My Crazy Summer Event Schedule!

I didn't get into the New York Marathon, and while I was momentarily sad about that, I've quickly found plenty of ways to fill my time (and spend the money I had set aside for the race). I'm not planning on taking a real vacation this year (unless I win the lotto), so doing these events will keep me busy and give me plenty to look forward to, and keep my legs hurt just at the thought of all the training I have ahead of me.

Tour de Chocolate Town (June 3rd) -- a century ride (100 Miles) through Hershey, PA.

Rugged Maniac (July 14th)- Manalapan, NJ, A 5K Obstacle course that looks bananas.

Maine State Triathlon (August 5th)-- a nearly Olympic length triathlon in Bethel, ME. And I get to visit my parents.

Danskin Sprint Triathlon (September 9th) - A sprint triathlon in Sandy Hook, NJ. I did it last year and loved it (was my first "race" of any kind. Looking forward to finishing even faster this time!

Philadelphia Marathon (November 18th) -- My very first marathon. And my personal consolation "prize" for not getting into the NY Marathon.

There's a chance that I may do the NJ Tough Mudder the weekend of Oct. 20th and 21st. But that's ONLY if my brother signs up. I'd do that with him, but not alone. There's a lot of training ahead, plus plenty of hiking and other things (maybe even a relaxing day at the beach or two) but I'm looking forward to my crazy summer.

Am I a Tough Mudder?

Yesterday Living Social offered this deal where you'd get picked up in New York, driven to Vermont to stay at a hotel, oh and in the middle of the nice relaxing weekend do a Tough Mudder obstacle course. Three. THREE people sent this email to me. What the hell does that say about me? That all of my friends think I'm absolutely nuts?

Now I'm not going to lie. The idea of doing a Tough Mudder has crossed my mind a few times before, but until I work on gaining some more upper body strength, I don't see myself hoisting myself over giant walls, or crossing monkey bars 15 feet in the air over a freezing cold pool of water, or using ice picks to scale a wall. Maybe in a year or two. I think I'd like to start with some smaller mud runs (there are a million of them now) to work my way up to it. I have a bad tendency to jump in over my head (see my post about entering the marathon lottery, instead of just doing more 10Ks or something), and I'm trying really hard to be logical here. Before I end up getting electrocuted for fun. (Yes, that's an actual part of the course).

So I guess my friends were right to send me this, because it isn't out of the realm of possibility. It is on my to do list. Does that mean I've officially lost my mind?

NYC Marathon: The Waiting Game

During the course of my half marathon training, I got it in my head that I could do a full one. Perhaps it was that runner's high that warped my brain into thinking this was a good idea, but I decided to throw my name into the ring for the NYC Marathon in November. The odds of getting in through the lottery are pretty low, so I left it up to fate, and mostly forgot about it. Well, until my coworker Rachel put her name in too, and reminded me that the drawing was next Wednesday.

What if I get in? Can I really do a full 26.2 miles? I survived 13.1, but at a snail's pace... on very flat terrain in Florida. In November, in New York? I remember well how long and hilly the Verrazano bridge is from the Five Boro Bike Tour, and that is just the start of the Marathon, not the end. And 40 miles on a bike is pretty easy compared to 26 on foot.

Also, I keep thinking about how the training for the half marathon was pretty grueling and how I still do a run-walk pace that someone's grandma could keep up with. My quick miles are like 11 or 12, my slow between 13 and 15. I could conceivably be running for upwards of 6 hours. SIX HOURS. OF RUNNING. On top of training for a sprint triathlon in September, and another possibly Tri in August. How could this be any kind of good idea.

Then again, it would give me incentive to push myself running. Maybe even work on picking up my pace doing all those training drills they mention, and really up my game. And, while I'd never done a proper training program before, I sort of like the discipline of it. Skipping runs doesn't work well with my guilt issues, so I'm less likely to pass on a workout because it is cold, or damp or my allergies are acting up or because there is a cheesy movie on Lifetime.

The whole process has my stomach in knots, and Rachel has me learning all this stuff about how the lottery works and because I'm in such a slow finish time goal it may up my odds over those who are actual runners and in more competitive time slots (which may or may not be true, who knows?). My head is spinning from it all. And because of the insane cost and rigorous training, I've been putting off signing up for any other events this summer until I find out if I get in. I don't want to overextend myself too much, physically or financially. So I sit here waiting. Hoping I get in. Hoping I don't get in. Weighing all the pros and cons with everyone who will listen. But as my mom told me last night if I get in I've just got to "suck it up." And mom's do know best.

(Picture courtesy Maryanne Kessler)

What a Difference a Year Makes

A year ago today I started on my weight loss journey by meeting my LA Weight Loss consultant Danae. She's really changed my life, and the entire way I think about food and eating. That first day I saw her, I remember leaving shell shocked at the idea of doing a juice cleanse and cutting out a lot of fat, sugar and white starches from my diet. For a girl who lives on potatoes, this was a big attitude adjustment. And while there have been some hard moments, and some relaxed vacation moments filled with lots of adult beverages, this way of eating is just so much healthier than I could have ever imagined. And, in the course of the year I've lost close to 50 lbs. and lost almost as many inches off my body. It's really been an amazing mental and physical transformation. At 188 pounds, and a size 12, I'm the smallest I've been since college, and in way better shape than I've ever been in my life. I feel great and just love the empowered feeling of being able to do anything. It makes me want to hug Danae on a daily basis, since I couldn't have done it without her constant support and encouragement. She kept me motivated and found innovative ways to alter my eating during plateaus and weird workout schedules. I honestly can't wait to see what the next year brings.

The Worst Part About Losing Weight?

The saggy underwear. There's something sort of cathartic about getting rid of clothes that are too big. Either donating them to charity, handing them off to a friend or otherwise upcyling them (I made a cute dress for my kid out of an old brown pair of pants). But the underwear? Not even the old gross cotton ones that are hanging around in the bottom of the drawer for desperate days when you haven't done laundry, but the cute ones. They start to get too big, and then they don't fit under your clothes, and they just hang there. It's not like you can do anything but trash them, and that seems like a shame, but on the upside, I'd rather my underwear be too big than too small.

This Week's Exercise: Less Is Less?

So despite my crazy workout schedule, I'd been frustrated that I hadn't lost more than an ounce or two in over a month, and I'd gained a half inch of muscle in my arms. So on the advice of my weight loss consultant, I decided to cut back on weight lifting this week and only do some cardio. So my workouts for the week look a lot less intense than normal, but between that and a very strict and specific diet (still eating a lot of little meals, just less a lot less variety and no extra things), I actually lost three and a half pounds this week. FINALLY.

It's frustrating, because I actually really like weight lifting, and while I know that muscle is supposedly heavier than fat, I also know that having more muscle helps burn fat. So I know in the long run, muscles are a good thing, just need to lose more weight before I build too much more weight... I guess. So next week looks like more and more cardio.

Here was my very limited activity for the week.

TUESDAY
Thirty minutes of elliptical machine.

THURSDAY
Power yoga for an hour. Hard... as usual.

SATURDAY
Spinning class for an hour. Man, sprints on the bike suck, but hopefully they'll help me with future triathlons.

SUNDAY
Hiking with my daughter and her stepbrother. About three and a half miles or so, there were a couple of decent hills (though I picked a path that was good for kids), and the kids had a good time. Hiked for about two hours.