.  My weekend, as well as the week prior, was wall-to-wall packed with wedding checklist items.  Bleh.  I did, however, get over to Tiger Mountain the weekend before with a group of friends, including my cousin (pictured above) who is fresh out of college and new to the Seattle area (and no, ladies, he is not single).  I thought it would be a great way to introduce him to resident-hood in Western Washington.  My friend Kathy organizes a weekend hiking group that I tag along with and this was a great first hike of the season.  It was three miles to the summit and fairly steep - 2000-foot gain.  The scenery was fantastic and I wish I would have taken more pictures, but we were all in a mood to just push full speed ahead so I didn't even think about it until we got to the top --completely exhausted.

Hiking this summer will be another part of living better for me.  Three years ago I made it my mission for the spring and summer to accept any invitation (within reason) to go do something active.  And let me tell you - that was one of the most fun and most fit summers of my adult life.  I kayaked the hell out of Lake Union that year.  The two following summers I didn't renew that mission and I really think it was to my detriment.  So this year I'm reviving the "get active" policy.  I have a feeling I'll be hiking the hell out of the Cascades this summer.  Working out doesn't have to be exercise for the sake of exercise, and I need to remind myself that once in a while.

Next scheduled hike: Mt Si on June 12.  Can't wait!

Weekly Update

In two weeks I've lost less than half a pound.  I'm 99.37% sure this has something to do with the massive quantities of cheese and margaritas I have consumed since the last time I checked in.  I know, I know.  I'm terrible.  I feel, though, that I've turned a corner and am on my way out of my diet/exercise regressions into a renewed sense of determination.  Maybe it's my milestone birthday looming, or maybe it's my quickly-approaching wedding date, but I feel a sense of urgency once again to make progress... and fast!

Yesterday I ran six and a half miles, and today I forced myself to tackle another four miles during my lunch break.  I was sore the entire way and TW was unaffected by my whining and begging to run more slowly - that was decidedly out of the question.  I love me my T-dub, but oh, the pain!  It's all in my glutes and hamstrings. Oy.  Tomorrow is definitely NOT a running day.  I'll find a different way to make myself sore.

Running Is My Crutch

Just a quick check-in to let you know I am proud of my work-out dedication this past week.  I have been running an average of four miles a day, though Saturday was 6.5, Sunday I reunited with my Jillian Michaels abs workout in lieu of running (still sore, btw), and yesterday I did just three.  The way I see it, three miles is a whole lot better than nothing, which is what I preferred yesterday.  My fabulous ladyfriends convinced me to drag my ass to the gym and power through whatever I could, and I'm glad I did.

I was back on track with four miles today; I had initially intended for it to be five, but when I went to change into my workout gear at noon today I discovered I had left my right shoe at home along with my sweatshirt.  Luckily I always keep a spare pair of old shoes in the trunk of my car, but 43 degrees is cold when I'm in a tank top without a coat, even when I'm doing my best to work up a sweat... at the edge of a windy lake.  Argh.  So I cut it short because I didn't have full confidence in my shoes, either.  But hey - four miles ain't too shabby.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's weigh-in and stats update!

Weight Training - Squats

Have you been working on your form with the Arnold Press?  It burns in that good way, doesn't it?  Make sure you're doing it slowly and controlled.  Lifting weights isn't worth it if you rush through with sloppy form.  Might as well do something else, if you're going to be sloppy - like dancing.  As much as I like to make everything about dancing, let's focus on weights today.

My second move in the circuit rotation is a straight-on squat.  This gives the arms a little break after the Arnold Press before you move into your next move.

As you may have guessed I have a lot of celebrity readership these days.  Late last night as I was watching old clips of tosh.0 and logging my calorie intake on the Daily Plate, I got a call from a contemporary country great, who I admire not only for his well-maintained mullet, but also for his ability to unabashedly rock a very full mustache throughout the decades, despite his publicist's pleas to to try to appeal to the majority of the population who has since moved on from the 'stache craze of the '80s.  Hey, if it ain't broke... amirite?

In any case, Alan Jackson called to say he was so flattered that he was featured as Sunday's workout song that he would like to model my next move.  I think there's also a little bit of keeping up with the Joneses going on here - he seems to fancy himself as the Prince of his music genre.  Sorry, Al, I think you're great and I'd totally rather pound the pavement to your hits, but Garth Brooks owns that comparison.

It was a rush job to get the photo shoot and editing done for today's feature, but I think we pulled it off:

Place your weights on your shoulders, and steady them in place with your hands.  Feet should be shoulder-width apart.  Squat, dropping your booty behind you and keeping your body as upright as possible.  Do not let your knees move any further forward than your toes.  Do 10-20 squats before moving on to the next exercise

Pssst

Yup, I'm still around - I know I missed Monday Night Dinner and my stats update, but next week will just be that much better.  I've been feeling terrible in my tummy lately, but I have been forcing myself to work out.  4 miles yesterday, and another 4 today.  I'll try to check back in on Thursday with something worth reading.  Thanks, team!

Weekly Update

So, I gained 0.4 pounds this week, which is a minor miracle, considering this was probably my unhealthiest week since the first of the year.  I partook in another chili cook-off where I ate too much and had about 5 beers, skipped 2 days of workouts, went out to a very rich happy hour, and went out to dinner last night where I had far more pasta saltimboca than I needed.

Luckily, nothing else on my body changed, except I really haven't been feeling up to par recently, but that's no surprise.  I'm back on track with minor damage done.  Still, it's not great.

I was talking to Trainer Wade about my projected progress today and he said he thinks I'm probably at the point now where if I want to see significant change in my weight I'm going to have to start making more significant lifestyle changes - decisions about bread and cocktails.  I haven't had a plateau problem just yet, so I'm going to stick a pin in that idea and come back to it later if I am hovering for too long at 153.

I ran six miles yesterday and another four today so I feel good about getting ten miles in the first half of the week.  Let's hope I can keep this momentum going.

Currently On My Workout Mix - Kenny Loggins

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.

Motivation and Inspiration: Sequins

Exhibit A

image via failblog

I came across this yesterday morning and laughed out loud. Immediately, I sent it to my friend Sabina for a little fitness inspiration. Then I decided you all need to see it too.

Sequins were in this holiday season, but there is a right way to do them. There is also a horribly, hilariously wrong way to do them; see exhibit A.  If this doesn't scare you into doing crunches, I don't know what will!

Happy weekend!

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.

Confession: Chili and Other Setbacks

image source

I fell off the horse.  I've not been monitoring my calories, and waaaay over eating.  I know this, because I feel like crap right now.  My tummy is screaming at me.  Here are the things I let derail me:

1) Andrew's birthday was Feb 6 and we celebrated all week with multiple special birthday dinners with friends, family members, and the customary romantic dinner at a steakhouse on my dime.  I took this opportunity to treat the week as though it were my birthday.  Not good.

2) This past weekend Abby and I took our moms with us on a weekend away in the San Juan Islands where Abby made fresh-baked bread, her mom made scones topped with her own freezer jam, and my mom kept the wine flowing.  Despite the 13 miles I covered over the weekend, it was not enough to come out ahead calorie-wise.  Also not good.

3) Most recently, our office threw its second annual chili cook-off.  Eight competitors, including myself, entered their best recipes.  First prize is not much more than bragging rights, but we get a great turn-out because we have many accomplished home cooks who know their stuff and like to go toe to toe.  It's a peer-voted blind taste test, so each "judge" must taste all chili versions in order to really make a fair choice.  I am very thorough in my research prior to casting my vote.  Granted, I had maybe only 3 tablespoons of each kind, but it really adds up when you think of how rich a chili can be.  And one word: beans.  Needless to say I'm hurtin' right now.

So with all of those confessions out on the table, I'm kind of relieved that I won't be able to give you a stats update tomorrow.  Instead of weighing myself tomorrow morning, I'm getting up super early to run from my house into work.  It is a long story, but come March 1 I will no longer have my wonderful garage parking spot in my office building and so I'm testing out different commute options.  I do have a bike, and I know the bus route, but I think running the 3.9 miles from home to work is my top choice.  When all is said and done, it will be 7.8 miles total.   I know I can do this, because I did an 8-mile loop on Guemes Island on Sunday after taking a wrong turn on one of the island's four roads and ended up halfway up the length of the island instead of running along the south shore like I'd planned.

Wish me luck as I'm trudging up the east side of Capitol Hill tomorrow.

Currently On My Workout Mix - Jay Sean

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.

Currently On My Workout Mix

I listen to this one when I'm lifting weights. It keeps me on track and helps me push through my sets when they start getting really tough.

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