Week in Review (January 9 - January 15)

Tuesday (15,901 steps) - Barre with Kelly. Speed work with Runners' Edge. I was dreading this workout SO MUCH. 20 minute warm up and then a 5K time trial. I think we all know what my "speed" is like these days. The warm up ended up being fine - we were running at Sloan's Lake so I knew where I was and just jogged. The time trial sucked just as much as I feared. Once again, I had to walk... The first and last mile weren't the worst ever. I wish I could just figure out what the deal with my cramping is.

Home late, but we still cooked dinner.

Wednesday (17,556 steps) - Runners Roost Boulder! Kristen met us for the 7 mile run. A was tired from her speedy 10K PR on Sunday and her speedy 5K time trial, so we actually ran together for once.

We ran the reverse loop and it wasn't as terrible as the last time. It was pretty muddy though. After, we went to Southern Sun for a beer (and got free fries for the table!)

Thursday (10,995 steps) - We went for a short 2 mile run in Broomfield. Hillier than I remembered, but it was a nice night for it.

Then we went to Runners Roost Louisville for yoga (with Monica and Kristen). I haven't done yoga in ages, but I felt really great after. Cooked dinner again.

Friday (12,272 steps) - Barre with Sasha. Grocery store, cooked dinner.

Saturday (21,146 steps) - Up around 7. Made breakfast, then picked up Kristin. Drove to Boulder to meet up with a few RER people for a run since our regular training group was off for the week. Kristin had planned out a lovely 9 mile loop - and the weather was absolutely perfect (if not a little warm), for a run.

Cows all over the place!

We had a few hours at home before heading over to Dulce's (with our pan of roasted cauliflower) for Second Saturday. Great evening of wining and dining with friends!

Sunday (11,341 steps) - SLEPT IN. Most glorious day ever. Headed up to Runners Roost at 10:30. Met up with Dulce and Maureen for a 4.5ish mile run around Boulder before the Leadville lottery announcement party.

After the lottery announcement a group of us went over to the Southern Sun for some snacks and drinks.

Old Chicago's for dinner and terrible Lifetime movies.
Monday (16,265 steps) - I had the day off from work, but we still went into the office for a few hours to volunteer for Project Valentine. A and I each made a few dozen cards.

Barre with Laura at noon (oh how I have missed her classes!)

and THEN we met up with Dulce at Apex. I think we were all a bit surprised by the amount of snow out there, so our run was much more of a hike. It was cold and slick, but we saw a few dozen deer and had a great time.

On the way home we stopped at Whole Foods and then snacked at Dulce's on cheese and hot chocolate. Perfect way to end the weekend!

Stats:

• 105,476 steps
• 33 miles run (hiked, etc)
• 3 (!!) barre classes AND yoga!

Week in Review (February 16 - February 22)

Tuesday (24,478 steps) - After yesterday's brutal wind I didn't even want to THINK about running outside (even if it wasn't windy). For the first time in ages I suffered through running 7 miles in the basement inferno. And "suffer" is a pretty accurate way to describe this run. I was slow, it was hot, I was tired, NOT fun. Although I did get in a few more episodes of "Breaking Bad" (re-watching before I start "Better Call Saul"). After work we had a cookie booth. All girls showed up, so even though it was pretty busy, A's share was just under 50 boxes. Tokyo Joe's for dinner.
Wednesday (21,772 steps) - 5 terrible miles. My calves are tight, I haven't been sleeping well. My arm is so sore from where I got my depo shot that I actually had woken up in the middle of the night in extreme pain. Ugh. I guess this is what happens after weeks of "good" running? Blah.

But so pretty!!

After work we headed down to run club. Did a short run with Heather and A and then A sold cookies again.

Pretty exciting that I won one of the raffles and got a discounted entry to a cross country race - now, I just need to put together a team?
Thursday (13,920 steps) - I had 6 miles on schedule and I opted to skip the run because I've been feeling so crappy for the last week. I slept a little bit later and did a yoga/pilates video instead. The evening was spent trying to figure out how to solve a Girl Scout camp registration catastrophe.
Friday (22,896 steps) - All week long the wind has been unbearable. I didn't even bother to check what the weather was like when I got up, I just sucked it up and did 6 miles in the basement inferno. After work we had YET ANOTHER cookie booth. My new Roost teammate, Kate, met up with us at the booth so she could borrow my singlet. A and I went to dinner at HuHot and it was blissfully quiet so we didn't have to wait forever to get food (just the check).
Saturday (33,907 steps) - Long run day with Runners Edge and Heather. And by "long," we were both happy that we "only" had 14 on schedule. Unfortunately my legs were dead tired and I had crampy calves most of the run. Lakewood is also hillier than I remember. Always enjoy running with Heather, so it wasn't all bad.

Stopped at Einstein's to pick up brunch (seems to be a new tradition) and headed home to relax a bit before the Roost launch meeting. TONS of new faces on the team this year. I also won a week rental of Elevated Legs, which I cannot wait for. After we picked up our gear a group of us went to Crazy Mountain brewery, a new sponsor for our team this year. Such a fun night with everyone!

Sunday (16,781 steps) - Of course the one day I can sleep in, I don't. We made omelettes and pancakes for breakfast and then went to Target to do our grocery shopping. A joined me on a 3 mile run by the lake so she could test out her new Garmin. It was a bit windy, but FINALLY the sun was out!!

First, of probably many, A "Garmin" pictures

After lunch, we baked some red velvet brownies and then SHOCKINGLY, we had another cookie booth. We went over to Jessa's again for a viewing of the Walking Dead.
Monday (26,010 steps) - I only had 4 miles on schedule, but after looking at the forecast for the next few days I decided to swap my 4 with Tuesday's 8 (since we have more snow coming). Legs a tad tired, but it was honestly the best run that I've had in weeks.

A mile in... Super early, super moon

About 5 miles in - moon set!

7 miles in and a gorgeous sunrise!

I actually did a short yoga video when I was done (need to get in the habit of doing this ALL THE TIME). Began the run looking at the full moon and ended it with yet another gorgeous Colorado sunrise. After work? COOKIE BOOTH OF COURSE. The best part about the booth? It put A over her goal of 750 boxes!! We picked up Tokyo Joe's for dinner.

Stats:

• 159,764 steps
• Miles Run - 46.0 (with no races??)
• No cross training
• 32 minutes of strength/stretching

Everything Else

• As you can see, the miles were all there. But a lot of them were not good. Luckily the short trail run I did with A on Sunday seemed to "reset" everything. The training plan I am on is fairly high mileage and I hate to get burned out so early in it!
• Cookies!! A is super pumped that she hit her goal. We still have FIVE cookie booths left, but the pressure is now off. If she gets to 1000 boxes, it will save me another $60 for her camp. As for camp, she got into a pretty cool one, it's called "Girl v. Zombie" and is a survival camp where they teach self-defense, how to make a disaster kit, etc. Looking forward to hearing about it when she gets back (IN JULY).
• One of my Colfax relay buddies submitted pictures from the race for an article in the "Denver Business Journal" - and turns out, they liked mine.

Week in Review (March 31 - April 6)

Tuesday (18,829 steps) - Leisurely stroll on the treadmill and a total body workout video.

Wednesday (13,953 steps) - Run Club! Ran with Heather again for a super awesome (2?) miles.

Thursday (21,321 steps) - 4+ miles on the treadmill. I have no recollection of this run, but based on pace, I either did hills or it just didn't go that well. I did another total body video.

 

 

Friday (13,088 steps) - Literally did NOTHING.

Saturday (38,881 steps) - Three Creeks half marathon. You can read the recap here.

 

I have NO recollection of the rest of the day. We went grocery shopping, and at some point, the kids and Batman Sour dyed Easter eggs.

Sunday (14,760 steps) - Up before dawn to volunteer at the Westminster trail races! We had to be there by 6 am. It was pretty darn chilly when we first arrive, hence the winter wear. We assisted in handing out packets (there were three distances - 5k, 10k and half marathon) and then we manned the first/last aid station for a few hours. Once they were actually BUSY, the kids did a great job.

Surprisingly, WORKING a race isn't that much exercise. A and I took a walk around the lake in the afternoon.

I did some yoga later that night - hoping to loosen up my legs and tight muscles. Batman Sour was NOT amused.

 

Monday (19,564 steps) - Stroll on the treadmill to show off the INKnBURN shirt I finally got (after almost a YEAR of hoping someone would resell or trade me for it...

 

I had hoped to do more yoga when I got home but I was having some screwy internet issues and I couldn't even get my phone to load a video. I managed to get maybe 10 minutes in, but nothing to write home about. Trying to take it easy this week because my legs are worse than ever.

 



Stats

• 140,396 steps
• 19.7 miles run
• Some walking, no real cross training
• 69 minutes of strength/stretching

Everything Else

• Hit my 90 days this week and I'm still employed :D - I guess they like me just as much as I like them?
• This was a super boring week. There is nothing else.

Week in Review (Feb 18 - Feb 24)

Tuesday - Before work, I tried another video - Leg Slimming Pilates, Butt and Thigh. After work another 1.5 in the basement inferno and more videos - 5 minute inner thighs, body yoga infused stretching and upper body workout.
Wednesday - I was pretty motivated after doing my "hill workout" the other day. I did a mile at incline and wanted to die. The second mile, I walked. Then I headed over to BodyPump. Good class.

Thursday - Another new video before work - bodyweight cardio calorie buster - this is one that I would probably do again. After work I managed to crank out 6+ miles of blah on the treadmill, followed by some quick yoga/stretching.

Friday - One mile in the basement inferno before work. IMMEDIATELY after work, I picked up A and we worked one of her last cookie booths. Two hours at night in the cold is NOT fun. I am glad this is the end of cookie season!
Saturday - 8 miles on the treadmill at the gym, watching Team USA get massacred in the bronze medal hockey game.

After lunch, we spent the day with Jessa and took the kids to Boondocks. A was psyched to get to play laser tag for the first time.

Sunday - While A was working HER last booth with my mom, I braved the 25ish degree weather for a quick 4ish mile run on Clear Creek trail. My first outdoor run in ages, and while it was cold, it was really fast (for me). I enjoyed this!

Most of the afternoon was spent catching up on Teen Mom and Sister Wives (hangs head in shame/embarrassment). After dinner I knocked out another new arm video - upper back, arms, chest (tabata upper body). This was a pretty simplistic video with a decent amount of reps. I would probably do this one again.
Monday - I'd thought about doing something in the morning, but I stayed in bed instead. After work, another 6ish  miles on the treadmill. This was day 108 of the streak. I think I have to set an end date, so I think, maybe, day 120 is the end? I fear if I don't stop soon, I may never end this insanity.

Weekly Miles Run - 27.95 (23.8 treadmill, 4.15 outside)
Weekly Cross Training - 1 mile walk
Minutes of Strength Training - 176

Weekly Gain - 0.8 pounds

I was pretty hungry all week. Not entirely sure why. I had my usual balance of healthy and treats:

The cooking experience has been eye opening... A bunch of new recipes. First, A and I made vegetable soup (literally, a CAULDRON of soup) - it was delicious, but too spicy for A. Almost a week later and I still have about two servings left. I also baked a spaghetti squash for the first time! Elizabeth sent me a bunch of recipes and A was most excited about "Taco Soup," - which was delicious. I also made stew for the first time! I liked it a lot better than the pot roast I made.

I also enlisted the help of L in making... S'mores bark. This was a lot easier than I imagined (but fairly expensive). It took only about 10 minutes of prep time and then an hour in the freezer. DELICIOUS, but probably a fairly large reason why I had yet another gain on the scale this week, lol.

So... what I've learned about cooking... I went for a long time with fairly minimal cheese/dairy intake. While it is delicious, it is fairly high in calories/fat, and I like TONS of it on my food. So, obviously, what I have noticed is that a lot of my recipes require... CUPS OF CHEESE. No bueno, apparently, for my waistline!

• Ever notice how everyone is on a diet (even if they don't really call it a diet) after the New Year?
• I don't want or need to go on a diet, but I do want to have a diet that is a bit... cleaner. I am hungry all the time, and I don't want to waste my calories.
• I don't want to give up dessert, or cheese, but I clearly need to moderate a bit better.

Soooo.... I am going for a #NotEatAllTheThings, round 2. What does this mean??

• Did you know that I literally am a bottomless pit? Just ask Heather. I can eat for days and days and days....
• I have very little concept of serving size, therefore, even if I am eating "healthy," most of the time I am overeating.

What I plan on doing:

1. Cut out cheese based meals (enchiladas, mac & cheese, etc.) to one day a week. I won't give up cheese, but as I said, I eat way too much of it in one sitting.
2. Um, probably not make bark again. That was clearly not a brilliant idea.
3. Won't give up donuts either, but I should probably cut back to just one a week.
4. I am NOT a fan of measuring food, but I am really going to try to watch my portion sizes.
5. I have been doing a great job of eating fresh since I discovered Sprouts, so I will continue with  my fresh veggies and fruits.
6. I had been eating sandwiches at work for lunch for the last month or so in an effort to save money. I have a freezer full of frozen meals I'll eat over the next month instead (after I finish the sandwich materials I have left over). The thing with frozen meals, is that while they probably aren't the healthiest in the world, everything is portioned FOR ME. Plus, I have a surplus. And then, maybe, I'll just start to do the "leftover" thing, with a salad? Dunno.

Everything Else

• Speaking of Elizabeth, can I just say that she is the sweetest. She sent me a Valentine's Day card, complete with a cute hair tie (that I have not tried yet). Really made my day when it came in the mail!

• NOTHING else. 
• All joking aside... I'm just NOT happy with my life right now. Sure, A is great. Sure, things are finally going a bit better financially. But I am just not HAPPY with just "getting through" every day. We only have so many days on this earth and it sucks that at work all I can do is countdown to when I get to leave, and after work, just waiting until I can go to bed... There has to be more to life than this, I just don't know what it is or how to get there. The last year has been a fog of depression and "what's the meaning of life" musings. I don't know how, but I have to get out of this funk. I've already wasted a year being upset and I don't want it to continue.

#NotEatingAllTheThings (Week 13)

Read about previous weeks here.

I had hypothetically planned on this being my first week of "maintaining" my weight since I hit my initial weight loss goal last week. Again, I did not track any food whatsoever. Again, I consumed a decent amount of beer. I pretty much ate all the things on Friday night. I was fairly confident that I wouldn't see much of a change this week.

Tuesday - Lovely 5ish mile trail run up at Marshall Mesa. Honestly, this renewed my love of running. I had the best time. Just about everything about this was perfect.

Wednesday - Tank top arms & abs/obliques in the morning, and a 3ish mile run with run club at night. I was a bit sore from my trail run the night before so I ran a bit less and slower than usual. But the rewards!!! Ice cream cake, beer, and then a group of us went to Garbanzo's (Mediterranean) for dinner later. Delicious!!

Thursday - 15 minutes total body yoga. I wasn't super impressed while I was doing it, but I was a bit sore the next day so maybe I'll give this one another chance. After dinner I met up with a friend for a few beers at a new brewery right down the street from my house. It's so strange to not wear running clothes.

Friday - Nada. I briefly thought about doing the arms/abs workout but figured I could use a break. I spent 5 or so hours in the car driving to Grand Mesa (western Colorado). I had lots of beer and snack foods. Yum yum.

Saturday - Grand Mesa 60k!

Sunday - 2 mile bike ride... with A!!!! She is back! Also did tank top arms & abs/obliques.

Monday - Since I was not feeling sore from Grand Mesa (???) I went to the gym and ran 5ish miles on the treadmill. When I got home, A and I tried another new video - Butt and Thighs. We also spent some time practicing our handstands!

Another EXCELLENT week. I can definitely feel these videos working and even texted Heather the other day that I am actually beginning to see the outline of... ABS. I have never in my entire life had definable abs! This is exciting! I got in a lot of miles and since they were slow they were all pain free.

Weekly Loss - 2.0 pounds
Loss Since April 30 - 18 pounds

Thoughts:

• Apparently, I suck at "maintain" mode. 
• I am really not hungry ever. I eat my main meals and hit a decent number of calories, but I guess in comparison to the amount of exercise I get I'm probably not eating enough? I can't stomach the thought of eating more (WHO AM I??) so this might take some deeper evaluation.
• Still having beer and still loving it. Beer is my favorite.
• Most of my work clothes are very loose. I am debating if it is worth "tailoring" anything (nothing I have is super expensive, but I have a decent amount of clothes), or if I just want to go out and buy a few basic pieces?
• I am really REALLY happy that I have seem to have found my running mojo again!! I forgot what it is like to not dread every single workout.
• I have renewed my ambassadorship with INKnBURN. If you still have never had the opportunity to check them out, as a new customer use code BeckaToldMe, set up an online account and you can save 15% on your ENTIRE purchase.