Weigh-in Weirdness

Hello, Monday.

Today, I got on the scale. We're trending back in the right direction - 210.8, or 211 for any normal person keeping track.

Felt good after the disastrous 218 of a few weeks back. Obviously those were NOT "real" pounds, but instead imposter pounds designed to throw a wrench in my mental state. Well, screw you, bad boys ... I'm not falling for it.

So over the past few weeks, I've been as careful as I could be under the circumstances (i.e., in the middle of moving, with a killer road trip mixed in for good measure). I've kept up my workouts, and I have not expected myself to be perfect. It is paying off.

As of today, I am living surrounded by boxes and furniture seeking a "home"... and I am dedicated to self care. I have a plan for my workouts this week (which include three runs in preparation for the Hot Chocolate 15k in November) and I feel excited and ready. (It doesn't hurt that part of the plan includes a 75-minute salsa/funk class on Wednesday - not something usually on the agenda!)

It's a new week and I'm feeling capable and strong. I really really want to be less than 200 pounds in the new year; wish me luck!

Run for Your Lives (w/official time)

We came. We saw. We ran from zombies.

In what was undoubtably the oddest race to date, last weekend a group of us donned kilts and participated in Run for Your Lives, an obstacle race during which you also try to avoid zombies. Only one of us - my fake boyfriend Pete - "survived" the apocalypse. 

 Me, Linda, Adam, Terri, Robyn, Lorna, Pete and Alexis.

This race was an absolute HOOT. We laughed the entire time. Prior to starting out each runner is given a belt with three flags on it; they represent your health. You run the race and try keep the zombies from getting your flags. It's harder than it sounds.

We dressed in kilts, wore Braveheart-inspired makeup, and quoted Monty Python. We were an eight-person mixed metaphor. The best part was they way I think we helped other people enjoy their own race. Near the end, when all of us except for Pete were already "dead", we found others to surround and protect. We had a huge group at the end who called us their "heroes" for protecting them through the end of the race. 

Probably the best part was watching Pete avoid the zombies. He's a real athlete - Ironman, marathoner and more. So when he was in danger, he was off like a shot ... or, he was running and flailing like a girl, shocking the hell out of the zombies and cracking everyone up. 

Pete and me.

When all was said and done, we were tired, hungry and victorious; after all, we finished with our bodies and our senses of humor intact. We took almost an hour and a half to run a 5K, but we had such a good time in the process, I don't think anyone minded. "For real" results to post later. For now, I'm just remembering the fun.

Addition: My official time was one hour, 25 minutes and three seconds ... or an average 27.26 minute mile. I do believe that's my slowest race to date. I also believe I don't really care. 

Weight a minute!

Yeah, so last week's chart-topping weigh-in was evidently a weird anomaly. Last night I got on the scale at the gym, and it practically smiled at me: 213.

That was after swimming for 45 minutes and doing an hour of spin class, so it's possible that it's a little off one way or the other with the amount of water I drink during a workout, and how much I sweat. But either way, it was a good number. So now I need to keep my nose on the friggin' grindstone and continue to trend downward.

I'm also having some weird back pain lately. It actually kept me up one night last week; not cool, man. Not cool at all. But it seems to be getting better. I (still) need to strengthen my core and take some of the work out of my back. Which means I really kinda need to make that a priority. Guess I should stop saying that and get on with the business of doing it, huh?

I totally forgot

To weigh in this morning! GAH!

It wasn't a horrible weekend, food-wise, but it wasn't perfect, either. I'm hoping to have gone down a little. We shall see; I will hop on at the gym tonight.

Look for fun photographs after my run this coming weekend! I'll be heading to St. Louis to participate in Run for Your Lives - a zombie-infested 5K, in which I will be running in a kilt. Stay tuned!

Following up on the panic

So yes, I panicked on Monday. I hate that feeling that my health is slipping away, before I've even come close to reaching my goal. That night, I went to spin class, and after class I talked with my friend, trainer extraordinaire Donna. I explained that I'd put on a few pounds and I wasn't dealing well with it; that stress and busy-ness had kept me from doing my best at my health. And she said:

"So goes the life of an athlete."

It hadn't occurred to me that these ups and downs were, indeed, part of the process. There is a light at the end of the tunnel; I will not be here forever. Soon, the move will be over and I will be able to focus a bit more. But in the meanwhile, I continue to work out, and I'm logging my calories, and - bottom line - I am working on it. It's not about being perfect; it's about trying.

So I keep trying.

Well, that sucks

I have been struggling a lot lately.

Like, a lot a lot.

With packing and prepping to move and all that goes into that, I'm not home a lot. I'm either working at my sister's house to get the place in order, or at the gym (seriously, though that will be hard to believe as you continue to read) or at work or sleeping. When I'm not, I'm packing up my belongings.

I felt puffy when I got on the scale this morning, but I still wasn't prepared to see ...

218.

What the fuck? 218?

That means I've put on about 15 pounds since the half marathon. I think every one of those 15 is around my middle. I can feel them, all squishy. I don't feel good.

I am battling the spiral, and I'm hoping you'll send me any encouragement - through the air, a text message, a comment - that you can. I know I can do it. I know getting back down to where I was is possible. But lately, it's been such a challenge.

Factor in that I'm pretty much starving and hormonal all the time and there you have it. I'm a girl who, if she doesn't get her shit together pretty quick, is at risk of becoming exactly what she used to be.

Today I made myself go walk up and down the stairs, just to get off my ass. Tonight I will do spin class. It's not like I'm just gonna take this shit lying down.