Structure? No thanks.

All right, so I'm not going to post a training post and follow it. It's just not going to happen. Instead - I am going to blog whenever the heck I want. Haha. I suck at this blogging thing...and I think that's what the majority of my blog posts have been about this year. I will try. No promises.

In recent running news - I started meeting with a very casual running group. It's a group of girls that live on my side of town that meet at 5:30 in the morning on Tuesday and Thursdays. A few of them get together on the weekends for longer runs too. I say it's very casual because it's just a group put together by some girls on FB and they have each just invited some friends to get the word out. There is not a strict schedule, a coach to push you along, etc. You just come when you can and someone picks a route to run. I have only gone twice, but I'm loving it so far. I will definitely need the accountability in the winter months. :)

I have also amped up my cross training a bit. I need to get a bit more structured with my cross training, but I figure something is better than nothing. I have added speed work. It's all on the treadmill, but I'm doing it. It's also not very structured. I usually warm up pretty slowly for a half mile and then do one minute of just a bit faster than 5k (goal) race pace and then 2 minutes of a little slower than half marathon goal pace. I do this alternating for a couple of miles and then do a slow half mile cool down.

My next 5k is the Turkey Trax on Thanksgiving day. It will be my 1 year racing anniversary. I am pretty excited about it. :)

On the house front - our house is on the market!! No bites yet, but we are trying to stay optimistic since this is a slow time for home buyers.

Last thing - (Just) Trying is for little girls is doing a pretty sweet giveaway. Keep the faith creations has some really cool pieces of jewelry that are very runner friends. Check out her blog, the giveaway, and keep the faith creation's website.

What's 1 more day?

I have had an absolutely horrible month on the training front. An entire MONTH. 4 weeks. That is a solid bit of time when you consider I am training for a half marathon. It started with me getting sick, then we moved, then we got 6-8 inches of snow, then we got another 18 inches of snow...and I just haven't picked things back up on a consistent basis since. It all boils down to excuses. One after the other. And in my head I kept saying to myself, "what's one more day going to hurt?"

I proved to myself today what all those extra days off really do hurt. On my training plan I had 4 miles scheduled yesterday. I had planned to go after work, but it was so cold and I didn't bring appropriate clothes for the treadmill (another effing excuse). So today I was determined. I was determined to go before work. I work at 1pm so it's not like I have to get up at a crazy time to get this done. I lounged around for 30 minutes longer than I originally planned...and you guessed it...thinking of another excuse not to go to the gym this morning.

Well, I went. And it was miserable. I horrible 4 miles. In all honesty - the first 1.5 miles were good. I was feeling confident that I had not lost everything I had worked so hard for before. Well, that confidence was kicked straight to the curb and in a hurry. My run when down hill very quickly. At the 2.25 mark I had to stop to get some water. I didn't bring a water bottle for me. This was almost my excuse to quit for the day. The good news - every time that I wanted to quit, I thought about my blog. I knew I didn't want to blog about falling short. For that, I am thankful to anyone reading this because even if you don't know it - you are keeping me accountable.

Most of my run was at 6.5mph (9:15/mile pace, I think). Occasionally I would bump it up to 7mph (8:35/mile pace). And for the last half mile I did bumped it up to 7.5mph (8:00/mile pace). An 8 minute mile pace was pushing it for me a month ago. So that 8 minute pace for even just a half a mile kicked my butt. I knew I needed to kick my own ass for even just a half mile as a small extra punishment for all my time off.

I took a post run pic of myself in the gym bathroom. I have named this the "huff and puff face." How ridiculous do I look? My face was beet red. I don't think that's captured in this pic very accurately. I am, however, wearing one of my favorite running shirts. If I am going to have a horrible run - I would like it to be in my pink and yellow livestrong shirt.

Today's workout

Again, in an effort to hold myself accountable - I think I might track some and/or most of my work outs here. It might come daily, it might be a couple day recap, or it might be a weekly recap. Whenever the mood strikes.

Today I went to the gym when I got off work around 9:20pm. There was about 5 other people there. That seems to be the norm for that time of the evening. I like how slow it is, but I also like not being the only person in there.

On my schedule for today was 3 miles. I try to keep things interesting when I have to run on the treadmill. My goal for today - run each mile a little quicker than the previous (negative splits, sorta).

My first mile was at about a 8:49 pace. My 2nd mile about 8:26, I think. And my 3rd mile I ran in 8 minutes. After all of that I dropped it down to a 10 minute/mile pace to finish out 30 minutes. And then I walked for 5 minutes to cool down.

I felt awesome running that 8 minute mile...especially after running 2 miles prior to that. I feel stronger, faster, better every day. I love it.

After my run I got in a pretty quick core workout. I read everywhere that having a strong core is going to help my running. I started doing this routine a few weeks ago. I can already tell that I don't slouch as much when I run. I also don't scrunch my shoulders quite as much, but this is still a big issue for me.

I will leave you with this pic of the treadmill when I finished. Yes, I was the dork who took a pic of the treadmill when I finished. I tried to play it off like I wasn't actually taking a picture. Haha.

Half marathon training

In an effort to be a bit more accountable for my training - I thought I would share a little bit about my training plan. I figure this might help someone considering something similar.

If you research half marathon training programs - you might become a bit overwhelmed with the many different options. Everyone and their brother has come up with the "perfect" training program. I discovered this very quickly. Every one of these programs has a disclaimer that is something along the lines of, "may not be suitable for everyone." And this is so very true. A training program that works for me may not work for you. Great, more to ponder and research!

I had heard many good things about Hal Higdon's training programs. They were definitely the most tried and true of the people that I talked to. His programs are about 12 weeks long and assume you have a decent running base (i.e. run 3 miles 3-4 times a week). This wasn't a problem for me, except that I had way more than 12 weeks to train.

I considered starting that program and just repeating weeks as I felt necessary. That, to me, was still not structured enough. I wanted to know what I was going to do on each day. That would keep me engaged and motivated.

I continued my research and finally found a 18 week half marathon training based on Hal Higdon's program. Perfect!! At the time - I had just about 18 weeks until our half* in Nashville. Prior to this discovery (about 2-3 weeks ago), I was randomly training and following a couple of different programs. This lack of structure and discipline was keeping me from really progressing in my training (i.e. beyond a 3 mile run).

I have to admit that I have yet to follow this program exactly. I almost followed week 3** perfectly last week...aside from the cross training on Wednesday and Saturday. I did play the xbox kinect for like 3 hours on Saturday so that has to count for something. I feel great that I was able to get the mileage in, but I know that strength training and cross training are going to be very important for my overall fitness level come race day.

Today was a rest day so I have knocked that out. :) I will pound out 3 miles tomorrow. Unfortunately those 3 miles will most likely be on the treadmill because we have gotten a few inches of snow today. I will be bound to the treadmill unless I get a pair of Yaktrax. In all seriousness, I might have to get those for a race I am signed up for on Sunday.


*Justin laughs when I say "half" instead of "half marathon." I don't think he thinks I am in it enough to use the lingo. :)
**I discovered tonight that last week should have been week 2, but I followed week 3. Oh well, right?

Motivation? Where did you go??

I have had next to no motivation over the last 3 weeks or so. When I had a couple of weeks off in between jobs - I was tracking every bit (almost every bit) of food that went in my mouth, going to the gym 4-5 times each week, and getting things done. That makes sense because I had a ton of time.

However, in my previous job I had a routine. I made time to track my food and I made time to hit the gym. I am still trying to find that groove and that routine in my new job. Granted, I this is only the beginning of my fourth week. I just think it's about time I get back into the gym routine.

On top of going to the gym, I need to get back on top of my eating habits. Yesterday Justin and I had Chinese buffet...and I had Chinese Tuesday and Friday last week (because work people were ordering that). And tonight he is bringing us home Chipotle. Oye, not good!!

Needless to say, my new year's resolution of running 500 miles this year has gone to the back burner until I can find my routine.

At this time I am asking everyone to keep an eye out for my motivation..it's seriously missing. Thanks! :)

I'm alive!

Eeek. Sorry for the lack of blogging. I am still trying to find a routine now that I am working the day shift (for a bit..and then I will be back on evenings).

We are still transitioning from our house in KC to our in-laws in Columbia. It's a gradual process. And we are very lucky to have family here in Columbia to offer us places to stay. It's tough to be 25 and moving back in with our parents, but we are very fortunate to have the option.

I am about to start the 3rd week of my new job. It's going well. It is a lot of new information since I was doing x-ray and now I am doing MRI. The very first day in the MRI department I was definitely on information overload. I was very overwhelmed, but each day gets a little bit better. I actually meant to blog about my first day of work that evening because I figured I could look back on it and laugh about how overwhelmed I was. Needless to say, that didn't happen. But, believe me, I was incredibly overwhelmed and a little freaked out about taking on such a new modality.

Other than learning our new jobs and being back in our hometown...not much has been going on. My little brother's baseball season starts in 2 weeks and we are very excited for that. I am so happy to be back in town so that we can go to his sporting events. All in all, things here in Columbia are going well. We are very happy to be closer to our families.

I will do my best to keep up with this blog a bit better as things calm down and I get into a routine. I say the same thing about my gym routine also. Ha. :)

And the best news of all - it's almost spring!!

Oh happy day!!

I am in a bit of a funk today. I have been off work for a week now. It's been a great break, but in the back of my mind I know that I am not getting paid for this week (and the next half week I have off before starting on Monday). It takes some of the enjoyment out of it all. So that's my funk...





My funk has disappeared a bit when I logged in to find this joyful post from MrsTote. If you haven't already, check out her blog. She has some amazing recipes and is quite the domestic diva...I know she loves when I call her that. :)

Onto the joy that is this post...I was tagged by Katie at A tote's life (see link above). It's a fun, day brightening tag so here we go...





The rules:
_List 10 things that make you happy.
_Tag 10 bloggers and link back to the person who tagged you.


Ten things that make me happy:

1. Blog comments...hint! hint! :):)

2. Lazy days with Justin.

3. Snuggling with my puppy...especially on cold, winter mornings.

4. Hanging out with friends.

5. Tailgating.

6. Watching football.

7. Meeting fitness goals..whether it be keeping my calories in check for a day, meeting my goal for minutes of working out in a week, etc.

8. Sunshine...oh how I love sunshine.

9. Mexican dinner dates with Justin.

10. My family...all crazy sides of my family.


And I now tag....
MrsEyeCanSee at The Juice is Worth the Squeeze
Michelle at See Michelle Blog
Renee at A Taste of Life
Tiffany at Baby Fish
Shalay at Writefully Yours
Amanda at Amanda's Life Commentary

Amy at Newlywed News
Casey at You Call It Madness But We Call It Love
Allie at Simply Allie
Amy at Life in the Junction

**Sorry to anyone who has already been tagged. :)

Gym-bo

Remember this post about 3 months ago? Yeah, the one where I was going to get back into a gym routine and shed some inches?

I started off so strong. I was going to fulfill my goal for 4x's a week for 3 weeks. That was until towards the end of the 2nd week I got a voicemail from the gym.

"Hi Lynsey, it's so-and-so from Anytime Fitness.

I just wanted to give you a call and see if there is

anything we can do to get you and Justin into the

gym on a more consistent basis. I noticed that

Justin hasn't been in since May and you seem to

come randomly and about 2-3 times a week. Please

let me know if there is anything we can do to help."

That voicemail just totally took the wind out of my sails. First off all, I have been trying to get my husband into the gym ever since we signed up for the damn membership. Call him for his reasoning on not ever going. Secondly, 2-3 times a week is a pretty good routine if you ask me. Sure there might be weeks where I don't come or only come a time or two...but I am there 8-10 times a month at the least. That's good stuff in my eyes. And lastly, thanks for the call - I am now embarrassed to step foot in the gym for fear that you will confront me about my limited visits to the gym (according to you..sorta). And your timing could not have been worse. I was on a roll for the last couple of weeks - at that point.

I am just as embarrassed to say that I have not been to the gym since that phone call. That is until tonight. I just had to bite the bullet and go. It's not gym employee guy's fault that I have not been in 3 months. That was just the easiest thing for me to blame it on at that time. Since then, I have come up with some even more lame excuses. It's pretty sad actually.

It's time for me to just get into a routine. Once I get into a routine that works for me and that I am sticking to consistently - then I can start worrying about what the scale is saying.

So now I am in that transition period where I figure out how to get my butt in the gym...and then how to keep that routine for an extended period of time.

4x's a week for 3 weeks.

I have really gotten out of any sort of routine at the gym. I was going on a fairly regular basis and my motivation has since fizzled.

Justin's cousin is getting married in 3 weeks so I figure that's a good time frame for my re-entry into the gym rat life. And by gym rat, I mean I will go to the gym 4 times a week for the next three weeks. I am sure that doesn't really constitute a gym a rat, but it's self proclaimed.

I don't really have a weight loss goal or results goal for the next three weeks. I just want to stick to a routine of 4 days a week. If I see results over that time frame, then that's icing on the cake.

Justin and I recently purchased a scale that measures % body fat. I am not sure how accurate it is since it cost us $6 a liquidators store. It's all that I've got to go on at this point. Accurate or not, I DO NOT like the number that it is giving me these days. It says I have 30% body fat. That completely disgusts me.

A couple of years ago (when I had a trainer), I was 17%. To think that I am up 13% from that time is really eye opening. I wasn't even 30% when I started with my trainer.

30% body fat for a female my age is high so my goal is to reduce that number. Ideally, I would like to see my % body fat at about 20-23%. I hope that as I see my % body fat decrease, I will also see my measurements decrease and my weight decrease. And even better, I hope to see my jeans fit a little better.

My % body fat is about the only measurement having to do with my weight that I feel comfortable sharing on the web. I will, however, track my weight and measurements on my own for the next 3 weeks to see how things go. I will keep my blog updated with my % body fat in case you are interested.

In other news...tomorrow starts a trial run at work for 4 10 hour shifts. I am very excited about this. My shift will now be 1230pm-11pm. It should not be too bad. I normally work 2pm-10:30pm so I am used to the morning being my time to get things done. Although my morning time to get things done is being reduced a bit, I will have a whole extra day off each week to get things done. I have one 3 day weekend a month, which I am really excited about.

Just like my 4x's a week gym schedule, this working 4 days a week at work is just a 3 week trial. We are testing it out to see if it works for everyone and to see if we can work out the kinks. I am very hopeful that it will work, but I am trying not to get my hopes up.

The time has come...

I could no longer stand my new pudgy body. It was depressing. And depressing in a way that was making me gain more weight and get more flabby. Not good. Justin and I finally decided to join a gym near our house. I had cancelled my membership around August of last year. I had not been to the gym in 9 MONTHS!! Holy cow!!

I was warned about the freshman 15 when I went to college. I started down a path to gain those 15 pounds, but luckily I was a student-athlete so I never gained that much. I was not, however, warned about the post-wedding 10(ish). I was in GREAT shape for our wedding and I worked really hard to get there. Then what do I do when the wedding is over?? Oh, completely disregard my previously successful work out routine.

I have decided to set a goal date. This will be the day when all of my backfat, love handles, and whatever else that is hanging over my jeans - it will be gone. That date is 4th of July. My goal is to lose 10 pounds by that day. That would be a better possibility if I could adjust my diet. That's my big struggle with weight lose - my diet. I don't mind working out, but I hate restricting my diet. I like to eat. Bottom line. :)

We joined yesterday and I had my first work out yesterday. It felt great to finally be in the gym again. Each cardio machine has its own little TV screen so you can watch whatever you want. At our old gym, there were about 5 TVs near the cardio machines that were preset. You had to hope that you could get on a machine within viewing distance of the TV you want to watch. It was a pain because that gym was always crowded. This is a smaller gym that is not too crowded. I am anxious to see some results, but I am going to try not to look at the scale or do any measurements (except for my starting weight and measurements that I did yesterday) for at least a week or two.

Here are some pics of gym. It's pretty spiffy.