Plan for week 23 of 52

Since I missed making a plan for last week (22), I am going to start fresh with new plan for week 23. The year is almost half way over and I want to also start just doing one blog post on Sundays to reflect on the past week and plan for the week ahead. This summer is starting to fill up with activites, festivals, camping, and possibly moving if we ever find a house. I want to keep the posts to a minimum to spend maximum time outside.

Sunday weigh in: 207.6

Last week was our final week at the gym and guess what, we only went once. Oh well, I was tired of it anyway. I wanted to be outside and that is exactly what I did. I went for a long walk everyday. I didn't run because I've had a really bad stomach ache for the past week, cramps, you know girly stuff. However I did briskly walk and get my heart beat up and walked the cramps away. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous at times, with storm clouds in the background and golden streaks at sunset. Temp has been about 75 degrees, my kind of weather.

My half marathon training is on hold right now. Week 21 I did awesome, I ran all of the mileage, but then my left knee started to act up. I need to get used to running outside so I am going to take it really easy and do walk run intervals for the summer. Then come the end off July, I am going to step it up a notch. To be continued.

Here's the plan for next week:
Plan for the week:

• Sunday: 3 mile walk w/ Jorge
  
• Monday: 60 minute yoga, walk Jorge 30 minutes
• Tuesday: 3 mile run /walk interval, weights, core
  
• Wednesday: 60 minute bike ride (maybe to work?), 15 min walk w/ Jorge
  
• Thursday: 2 mile run / walk interval, weight, core
  
• Friday: rest
  
• Saturday: Something outside, maybe a hike!
  

Dinner plan for the week:

• Sunday: BBQ Pork Rib with cucumber and tomato salad
  
• Monday: Tuna salad
  
• Tuesday: Chicken bake with peas
  
• Wednesday: Cous Cous and veggies
  
• Thursday: Chicken salad
  
• Friday: Fish and rice
  
• Saturday: Grill something

Missed Reflection of Week 21 and Plan for Week 22

Wow, Memorial Day weekend really through me off. I did end up weighing myself last Sunday and I was going to do a blog post. However with all of the festivities and things, I totally missed it!

Weigh in last Sunday was 210. That's no surprise due to the party weekend. Well, I will just start fresh with a plan for week 23.

Plan for Week 21 of 52

Plan for the week:

• Sunday: 2.6 mile run, weights, core
  
• Monday: 60 minute yoga, walk Jorge 30 minutes
• Tuesday: 3 mile run interval, weights, core
  
• Wednesday: 60 minute bike ride (maybe to work?), 15 min walk w/ Jorge
  
• Thursday: 3 mile run interval, weight, core
  
• Friday: rest
  
• Saturday: Something outside
  

Dinner plan for the week:

• Sunday: Artichokes and salad
  
• Monday: Green Chili Bowl
  
• Tuesday: Tuna Salad
  
• Wednesday: Cous Cous and veggies
  
• Thursday: Pasta
  
• Friday: Fish and rice
  
• Saturday: Grill something

Reflection on Week 20 of 52

Weigh In: 206

After this week, I am a bit surprised I am down 3 lbs. I really thought I was hitting a plateau. I do think I still am though, because I've been somewhat bored with my workouts. This past week went really well. I accomplished the whole plan, except for Thursday, I didn't do the AM Yoga, no biggy though, I took a really long walk with hubby and Jorge. Food this week also went pretty well, I did snack outside of my plan on some chocolates, cashews, and a few extra glasses of wine, but nothing too bad.

At work on Wednesday, I noticed something on the printer. It was a half marathon training plan for novices. I glanced through it and then put it in the tray for it's owner. Thursday it was still sitting there. Friday, yep, still there. It sparked my interest again and I took it home. I've read through it a few times, thinking about wanting to change around my workouts and I think maybe this will be the way to go. I love running and about two and half years ago, I did the Couch to 5K training plan. It was great to build endurance. Now I am at about 2.5 miles three days a week.

This novice training plan for the half marathon I found came from Hal Higdon's website. The farthest race I have ever done is the Bolder Boulder 10K, which is a little over 6 miles. A half marathon is 13.1 miles. Now, you might be thinking I am crazy and yes, I am a little, but I am not doing this plan to the exact points. I will be doubling this training program, meaning that I am making his 12 week plan into a 24 week plan. I am taking it super slow.

One thing that I like about this plan is that Hal talks about walking and how important it is for a runner to incorporate walking. He states:

"Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. When you go to the starting line in your twelfth week, nobody will care whether you run the full Half Marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it!"

I think this is a great way to look at. I fully beleive in interval training, running five mintues, walking five minutes, etc and building endurance the whole time. On the treadmill I am up t0 running a full 30 minutes. However outside is a totally different story, I've only run 1.5 miles straight, which was about 13 minutes. I haven't tried anything further yet because we still have the membership, but slowly and surely I'll get there. It is a whole different animal being outside. Today Dan and I ran to the gym, which was 1.3 miles, did weights and core and then ran home. It was great. I felt totally fine. Plus it was so different running on pavement instead of gravel. I really like pavement a lot more. It seemed a bit easier, I don't know why.

Well, we'll see how it goes. I'm taking it weekly. I'll be planning it out as usual. I'm excited too because we're switching up the days for our hard workouts. Check out the plan for next week!

Plan for Week 20 of 52

Hmm, I'm not feeling up to planning today. I'm just going to do the basics to stick in the routine. One thing I did mention to my husband is that I think we should start eating later than 6pm. I am starving by the time 8 or 8:30 rolls around and want a snack, then snacking gets out of control having popcorn or cashews every night. I wake up feeling full and that is not good. Digestion is a lot slower when you are asleep. I told him I would like to eat around 7 or 7:30, that way I stay full longer and then I start getting ready for bed at 9, it wouldn't bother me. Anyway, I don't know. We'll see how it goes.

Plan for the week:

• Sunday: Rest
  
• Monday: Eliptical 30 minutes, stretch, core, weights - in gym
  
• Tuesday: 60 minute yoga, walk Jorge 30 minutes
  
• Wednesday: Run interval 30 minutes, free weights, core, stretch - in gym
  
• Thursday: AM Yoga, 30 min walk w/ Jorge - at home and outside
  
• Friday: Eliptical 30 minutes , free weights, core, stretch - in gym
  
• Saturday: Something outside
  

Dinner plan for the week:

• Sunday: BBQ pork sandwhiches
  
• Monday: Salad
  
• Tuesday: Cous Cous and veggies
  
• Wednesday: Salad
  
• Thursday: Chicken and Rice
  
• Friday: Pasta
  
• Saturday: Grill something

Reflection on Week 19 of 52

Sunday Weigh In: 209.6

Gained a little this week, I attribute that to this past week's snacking and maybe a little bit more wine drinking than necessary. I did however have some great workouts this week. Tuesday I didn't ride my bike to work, we had plans after work so I wasn't able to. I also skipped yoga Thursday, which I could feel and am now paying for it. My body needs yoga at least twice a week to stretch and my mind needs it for the focus.

Yesterday was so beautiful outside. We went for a 3 mile walk and came back to the house and did a bunch of yard work. Later that afternoon we went on a 7 mile bike ride. Today it is rainy and cloudy, which I welcome in order to have an excuse to stay inside and relax. I'm a little sore from everything yesterday. Oh yah, forgot to mention, unless you read my last post, I ran outside Friday. Big step for me! My lungs felt different and my left knee started to hurt, but I'm going to start building from here. I know I can do it, I can run outside and enjoy it.

Map My Run

I decided to not go to the gym today and try a run outside. I found a route on map my run that was 1.5 miles.



It was a good start to running and exercising outside. I walked a couple minutes for a warm up and walked for a cool down. I only did a little bit of stretching pre-run, which was a mistake because my left knee started to hurt. I got a side cramp at the end, but I think that is because I had a snack a little bit before the run and plus running outside is different than running inside on the treadmill. It felt great though, I got to run on all different terrains and felt like an athlete. I even saw a great blue heron on the trail. So beautiful and better than staring at the TV at the gym.

Plan for Week 19 of 52

I can't remember if I told everyone that we canceled our gym membership, probably on my other blog I had when I wrote about putting together our budget. Well, we did and our last day is May 31st. We are saving money, but we are also not sure if we will be living near by, since we are looking at houses in other cities. We thought we would just cancel now, hoping we'll be moved out of town by July.

This means I need to come up with a new plan of action since the gym will not be available. I am not happy about running outside, I like the treadmill because I can see my heart rate, distance, speed and time. I will create a plan of action to easily transition into working out outdoors. What activities do we enjoy outside? Biking, hiking, walking, roller blading, gardening, and running.

For running, I will need to ease myself into it because running on the streets and trails is different than running on the belt of a treadmill. There are many more factors that go into it, rocks, cracks, curbs, kids, grass, gravel. This actually will be a great change for me, it will make me stronger having to decipher the different terrain and inclines. I will start with only intervals, my favorite. For biking, I will start riding to work. I love hiking and walking, that's easy for me to do. Hubby loves roller blading, I can do it too, I just don't love it. The more I do it, the easier it will become though. It is a great work out. Gardening and working in the yard is mentally cleansing for me and also very physical, I consider it a good work out for mind and body.

Now for the plan. I have four weeks until the membership is over and need to take full advantage of it. I am thinking this week and next, three days in the gym, two days outside; for example, Monday, Wednesday, Friday in gym, ride bike Tuesday, run or roller blade outside Saturday. Then the last two weeks of the month, two days in gym, three days outside; for example. Monday, Wednesday in gym, ride bike Tuesday, run outside Friday, walk or roller blade Saturday.

Plan for the week:

• Sunday: Run interval 30 minutes, stretch and core - in gym
  
• Monday: Eliptical 15 minutes, Treadmill 15 minutes, stretch, core, weights - in gym
  
• Tuesday: Ride bike to work - 8 miles round trip - outside
  
• Wednesday: Run interval 30 minutes, free weights, core, stretch - in gym
  
• Thursday: AM Yoga, 30 min walk w/ Jorge - at home and outside
  
• Friday: Eliptical 30 minutes , free weights, core, stretch - in gym
  
• Saturday: Something outside - there is an MS Walk we might attend in Boulder - 3 miles - outside
  

Dinner plan for the week:

• Sunday: homemade french bread, corn chowder, grilled asparagus
  
• Monday: Qdoba - going to see houses and my aunt is coming with, she's having a 'jones' for the 'dobe
  
• Tuesday: Tuna Salad
  
• Wednesday: Salad with bacon
  
• Thursday: Artichokes
  
• Friday: Naked Burgers
  
• Saturday: Grill something

Reflection on Week 18 of 52

Weigh In: 207.8

Good week for exercising, I'm feeling more and more back on target and routine oriented. For a while there, I literally had to drag myself to the gym. Coming off vacation, then flu, busy work schedule, injured knees and three blizzards, I struggled to find the motivation to workout. In knowing how I hold myself to the highest expectations and that if I don't reach for perfect or 100%, I would get down on myself. Working with this strive for perfection, I have really started to understand my thought process and that no one is perfect and can never reach perfection. Plus it was putting too much stress on my life. It has taken me about 5 years, but I have come a long way to find a healthy level of pushing myself.

During the hard month of April, I allowed myself time to take it easy, get back into the workout routine slowly. I needed time to heal my mind and my body. I decreased my cardio to 30 minutes four days a week and took more walks, something I needed. This way I didn't give up on everything because I couldn't do as much as before. Last week was great, Thursday I skipped yoga and just walked the dog, Friday I skipped weights, because honestly I forgot about them. Saturday we rode about 5 miles on bikes around Ft Collins, it was awesome! We even raced the trolley down Mountain Avenue, so fun!