Warning: This blog may ramble a bit.
In March 2011, I joined Weight Watchers and I started running. My goal? Stay focused on WW for 52 weeks in hopes of releasing 100# and to run my 2nd marathon (Honolulu Marathon in 2011 for my friends wedding). What have I accomplished since then?
* At one point I had released 65# (But that currently sits at 51.2#)
* I have completed the See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon in 3 1/2 hours (my goal time), Barber to Boise 10K, Honolulu Marathon at over 8 hours, 2 weeks later a Me, Myself and I Marathon in just under 7 hours, Race to Robie Creek 1/2 Marathon in under my goal time, The Lake Lowel Marathon in May of 2012 in just under 6 1/2 hours, 2 weeks later, Famous Potato Marathon in over 7 1/2 hours, 2 weeks later I completed the Sun Valley 1/2 Marathon and 2 weeks after that I completed the See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon in under 3 hours!
* I participated in my very first bicycle group fun ride which was 25 miles.
* In 2013, I rode my bicycle 400 miles in 9 days and I completed my first ultra marathon (The Foot Hills Frezny 50K..32 miles).
* I also became a licensed Zumba instructor but after sustaining a Traumatic Brain Injury, I had a bit of a personality change and decided I could not stand Zumba *laugh*
* I became a belly dancer and this past December had the extreme pleasure of performing my first belly dancing duet with my gorgeous 14 year old daughter.
* I went from a size 22/24 to a size 10/12
* My resting heart rate is under 60 bpm
* My blood pressure went from high and almost needing medication to being normal.
* My cholesterol went from high to normal.
* I went from pre-diabetic to normal blood sugar levels.
When I joined WW, I just wanted to get healthy. In the process, I found this athlete who wants to push to run faster and farther. I found that I wanted to keep pushing myself to do things that I thought were previously impossible. I remember the very first marathon I completed in 2006. I swore I would NEVER do that again! It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced (and that includes childbirth)! WHY would anyone ever want to do that to themselves on purpose? Ride my bike 400 miles on 9 days? That is something I NEVER even dreamed of. As a kid, I rode my bike 10 miles at the most in one day. During that 400 mile ride, I rode my fist century ride...100 miles in one day!
My life has changed for the better, but you can see by my weight gain, that some things are slipping. I have also been experiencing some physical issues that I believe require me to take a step back from all of my running. In making that decision, it also affected my goals for the year. I had BIG goals set. I wanted to complete my first 100 mile run. I wanted to complete the Idaho Trail Ultra Series (4 ultra marathons in the season). I wanted to beat my marathon PR in May...or possibly October. But even running 6 miles makes my body feel like its 80 years old. I did not take care of my body the way I should have while doing all of that running before. Now it's time to listen to my body. I only have this one body to last me the rest of my life, and if I continue to abuse it, the results will not be pretty.
So this week I took a long hard look at what I have done and where I am going. I still need to work on getting to my goal weight. I have adjusted what I think my goal weight should be, and tomorrow when I go for a weigh in for a new challenge I have started, I will talk to them about what they believe should be my goal weight. I also need to talk to my doctor to get a written doctors note. My body seems to stall out at 181# then I gain it back. I need to get more stretching in. I need to strengthen my core and I need to get my knees some more time to heal and strengthen in different ways. I had decided to step back from running and focus on yoga and my belly dancing. Just as I decided that, my belly dance instructor informed us that in April she will be taking a sabbatical from teaching. There was another blow, but I still have till April to figure things out.
Anyway... So after doing lots of thinking. And looking at how I am going to spend my $200 American Express Gift card that was given to me with the idea of spending it on running stuff. I have decided on this plan........
* I am back to my Weight Watcher's meetings....staying accountable.
* I joined the St. Luke's $10,000 Weight Loss Challenge that starts tomorrow 1/11/14 with the staring weigh in with the final weigh in on 6/5/14. There will be extra little incentives and contests during those months.
* My set in stone work out schedule looks like this:
Mon: Hot Yoga
Tues: Endurance Spin Class
Wed: Hot Yoga in the morning followed by Belly Dance in the evening
Thurs: Strength/TRX in the morning and in the evening Burlesque dance class (I might follow up with Aerial Hammock Fitness Level 1 class after Burlesque..we shall see)
Fri: Building Cycling Spin Class
There will likely be other exercises thrown in there during the week at random times..like free weights or small walks. Don't forget about snowboarding with the snow is good :). But I think this is a good balance of strength training, stretching, cardio and the fun stuff. I think if I am going to win the weight loss challenge, I may need to add more stuff to this..like the free weights and extra time at my regular gym, but that is time I will be spending with Tracy in the evenings.
I feel good about this plan right now. Go Epic (the spinning place) has little challenges for us to meet to keep me engaged and having fun (along side the plain torture). I do not have an instant fondness for spinning OR hot yoga, but I look at it like I looked at running when I started. I HATED running and could not figure out WHY people loved it so much; then look at what happened to me. So, I am committed to this new plan.
What do you think? 6 months of this plan should get me 30# lighter I would think which puts me well into the goal weight I was thinking about. And it will certainly get me healthier, stronger and more flexible.... a well rounded athlete! And who knows?! Maybe with all of this spinning, I will finally be able to ride my bike up Bogus Basin Rd all the way to the top!
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