A Leaner Cut of Chuck

Chuck is riding the mechanical bull of life changes right now!  And all of them good!  I am super proud of how he has made time to keep at it this month.  And I am grateful for his perspective, I think many of us have been derailed by projects big and small, dealing with unanticipated consequences, while keeping up with daily life.

I want to identify that every step you take to change, a thought pattern, an internet search, buying new running or walking shoes, counts.

I also admire the honestly Chuck is throwing down.  I think sometimes I can be a little stoic about the tue stress of changes and then think months later how hard something was.  Enjoy Chuck's thoughts! 

Well, I’ll be honest with all of you- it’s been a tough month.  I know that working out with Beth has been really good for me, but I haven’t been as consistent as I would like, and I haven’t been getting the results that I want.  I know that this is my fault, and my goal in the next month is to change this and really work on consistency. 

So, why did I go off track?  Well, it seems to be one thing after another.  My wife has this tendency to realize that some large house project needs to be completed right about when she hits the 7 month mark in her pregnancy.  Last year, it was to remodel our kitchen (which then went on to include installing hardwood floors on the whole second floor, and remodeling a powder room and 2 bathrooms- she has a tendency to bite off a lot at a time).  You read that last sentence and are now probably wondering what else there was to do?  Well, there was one big glaring green issue in our house that remained- the luscious emerald green carpet that covered the floor in our master bedroom, which is the third floor of the house.  This carpet would have turned people green with envy….. if it was 1988.  In this day and age, it really was an eyesore, and a project that we had talked about many times.  With the impending new baby, we both realized that getting those floors done would be much easier before the baby arrives, being that the fumes force us to vacate for a couple nights.  So, that is a long story, but it contributes to my lack of consistency for 2 reasons.  First, the whole process was stressful- moving everything (including my pregnant wife) out of our master bedroom was just very disrupting to our routine.  She and her Snoogle (a pregnancy body pillow she is never without these days) took the guest bedroom and with a queen bed, but she’s not the easiest to share anything other than a king sized bed with right now, so I found myself sleeping on the bottom twin bunk bed- it could be worse, but these were not the best nights of sleep.  And second, the master bedroom is where I do my workouts with Beth, and where I feel most comfortable doing workouts on my own.  When I was displaced from here, I just wasn’t able to adjust to working out elsewhere.  So, I slacked.  I guess this probably happens to anyone on a program like this, but I am disappointed in myself, and I know that I need to get back on track.  I also haven’t been getting out of the house to do as much walking as I know I should.  And, not to blame my pregnant wife, but I do enjoy walking with her, and she’s not the best walker these days, for obvious reasons.  She can do a little bit, but she definitely gets tired, and can’t go for as long as I need to.  

So in the next month, I’m looking to overcome these setbacks.  The good news is that the floors are done, and we’re back in our master bedroom (and the floors look MUCH better with hardwood!).  I have my sanctuary back, and a place where I can work out- complete with an area rug, which is just as comfortable but much more aesthetically pleasing than the emerald green carpet.  My wife and I are going to go and tour some gyms this week to get an idea of what would work for us, and Beth made the great suggestion of finding one with child care.  I love spending time with my son, but I also love the idea of going to the gym and getting an hour of time to myself.  I think that this is a respite that I have been needing, and would also be a way for me to stay motivated to keep going to the gym.  With the new baby getting here in a little more than a week, I know that life is about to get turned upside down again, but I also know that my wife is here to support me, and that I can make some more positive changes.  The nice thing is that she won’t be working for the next few months, and has also expressed a desire to get into a better physical program, so I think that she and I can make some changes together.

So, that is where I stand as of today.  The next month has A LOT in store for me and my family, and I have a lot of excitement…. and some trepidation.  Next month’s report will include a big announcement- baby #2 will be here! So, stay tuned, and keep your fingers crossed with me that I can get some more consistency this month and really look to my workouts to be quality time I get to spend with myself.

A GOOD LIFE: Back to Basics

Here is an update from Cathy! Here is some sweet insight to the link between taking care of home and body.

Check out my new place! This August I moved out of my parent's house and into my own apartment! It's clean, organized and I am intent on keeping it that way.

Which is kinda a new approach for me...

I've always taken my independence for granted. It wasn't until I lost my ability to take care of myself, let alone anyone else, that I realized how fortunate I had been to have that independence in the first place.

Really, I don't think I've ever been operating at full capacity. Depression has always been a sub-text in my life and made the world much harder to navigate. Basic care-taking requirements have always felt hard to me - like the idea of vacuuming sounded so hard I felt like crying at the prospect of tackling it most of the time.  Almost like working out sounded painful and unenjoyable? Something like that

The winter before I started blogging and sharing things I hit an all time low. I revisited this tough time when I went to Atlanta to clean out my storage unit.  I let go of 95% of my possessions, they had to much not so great energy.  The things I rescued were covered in pet hair.  As I took them off to the dry cleaner, I felt pain and joy.  The pain of the winter of 2012 when I stopped everything, caring for myself, my apartment, my pets, my health.

In late 2012, I suddenly stopped - the laundry piled up, the dishes piled up; there was no more picking up after myself, my husband, or my my pets. My parents came down for an early Christmas at the start of December and I did my best to tidy up before they got there but they had to do a lot of work to help me make the apartment nice for us again.

We weren't spending the holidays with our family that year and I had billed it to be "The Worst Christmas Ever" as a result. My depression took me over a cliff and I just stopped. Doing. Anything.

My closest friend drove down to Atlanta with me and helped me clean out the storage unit that I put everything in when I moved out of the apartment last year. I gave away 95% of my possessions mostly because I felt like they still had some not-so-great energy attached to them. I've found that letting go of that "stuff" has really freed me to make a fresh start and let go of the parts of my life that make me sad.

Empty storage unit = A fresh start

But, I recently took a few things to the dry cleaner that I rescued from that storage unit - curtains, winter coat, sweater - and they were literally covered in pet hair. Seeing that, reliving that as I cleaned out the storage unit, is painful. I felt super sad for myself for having gone through what I did. At the same time, I feel such profound joy about being where I am today.

So needless to say, now that I'm back to taking care of myself, I'm hyper-aware of not letting the apartment get dirty. And I'm really glad to say that taking care of my place no longer makes me want to cry. I have a very regimented schedule for cleaning things and it seems to be working.Being regimented, let's me love my home.  The work I do throughout the week, frees me up to enjoy my house.  I have such a deep appreciation for being able to stand on my own to feet these 20 months later. And because of that gratitude I want to clean. I don't mind taking care of the day_to-day requirements. I now understand how having a well cared for home contributes to my well being and that makes cleaning the bathroom much less of a chore.

But wait, isn't this a fitness blog? Well, yes. Yes it is. When I originally thought about this blog post, my thinking was about how my fitness and eating routine has been less organized lately. I haven't planned out my workouts, I've been more casual in my eating, and my weight has totally plateaued. My thinking his that this is the result of the time now required to manage living on my own and having a lot more responsibility to keep my world in order.

But now, thinking about the basics required to care for my home I see how analogous it is to my exercise and nutrition routine. I understand how having a well cared for body contributes to my well being and that makes working out and eating healthy a priority.

Admittedly, my eating has become more casual. I have succumbed to my sugar addiction more than a few times (frozen yogurt shops are back and I love it so very much) and in tracking my calories I see that I consistently overeat when I go out to a restaurant. But at the same time, my fitness routine has not lapsed. I've gone up and down in terms of intensity of my workouts but they have not fallen out. The gym is still one of my favorite places and exercise is a top priority in my life.

I have talked numerous times about the toll depression took on my body. I think of all the hours I logged in my recliner, and the first thing I think of is Cheeze-Its. Shoving Cheeze-Its into my mouth hand over fist. My weight sky rocketed and I only left that damn chair to get more food.

But today, rather than feeling bad about not being 100% perfect in my fitness/eating regimen, I am focused on what is working and feels good right now. I was inspired by Chuck's latest blog post to get a pedometer which has me focused on getting in 10000+ steps per day(which is seriously a challenge) and I've gone back to basics walking outside or on the treadmill as my primary form of exercise. I'm making sure to do strength training twice a week to keep from losing muscle and keep my back pain from flaring up. I'm maintaining my current weight and while I would love to see that number go down on the scale I also recognize that shaming myself pushing myself to a point that I don't enjoy at the gym or depriving myself of food wouldn't be sustainable.

At dinner the other night my friend made such a good point. "Change is inevitable", she said. "Even if you tried to not change at all there is no way to avoid it. So why try to force change to happen when there is really no way to stop it."

Okay, I'm off to vacuum.

Yup.

Leaner Cut of Chuck: Update

I love working with Chuck! He is so all in, honest, and ready to make change.  He is DOING IT!  I feel so lucky to have him on team GO Training!  He is determined and pragmatic.  And it has been a bumpy start, kiddos, illness, life, travel, and career make for a busy life.  Here is an update from Chuck, and his before picture with a ridiculously cute little dude.

FROM CHUCK

I've been on my path with Beth for a little over a month now. It's had its ups and downs- I'm sure that anyone starting a new routine goes through similar challenges. The part that has been so shocking to me was to realize how completely sedentary I had become.  I was sick for a couple of weeks, which also happened to coincide with when I got a new iPhone 6- the phone has a built in pedometer, and I turned on that capability. While I was sick, I was walking about 1/2 a mile a day.... Total. That was eye opening, because the amount I was moving when I was sick was about my average day over the past few years. This is something that I'm working on with Beth, but it was important to know my baseline too. I understand that moving is important, and it's part of my goals.  Over the rest of the month, I had been spending a deliberate 20 minutes or so moving at least 3 times a week. I am also doing a Skype work out with Beth once a week- we are focusing on strength training and stretching, and even though my weights are light, she still helps me break a sweat. I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I was taking a bath this week and I felt this weird bump on my leg, and then realized it was a muscle. A muscle!  It's crazy that my body had gotten to such a soft spot, but noticing a change like that is really encouraging. 

The other area that we are working on  are my eating habits. I have some interesting ones that I have struggled with throughout my life, and I'll talk about those in another post. The first area that I have committed to tackling is my caffeine consumption. My poison of choice is Diet Pepsi. In my world, this is the nectar of the gods, the lifeblood of my morning... And something that I truly can't function without. I decided to start tracking my consumption to get an idea of what my baseline was so I could figure out how to reduce it. Over the course of a week, I tracked what I had everyday, and found that my baseline was about 16 cans of diet soda everyday- which amounts to about 400 milligrams of caffeine. The recommended maximum caffeine consumption on a daily basis is about 100 milligrams. It was obvious that I have work to do.  Over the past 2 weeks I've been working to step this down, but I'm taking it slow. I've gone off caffeine cold turkey in the past, and I have gotten horrible headaches and ended up getting back on the juice. This time I am hoping a gradual approach and tracking what I have will help me to wean myself off. I've been reducing my soda consumption by 12 ounces every 3 days or so, and though I've had a few headaches, it hasn't been too bad. I know that replacing my soda drinking with water will be better on my body, and my moods. It's a slow process, but I feel like I'm moving in the right direction. 

So, a month or so in, and I'm losing some caffeine, I've gained a little muscle, and I'm starting to feel better physically.  I'm still freaked out that our next baby will be here in 2 months, and the son we already have has just started walking.  But, I am confident that if I can continue to make small changes, the things that wear me out now will get easier. I don't know if I'll be fully ready when me second son arrives, but I feel like I started this program with Beth in the nick of time.   

I should have shared these in my last post, but I want to record my baseline of where I'm starting.  I'm a guy, so this will be simple.  As I started this program with Beth, I weighed 255 pounds, and wearing size 38 pants that are feeling a little snug.  

Oh, and here is a picture of me with my son, Joe. I figured any of you readers would appreciate seeing who this Chuck guy is.  Until next time!

How I Survived the Bar with Barre

Hi everyone!

It's been awhile since I shared something on Beth's blog, but a few weeks ago I e-mailed her asking if I could share my recent workout experiences.

Since I last posted, I graduated from law school, moved to D.C., and took the bar exam. I also won this SWEET hat in one of Beth's contests. I LOVE it.

For those who don't know, the bar exam is a test all wannabe lawyers must pass to become licensed in the state in which they want to practice. The exam is brutally hard and only offered twice a year. This is NOT something you want to take more than once.

I started studying right after Memorial Day weekend in May and studied for 8 weeks - until July 29 and 30 when I actually took the test. My entire life this summer was about studying for the bar exam. One thing I absolutely wanted to make a priority was eating well and fitting exercise into my schedule.

As you know if you read some of my other posts, I like high intensity workouts like Jillian Michaels or some of the BeachBody dvds or Chris Freytag's 10 pound slim down extreme. When I started studying for the bar exam, those were NOT working for me. They HURT - and not in a good way. I have no idea what changed - maybe because I was hunched over my notes all day jumping and lifting heavy weights felt like more stress on my body.

I had to find an alternative, so I dug up dvds I had purchased from a living social deal about a year prior called Barre3. I dismissed these after I initially bought them because I didn't think they were challenging enough to allow me to maintain my current weight.

I was VERY wrong. Barre3 is a combination of yoga, pilates, and ballet movement. It's designed to be low impact, but produce really great results. I found as I continued doing these on a more regular basis, they got HARDER. I did these workouts all summer - it was the only thing (aside from going for a run here and there) that actually felt good after studying. Best part? I toned up a bit!

Up next is a series of pictures of me doing Barre3 so I can better explain. I hate sharing pics of myself, so that should tell you how much I love this program.

This is a move called power leg. And that's my dog, Piper, blocking the picture of me doing power leg.

Better, though you can still see her chair. Barre3 utilizes small weights (I use 3 lbs), a chair, and a core ball. As you can see, the movement is small - I'm not very low. But my legs are SHAKING. You squeeze the ball in between your thighs and the result is crazy. I've never had my muscles shake so hard. This is a popular Barre3 move; they do all sorts of things to change it.

They have you do a lot on your toes slightly squatted down. There's also alternatives where you don't have to be on your toes.

As I mentioned, it incorporates yoga, pilates, and ballet moves. They love side plank - they'll have you move from side plank into regular plank and back again. Really good for your core.

Almost every move incorporates your core in some way because they put a huge emphasis on creating better posture, which was SO helpful while studying for the bar exam. I was constantly hunched over a computer, book, or my notes, so 30-40 minutes of helping my posture was excellent. They have you do a lot of core work on the floor with the ball under your tailbone. It takes a lot of pressure off your low back. As someone who has felt that pain while doing crunches in the past, this was a big eye opener. 

Anyway, the point of this post is two-fold: (1) try something new - you never know what you might get from it, and (2) I love Barre3 and I'm a true believer in the results. Ultimately what mattered to me this summer was that I was doing something that FELT good to my body. The results that came were just icing on the cake.

In addition to the dvds, when I really got into Barre3, I signed up for their online workouts. For $15 per month (and I got the first month free - just google 'Barre3 coupons'), you get unlimited access to their online workouts. They range from 10, 30, 40, or 60 minutes and there are SO many options. I love having lots of options because I get bored easily.

And that's it! I won't know if I passed the bar exam until October 31, but I worked my butt off this summer (in more ways than one). Beth, any thoughts on barre-like classes? Done them? Love? Hate?

I love this post!

Madeline, I have never been to a Barre class, so you got me!  I will check some out and offer idea piles coming up.

I think this puts a highlight on what a lot of individuals, little and big, are gearing up to do!  Sit...Sitting combined with stress can really set us up for some tightness, and poor alignment.

I think it shows good awareness that you recognized that your body wasn't coping well, and finding something that worked.  

I love Pilates!  And after doing the Tupler Technique certification on diastasis recti have eliminated crunches from all my client programs and if I was a sea creature I'd be a plankton cause that is how I approach a lot of my clients core fitness.  

Pricewise that is super affordable for in home workouts, of variable length etc.

Thanks for the awesome post, Madeline!

Also cute workout outfit!

A Leaner Cut of Chuck - Introductions

I love being a part of helping someone reach a goal.  Working with Cathy has been a double gift, she is part of my family, a dear buddy, and an inspiration.  Cathy's will still be contributing via titles called the Good Life. 

A couple months ago, I reached out to the internet world for volunteers for guided transformation this year.   I had a bunch of folks respond to be the next candidate, Chuck being the first!  I am really excited to be on his team.  We start this week.  Our initial format is a weekly Skype check in, workout, and then Chuck works through the week. 

Chuck has amazing self awareness, honesty, and motivation starting out, it is really inspiring.  As with Cathy, I am sure to learn from him as much as he does from me.

Chuck will post monthly and we will post his plan, and diet goals!  Here is his story!

A Leaner Cut of Chuck

My name is Chuck, and I’m Beth’s project for the year.  I actually know Beth through Cathy- Cathy any my wife are good friends, and I met Beth through Cathy.  So, why am I here?  Well, let me start by giving you a little bit of background about myself.

I’m 34 years old, and I live in Denver, Colorado.  My family moved to Colorado when I was 13 years old, and for many years, being outside and physical fitness were a very natural part of my life.  I played football during the school years, and spent my summers at at a camp where we had daily activities that included hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking.  In the winter, I was an avid skier, and I loved it.  Physical fitness wasn’t really something I thought about- I was just so active that I was physically fit, and that was that.

When I was 19, my world was turned upside-down.  My father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and passed away within a matter of months.  I was in my first year of college at the time, studying to become a pilot, with my eyes on flying for a major airline.  After his death, I moved back to Colorado, and continued my flight training, but life was very different.  I would liken it to getting the wind knocked out of me, but the recovery was not swift.  I spent many subsequent years wandering in many ways- I was sidelined from flying with a medical issue in my mid twenties, which was another huge blow.  Flying has always been my passion, and having that taken away left me without a direction.  I had various jobs, and certainly had a lot of good times, but I didn’t have a lot of direction in those years, and I certainly wasn’t taking care of myself physically.

In late 2009 I was not in a great place, but I realized that I had to acknowledge that I was at rock bottom, and doing so was a pretty freeing experience.  In December of 2009 I met the woman who would become my wife, and am still shocked that I didn’t scare her away on our first date.  I was brutally honest with her about where I was in life, but she saw something in me, and stuck around for more.  We were married in 2012, and with her support and the support of my family, I have begun to pursue flying again with the goal of teaching flight students full time. I also became a father last year- we had a son last October, and becoming Joe’s dad has been a really wonderful and amazing thing.

So, where does that leave me?  You might have read that last paragraph and thought that I sound thoroughly redeemed…. well, I would say that in many ways my life is more on track that it’s ever been, and my family makes me extremely happy.  The problem that I have is that physically, I am in the worst shape of my life.  We’ve all heard of the “freshman 15,” but is there something called the “first time father 50?”  During my wife’s pregnancy, I seemed to gain the weight right along with her, but unlike her, did not lose 30 pounds of it the day that my son was born.  I love being Joe’s dad, but with this extra weight and my physical condition, he wears me out.  We are expecting another son in December, and although I am extremely excited, I am really concerned about how I will be able to handle another child physically.  I also know that I’m not the best pilot I can be right now because I just can’t handle the physical demands of flying as much as I would like.  Additionally, my wife and I have put our house on the market and are hoping to move before our next child is born (a local move, but a move nonetheless).  With all of this, I stress myself out and literally have no idea where to start with getting myself out of this fitness rut.  I would love to get back to the point where I don’t think about my physical limitations.  I want my sons to grow up experiencing Colorado the way that I did, with skiing and hiking and kayaking, and I want to be able to do these things with them.  

So, with all that said, I am excited to be working with Beth this year, and to share my progress with all of you.  In a years time, here’s hoping that I’ll be feeling better physically, ready to get back into some of the physical activities that I have missed, and I’ll be a leaner cut of Chuck.

Wahine Sprint Triathlon Race Report

Race List this year:
March 16 - Shamrock Run 8K: DONE!
April 6th - Beaver Freezer Duathlon - 12 mile bike, 3 mile run : DONE!
May- might have to look for a 10K in here. I had lots of stuff to do this month, including 2 vacations and a little cold. Glad in retrospect no races here.
June 7th - Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon: DONE!
June 15th - Hagg Lake Olympic Distance Swim: DONE!
June 27th - Pacific Crest Triathlon Olympic Distance Triathlon: DONE!
And I planned out the rest of my summer-ish...
July 20 Girlfiends and Dudes Sprint Tri - missed this!
August 2 Wahine All Women's Triathlon: DONE!
August 9 Huckleberry Half and 10K- running the 10K!
August- Run 100 miles this month
September and beyond unknown!

I heart the Wahine Sprint Triathlon!

Unlike every other race this year, I trained not-at-all for the swim, or the bike in the last month since the Pacific Crest Oly in June.

And I didn't think I would do this one...this week physically, mentally, and spiritually has been tough.  Allergies, lady time, and new pet stress have made it a real uptight week.

We recently adopted a dog, and she has got some issues! (who doesn't...).  But has also come a long way with her leash skills.  She has been passed around a lot, and is just beginning to trust us (many have said to really trust it will take a while).  Any other dog adopters out there feel free to share comments about adopted pets, cause our family could use the encouragement (positive ones!).

With all the commotion of the new pup, I have been running and lifting weights and walking the mammal.  And training the folks. Planned swimmage has floated by on the planner!  I have done a few HIIT sessions on the bike in the last three weeks, but no real out-in-the-world biking.

I told Mike, the Snuggle Partner,  I might do the Wahine last night, I woke at 7 am and knew the race started at 9:00, that's plenty of time.  Quickly packed, Mike walked the pup, and set off.  As much as I was unprepared, I knew I needed to go, to muster through and do something fantastic to shake off the week.

The race really started at 8:00 and I rolled in at 8:04.  In sixteen minutes, I registered, got my pile of stuff, dropped off my pile of stuff, made a second trip to the car, and hopped in the water.  I usually like to get there way early, and set everything up just so, warm up and trigger point prep.  You have seen my lists, and the many goals set from past posts...this was not that kind of party.

I was the last kid in the water.  In a total sweet move they did not have to do, the AA sports crew allowed me to have my own single lady wave.

I went out right after the Tri-it groups, technically "in" the family and friends wave, but swimming the course all on my own.

Three goals today:

1) finish.
2) enjoy the day.
3) repeatedly thank AA sports staff.

DONE AND DONE!


This race was held at the same locale as the Blue Lake Triathlon, in the Blue Lake Regional Park.

Knowing the race course proved really powerful for me in this race and races past.  Saturday morning I knew what to expect in every discipline.

SWIM:

I am thrilled with my time, considering the last time I splashed around was a little more than a month ago at the Pac Crest triathlon.

I swam it in 21:53, and had to completely stop a few times, due to no group to follow, had my old goggles on, and sun in the eyeball.  But also out of practice, no warm up!  Last time at Blue Lake I swam it in 18:29! I am totally good with the lapse, consider there have been no laps.  I also have been plagued with terrible jokes and puns this week.  Really...it was a challenging week!



BIKE:

I held down a slower pace than last time (once again, cool with that as I have not been on my bike once in a month), a 16.57 mph average versus 17.3, and appreciated the relatively flat course.  This is an all lady tri.  There is a clear sweet vibe and one of my favorite sites was a mom, and her two daughters.  All three were wearing matching gear, and one of the kids lifted legs out to the side "weeeeeeee!" style in total celebration on her bike.

RUN:

I felt awesome this run, very little discomfort in the tootsies, and totally enjoyed not feeling all crumple yet was slower again, maybe the cumulative effect of the decreased volume of running? My time was a 10:33 mile versus 10:17, and overall time was 1:44:03.  I was 1:38:28 in July dutifully training like a boss.

Very proud, and since I was a late-late-latey I came is second in my group...which was the friends and family group to allow peops of multiple ages to be in the same wave, I got a second place medal.  Keep in mind, this was a non-competitive bracket of 5 people...I am keeping my medal! (to be sung to the tune of Papa Don't Preach!)

Check out how cute the Wahine medal is...little flippity-flop styles!

Awesome things to note:

• AA sports, once again, so organized and gets it all done right
• This all women tri has a great vibe.  I love the standard Jock Jam line up, but being uber inspired  from 7 am to noon by bumping music can be a bit much sometimes.  The chill jams were soothing and lovely.
• Blue Lake Triathlon and this event are tied for best-event-ever for first timers. The Wahine is a bit smaller. The not-so-huge field is nice, but big enough there is always a competitor close
• Music was lovely, real deal drumming by Hawaiian band, and healthy choices, and a FROZEN YOGURT FOOD CART.
• Kids tri also well run
• Blue lake is warm, no wet suit!

Running once was my strength in the triathlon, and now it's time for it to be so AGAIN.  The rest of the year is all about getting those running chops back, gaining muscle, and living up this last month of summer.

I signed up for this challenge, any one else interested?  Also, 25, 50, 75, are good goals too, if this one is not a good fit, maybe you can make your own!

100 miles in August challenge!

A GOOD YEAR: Happily ever after

I'm sitting here reflecting on the last year and trying to figure out how to summarize 365 days that encompass such profound change for me. In re-reading my first blog post from July 2, 2013 it seems like I nervously hit "post" on Facebook last week and at the same time, it feels a lifetime ago.

I began this journey because I noticed myself getting out of breath going up a flight of stairs. After talking more with Beth about the program I realized that I had some additional goals if I was really going to do this: I wanted to get physically and mentally stronger. I wanted to eat food that gave me energy instead of making me lethargic. I wanted to feel less anxious and get over my depression. And ultimately, I wanted to find new ways to enjoy life and relase stress.

To be honest, I didn't really feel like all that was possible. The world was a pretty dark place to me and setting and achieving goals of any sort seemed like a long shot. Knowing that was at the back of my mind going into this program, I am even prouder of what I achieved. I'm immensely pleased to announce that since this adventure began last July I've lost 34 pounds. That translated to 2.5 inches from my bust, 3.5 inches from my waist, 1.25 inches from my arms, 4 inches from my hips, 1.5 inches from my leg, and 2.5 inches from my chest. I've gone from buying size 18 pant at Lane Bryant to size 14 petite jeans at Banana Republic. Being able to find a size that fit me at a regular store is seriously one of the greatest moments I've ever had. I can't put into words how freeing that felt.

Before (July 2013) and After (July 2014)

 

Key non-scale victories I've achieved include:

• Discovering the benefits of strength training: Lifting weights has helped me get smaller but also given me new power and ultimately helped heal my back pain.
• Moving more easily: I picked up a 20lb bag recently and it was heavy. Then I started thinking about how hard my body would have had to work to lug around those 34 pounds last year. It is no wonder getting up the stairs was hard work! It is uplifting to think about how much better I can move with that weight off my shoulders... literally.
• Realizing that what I eat impacts more than just my weight: A few months ago I cut my sugar intake back significantly and stopped eating processed foods. This would have seemed impossible a year ago. I went from eating ice cream with Cool Whip on it every night to making green smoothies. I make almost all of my meals from scratch and read lables obsessively. While eliminating sugar from my diet is still a struggle, I've seen a tremendous drop in my anxiety and a lightening of the depression from limiting myself to whole, healthy foods.   
• Exercising because it makes me feel good: Working out is a critical part of my day. I feel so much happier and less stressed when I go to the gym or go walking and I genuinely enjoy it. I like having time in my own head walking, on the elliptical, or riding the bike, and listening to good music. It helps me feel calm and relaxed and just happy.
• Sobering up: It turns out I don't mix well with alcohol and while I could write an entire year-long blog on that topic, there is already a great blog post you may have seen that sums up my feelings so eloquently. But suffice it to say that I have gone a year without a drink and feel dramatically better.

When I wrote that first blog post, I secretly hoped that this post - my "after" - would be like The Biggest Loser and I'd be showing off my tiny new physique as though my life was a montage set to upbeat music where everything works out in the end. And while I'm very proud of my weight loss, the dramatic reveal is really comprised more by changes you can't see on the outside: I've grieved for the way I thought my life would turn out. I've let go of a lot of anger and am working to forgive myself for the decisions I made and the hurt I caused others. I've sought enlightenment and levity as I work to overcome my personal obstacles. I've discovered that tiny miracles everywhere and realized we often don't see them until much further down our path. And I've found gratitude for the people in my life who took me in, propped me up, talked me down, and got me out of the house when I needed them to. I'm blessed with friendships that have lasted more than 20 years and extended family that supported me regardless of how long I'd been away.

Time heals old wounds is an old adage that has really held true for me. But the expression implies that healing just happens. It doesn't account for all the hard work and perseverence it takes to keep from growing hard and bitter when things get really tough. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my hard work and perseverence with you as I worked through a tough period.

This isn't the end of my story, though. Everything isn't perfect and I'm not riding off into a happily ever after. It turns out that doesn't exist. My back pain still flares up. I still struggle to reign in my eating. I get massive sugar cravings. I am an emotional eater and my portions need to be smaller if I want to get past the plateau my weight has settled into. Even eating healthy food still needs to be done in moderation and that's not easy for me.

Me still having problems is actually good news because it means that Beth has invited me to contribute on a more regular basis going forward! I'll be trying to solve my pain issues, testing new recipes, trying new fitness classes (please God not the aeriel dance again!) So, keep an eye out for my new posts that will be under the banner of "A GOOD LIFE" and keep an eye out for the inaugural blog of my successor. He is someone I don't know very well but already feel a strong kinship!

Cathy

Heart, Soul, and Body

I am so lucky to have met this guest blogger.  Darci has a fierce passion for running, and it has helped reignite my passion for running, which has been a touch and go relationship since an accident last year. Although I am so sorry an injury steered her my way, I am grateful to have been touched by her infectious desire to run. Darci is training for an upcoming half and will run in the mother of all relays, Hood to Coast, in August.

A few weeks ago, well 7 weeks, 4 days and 13 hours ago, I was told by a doctor that I may never be able to run again. I was diagnosed with unexplained, sudden onset peroneal nerve dysfunction. Or drop foot. Essentially it meant that I couldn’t flex my foot up or to the side, so walking was tricky and running, skipping, jumping were mostly impossible. I spent many hours in the emergency room, ruling out things that sound as awful as they are in real life, and  was told I was fit as a fiddle…well, except for this one little nerve that turned itself off for some unknown reason. I was handed a boot to help me walk and, with the tip of their hat, they sent me home to ponder my new life.

 

Let me back up. I am a runner. I am not a great runner, but in my book, anyone who runs a mile, on purpose and not because they are being chased down, is a runner. I run every day. For me, running is my breath. It is my space. It is the beginning of my day. It is the mirror that I hold up to myself every morning. Over the years I have become addicted to it in the way that one would feel addicted to a beloved spouse. I have measured my life and personal development and growth through miles and PRs and number of races run. I have spent hours with myself in the rain and the sun and the darkness of night. I know myself through running and I have found peace inside my own brain and wandering mind as my legs wander the streets and paths that have become a second home to me.

 

I love running.

 

And a doctor proclaimed, with a sad shake of his head and eyes that told me that he didn’t understand my love, that it was highly likely I would not be running for at least a year, if not ever.

 

So home I went to ponder.

 

And the truth is, even when my foot refused to flex, I just didn’t believe it.

 

My foot was partially paralyzed for sure. The universe had spoken. It had given me some message. It had taken running from me. But let’s be clear. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t all that dramatic. I could drive, I could clean my house, I could work, I could take the kids to soccer practice. Basically the universe had not taken anything away from me. Except the thing I loved the most. The thing I needed the most. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband and kids. I need my husband and kids. I also love and need my parents, and chocolate chip cookies. But running. Well, running is me. And it was gone.

 

But the truth is, even when my toes refused to wiggle, I just didn’t believe it.

 

I have always had the attitude that if I wanted something, or if I made a plan, I could make it happen. I could will it to happen. I could move forward with my plans and expectations for my life with little regard to the forces at play. I have given up stability and moved to foreign lands on a whim. I have started private practices. I have jumped out of planes. I have run half marathons while injured, while sick with the flu. I have run countless miles with a broken bone in my foot. I can make a decision and will it to be. Mind over body. Mind over matter. Mind over reality. I was, essentially, all in my head.

 

The truth is that this mirror I was holding up to myself every morning may have brought me a form of inner wisdom and peace, but it wasn’t a full-length mirror. I never looked at the full picture.

 

It was time to step back. Take a broader look. Actually consider my full self, perhaps for the first time. My left peroneal nerve, one teeny tiny little nerve said “Hey you up there, you, the one stuck in your head. Look down here. Look at your body. It matters.”

 

So while I didn’t believe it, I also finally found a profound understanding of the fact that my body is real. And it’s connected to my brain. And it will not be ignored. It is complex and complicated and deserves as much love and attention and respect as my thoughts, my heart and my soul.

 

So this time, I listened to my will and my heart and my body. I knew I would run again. But I knew I couldn’t just will myself to do it. I had to actually become one with my own body. I had to look in the full-length mirror. For real.

 

So I took a deep breath. I found the right people to work with me. I listened to them. I listened to my body. I trusted myself and my body and my mind.

 

And I am running again. I did my first run, 2 miles, exactly 3 weeks to the day of my diagnosis. And now, 7 weeks and 4 days later, I am almost back up to my pre-injury mileage. And I feel great.

 

Running has again become my space, my breath, my respite from a busy life. It has again become the mirror that I hold up to myself every morning, but now it is a full-length mirror. It not only shows me where I am mentally and emotionally, but where I am physically. I am learning to be a keen observer of my body in the same way I was to my mind.  

 

And now I know a deeper truth about my life. I can’t just will things, or myself, to do something. It takes more than that. Yes, will is important. But so is listening to your gut, to your instincts, to your body, to your left peroneal nerve. Drive is important, but so are the people that you chose to put in your life. Heart and soul are crucial, but they are nothing without the body. I need all three. And I need all three, not just to run around the block or run the next marathon, I need all three to be present as a partner and a mom and a psychologist and a friend. I need all three to truly thrive in my life. It doesn’t mean I will always feel great or that all three will be pain free. But the path, the work, is to strive for balance. To listen to the quiet signs (and the not-so-quiet signs) that each part brings to the picture.

 

I run because I can. I run because I must. I run because I am.

 

My sincerest gratitude to Beth Trimark, Physical Therapist and Personal Trainer, for listening to my heart and body and helping me do the same.  

Pac Crest Race Report

Race List this year:
March 16 - Shamrock Run 8K: DONE!
April 6th - Beaver Freezer Duathlon - 12 mile bike, 3 mile run : DONE!
May- might have to look for a 10K in here. I had lots of stuff to do this month, including 2 vacations and a little cold. Glad in retrospect no races here.
June 7th - Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon: DONE!
June 15th - Hagg Lake Olympic Distance Swim: DONE!
June 27th - Pacific Crest Triathlon Olympic Distance Triathlon: DONE!
And I planned out the rest of my summer-ish...
July 20 Girlfiends and Dudes Sprint Tri
August 2 Wahine All Women's Triathlon
August 9 Huckleberry Half and 10K- running the 10K!
September and beyond unknown!

I did the Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon last weekend Sunday!  SO many learning points!

This race is gorgeous, set in and around Sunriver, Oregon, near Bend.  This area is so yummy for your eyes, the Sisters, Mount Bachelor, and all the beauty the high desert holds.  It is a part of a mega weekend of events.  There are two days of events: s a kids tri (think bounce house, run through pool, bike and run, very fun!), a long distance tri (half iron man), a marathon, a half marathon, 5K, 10K, and 2 supported bike rides, phew!

Before I left, I made an all inclusive list, I did not want to get there and not have my gear.

BIG LIST 

In our crew, we had Ryan, rocking a half marathon in 2:08 minutes, AT ELEVATION! He accomplished that feat on Saturday.  That's less than a ten minute mile...awesome. And myself, Emily, and Danielle all took part in the Olympic Triathlon.  AND not to forget the fearless littles, Etta and Sarah did the kids tri!  Also new-to-me-friend Mike was ready to shred the Oly too.

Let's start at Saturday night, Danielle, Emily and I packed up our gear, going piece by piece through every leg of the race, packing all the required equipment we would need.  Typically, there is one spot for transitions in a triathlon but sometimes there is two.  The latter is the case for the PAC CREST Triathlon.

Danielle had the great idea to pack two bags in the morning, one for each site, so it was a no-brainer come morning times.

We also agreed to head out a bit earlier this year,  we got to the water just in time last year to set up and Emily had to immediately hit the water!

My Goals:

1. Prep body with rolling out after car ride to Sunriver - done
2. Be prepared by packing all items - done
3. Get there early so have time to sun lube, set-up - done, still got burned to hell
4. Shave some time off swim - DONE!
5. Shave some time off bike - DONE!
6. Except whatever happens on the run - it was a toughy.  Still in the accepting process.

I have said this before, but I set lots of goals.  I met so many! And they were reasonable based on my training and how things were going.  These are all really relevant to me;  it is essential that I loosen up my body, and pre-pack.  Day of race, my brain is also racing and I need that day to be as automatic as possible.

This year, I estimated my miraculous-do-no-wrong-running-goes-so-well time (11 min mile) at 3 hours 33 minutes, my long-end-of-things prediction being to beat last years time of 3 hours 58 minutes.  I ended up with an overall time of 3:53.39. I will take it!

Here's how it all went down:

We got up early! And we were so prepared, a quick efficient dolling out of our goods at T2, then Ryan, having raced the day before, shuttled us to the start.  T2 is transition 2 where you stow your bike and lace up your trainers.

T2, or transition 2, where we will dismount our bikes, and switch to running shoes.

Here is my little nest, I put down a towel and weirdly have two pairs of running shoes.

I changed shoes and socks, my feet get so cold on the bike ride I am experimenting with how to make the bike to run transition better.

I didn't know which pair I would go with...I have been having such a hard time with my feet, I WAS going to wear my old "high heeled" running shoes because they had been the best option post bike ride during my last triathlon.  On the Friday before the race,  the toes box started seriously hurting my pinky toe on my last pre-race run.

I brought my two newest pairs, never had much running in them.  It is highly NOT RECOMMENDED to try something new on your race day.  I just new that I couldn't use my oldies and have a happy day.   I'd rather walk it all and not crowd my feet.  I ended up running in my Altras to the left and my feet felt great!

From here, we enjoyed the drive to the reservoir.  It takes a solid 30 minutes to get there, plan on that!  

You also had to jam all your gear into your bag before heading out on the bike.

Transition one, after the swim, you strip your wetsuit (I like to sit on my bucket), dab a bit of water off, helmet and shoes and sunnies on and roll out on your bike.  I usually have two towels.  One for my nest and another for a quicky post-swim wipe down.

Once we were all set it was time to put on wetsuits, and get warmed up in the water, which is a bit of  an oxymoron since the water was about 64 degrees.

The swim went off in waves, and this year Emily, Mike, and Danielle were also in my age group.

Das Schwimmen: .9 miles = 34 minutes 42 seconds

This is the first time I suited up and felt none, no internal wiggles at the swim.   Not sure if that was because my friend, Emily, was there and we were being silly right up until the start, or comfort from experience.

This also was what I had been practicing since February for...to come out of the water less traumatized and more able to get at it on the bike and run.

I have been in the pool and open water more this year than any other year of triathlizing since 2003. And I started right in the mix, looking to battle for position and hang with the big kids.  Last year I swam it in 38:03, this year I pulled in at 34:42.  That was a super duper win.  I am very pumped about this shift!

I ACTUALLY passed people!

Passed them, schwoop!  Oh, I was still passed and swam over too, but what a thrill to not just survive the swim but thrive a bit.

Check this out if you can see, Emily and Danielle shaved loads of time off last year as well! Danielle's time is not picture here but she tore it up, finishing in 3 hours and 5 minutes!  She was in the top 15 of our age group!

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OHHH, Das Biking: 28 miles = 1 hour 50 minutes 20 seconds

This bike course is no-jokesters.  The first 14 miles are a series of ups ups ups and also up, did I mention the climbs?  And just to keep it fun, mile 12 to 13 is a one mile climb!  Then reward city, ripping 30-34 miles an hour downhill!

Last year I held down a 14.3 mph average, and this year 15.6 mile per hour.  I like it!

Last year, (My First Olympic Triathlon) I had done a sprint triathlon the week before and felt pretty tired at the start...and it was 95 plus degrees in the high desert.  That was a test of mental and physical  power.  I also noted to taper harder in that post, should have reread that post prior to this one!

This year, I trained per my coaches directions, and did a decent ride the weekend before, 28 miles, and another 13 miles the Tuesday before.  I really wanted to follow my coaches instructions to the "T" this year.  I am so grateful for the coaching from Shawn Bostad at Upper Echelon fitness.  He has a wealth of experience, and endless encouragement.  During group workouts, I would hit a wall or feel downtrodden or frustrated at being at the back of the pack and he always picked me up.

I totally shaved 6 minutes off the previous year's time.  I did do a lot more hill training this year and a lot more long rides and I think this is where I squeaked out a little more speed.

I did have a bit of a mechanical issue on the downhill.  I could not shift into my big wheel as my bike is over ten years old and just could not get the derailier to do it's thing with the intense vibration.  Some sections of the road are rough.  Not full of potholes but the asphalt is older and sits in the desert sun daily.  I am not sure how much faster I could have gone if the shifting was going better.

I once again felt pretty tired at the start of the bike and kinda demolished at the run start.

Hmmmmm, IF I do this race next year, I am going to taper much harder, and maybe go up a few days before, versus a day and a half.  I also just couldn't nutrition up really well on the bike, my tummy just wasn't having it.  Next time I would push food in the mouth hole and get it down regardless of what my stomach thought.

The Runner: 6.2 = 1 hour 20 minutes

My friend Emily, so kindly hovered in T2 area, thinking maybe we would enjoy the run together.  I already knew as I dismounted my bike this was going to be a tough run.  I was so tired in my leggies.

We walked out of T2 after running past families to high five, and I had just a scooch of the prior issues I had in the last couple races (see Beaver Freezer Duathlon,  Blue Lake Triathlon) with the foot ache.  The new wider bike shoes have been key in solving that issue.

Emily looked good, felt good and went ahead.  My legs were scrambled.  I knew I had to just put keep moving for the next hour or so.

I didn't have a treasure trove of successful runs to lean on, but I knew I would finish.  I made tiny goals, "run until the next cross walk", "walk the hill, run the downhill".

I did my best and walked ran the next 6.2 miles, just slowly peeling off the miles.  I ended up being 5 minutes slower this year.  I would mwah mwah that one BUT it's not a huge surprise for me.  I transitioned to a zero drop shoe this year, lost a lot of muscle, gained 15 pounds, and have had really up and down showings with the run.  During my training runs, I have had to skip some workouts and straight up run less frequently because of ouchies in the feet.

I am so happy to feel truly recovered from my car accident.

And how could I mwah mwah when I kicked some booty cheeks on the swim and the bike? And I KNEW coming into this one, the run would be a question mark.

I FINISHED and look at my buddies helping me towards the finish line!

I didn't know they were gonna boost me but I SO appreciated it!

That was my big tri for the year, I have a couple more sprints and running races planned but my next phase is to shine up my running AND PUT ON SOME MUSCLE!

Endurance training is great, but I am more interested in adding muscles, and would rather put time into that sector of life.

And shake off the 15 pounds I put on since last year.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING THE PAC CREST TRI, know this:

1. It's at an elevation of about 4,000 feet, and it might behoove you to train at high elevation or get there a few days earlier.  (I got their Friday night, my buddies got there Thursday night).
2.  The bike course and the run course are minimally shaded, out there in the open.  Wearing sunblock will only help so much, to truly be sunburn free you will have to cover your shoulders.
3. Practice biking hills!
4. Their is a bus shuttle and a bike shuttle!  I have used the bike shuttle and there was a scratch or two on my bike after each time, if you are very particular about your bike you may prefer bringing it yourself.  The bus shuttle is nice because race start is about 30 minutes by care from Sunriver at the Wikiup reservoir.  We had a very nice shuttle driver in our buddy Ryan but you have resources available if you want to get there way early or not disturb a family member.
5. TOT FRIENDLY!  Sunriver has safe, paved and (supervised by Sunriver safety employees if you get lost) bike path's, a water park, a grocery store, shopping, restaurants, playgrounds, condos, etc.  If you have kids, there is lots to do!
6. Split up your transition bags for race day!  Then you need zero double checking day of.
7. It's hard BUT so doable.
8.  The swim is a two-looper, just FYI.  You will be passed by later waves.  I do not love this...I do not hate this...it just is...
9. Have support to shuttle you to pick up your stuffs, you will be tired and the pick up closes round 2 pm.

My dad is a caveman.

My dad is the guy who welds stuff for all the other guys in the neighborhood, lends out tools, loves to barter, and workity work work. And eat my mom's food. And cruise Ebay for boat parts.

My dad has moved his body quite a bit in his lifetime.  He is somewhere in his seventh decade, has huge rough hands, and is crazy strong.  He all at once owned his own business, and worked a full time job as an metal model maker at Chrysler, one of the Big Three automakers in Michigan.  He has always had a wicked strong work ethic.

He built our house from the ground up.  He taught me how to lay brick and reroof a house like all the other ten year old girls.   He even knows how to operated the scoopy move-the-earth thingy and a high-lo.

One thing he is not, is a life long exerciser. In the past, work was his exercise.

As for other family members and exercise habits, I have always enjoyed sports and body moving, from age of 5 to the present day, it is my therapy.  Working is when my dad is happiest.

My brother, also a caveman, is instantly good at everything he tries (annoying!) and is more of a sit-ups, push ups type guy, who weighs exactly the same as he did in high school (double annoying!) and has a permanent six pack, eats whatever he wants, AND is a smoker.  We can talk about that another time...

My mom has always kept moving and "loves her Denise Austin", bikes, walks, yoga-cises, and works out with me online twice a week.  She is also crazy strong, but doesn't like to mess up her hair or get "too sweaty".

I never really thought my Dad would be interested in exercise.  But I was wrong.

He unfortunately had a whack EKG in 2008, and was immediately admitted for an angioplasty and had a stent placed in his heart.  We have a strong history of cancer and cardiac disease on his side of the family.  He is a survivor of bladder cancer as well.  

He came through like a champ, but it sucks to see your dad in the hospital.  He had the option to go to cardiac rehab but didn't go.  I remember feeling worried and really hoping he'd change his lifestyle but also knowing that lasting change has to be his idea.  That is true for all of us.

He had another catheritization and more stents in 2010, and lo and behold this tough-salt-of-the-earth-rather-be-working-than-doing-anything-else-guy... went to cardiac rehab!  Consistently, and no surprise to me, made connections and friends there.  

This inspires me because you never know when someone is going to change.  It is a reminder to always leave the room and possibility for people to make a different choice.  Always have faith, and be a cheerleader. 

Anyway, my dad is amazing, tough, hard working, and generous with his time.  

He has not been 100% consistent since 2010, but he always gets back to it.  He still works out and now has free gym access part of his medicare benefit, hooray for Silver Sneakers, and hooray for my dad!  Work still takes priority, but exercise is now something he calls familiar.