Tonight's Workout (2/28/05)

None.

It snowed and I'd rather be at home then on the road when it's snowing. I'm not sure about tomorrow either. I may have an appointment w/ my hair dresser. If not I'll go running.

So, instead of going to the gym I took a stab at doing my taxes. It's looking good. If I did everything right I could use my return to get a new laptop, a flat screen monitor AND a new dishwasher. I say that now, but most likely it'll all just go in the bank and collect dust. That's what happened last year. I couldn't think of one fun thing to do with that tax return.

In terms of eating, I was over my target points today, but this is the last day of the week in my journal and overall I did pretty well. This morning the scale showed some progress, but it won't be official until my next weigh-in. Wish me luck.

- Gotta Jet

This Weekend's Workout (2/25/05 - 2/27/05)

Fantastic!!

Friday…

I went to Ultimate Step Class, because I couldn’t stay away. I’m really starting to nail down the routines. I finally got the hang of the Chassez. Also my Kick-Ball-Chains and Jazz-Box steps are coming along nicely. Johnny, the Ultimate Step Instructor, told me that I almost had the entire routine. He called me “Superstar”, probably because I sometimes get tripped up like that Molly Shannon character from Saturday Night Live.

Cardio
- Ultimate Step Class (60 Minutes)

My biggest hurdle now is the 2-Steps Back-Chassez-Pivot-Reverse Turn combo and some other weird Mambo-Fly Over thingy he likes, but other than that I’m doing pretty well. Excellent Cardio Workout.

Saturday…

No workout. I was tempted to go running Saturday afternoon, but I was at my mom’s and I hung out over there and did some reading/studying. (Boring) There are a lot fewer distractions at my Mom’s house, but there’s also a lot more food there. ; )

Sunday…

This is the great part of my workout weekend…
I RAN 1.75 MILES IN 26 MINUTES WITH NO STOPPING!!! YEAH!!!
I almost didn’t workout because I forgot my T-Shirt. But it was Sunday. I decided that since there weren’t that many people around I’ll just run in my undershirt.

Elliptical
- Time: 12 min
- Dist: 1.0 mile
Treadmill
- Time: 55 min
- Dist: 3.3 miles
Abs
- Lower/Pull-ups (2x10)
- Upper/Crunches (2x30)
Lots of Stretching

I ran as long as I could before I absolutely had to stop when I couldn’t feel my feet any more. Then I walked it off for .25 miles then ran another 1.2 miles without stopping. I tried a different treadmill this time. One that was close to a mirror so I could see myself running. In my head I use to think I was running like the wind, but I saw the truth in the mirror. I looked like a hippo running in slow motion and the undershirt did very little to cover my enormous hips.

Anyway, I didn’t weigh-in last week due to snow. I’ll weight in this week. I didn’t do too well w/ food this weekend. My mom like to feed me. So, on Saturday morning I had Kielbasa with my breakfast and Sunday morning she made Cinnamon Rolls. Yummy, but fattening. So, that’s why I had to run on Sunday.

This upcoming week is looking pretty dismal for workouts. I need to schedule time to go to the hairdresser, weigh-in and have dinner with some friends I haven’t seen in a while. Wish me luck.

- Later

Tonight's Workout (2/24/05)

None.

I knew it was going to snow so I had already planned to miss a workout. In fact, it was snowing all day, but none of it stuck to the streets or sidewalks. When I left work I decided to go to my weigh-in and stay for the meeting at WW. The traffic in the evening was pretty light and the roads were well treated. But the further I traveled West the heavier the snow became and because the sun had already gone down the snow started accumilating on the road fast. I figured by the time I left the meeting at 8pm the streets would be to covered to drive. Plus I'm not the most confident driver when it comes to driving in snow, so I decided not to weigh-in this week.

In terms of eating, I did well today. I was only one point over my target. I'm going to Ultimate Step class tomorrow night and hopefully I can get in a run sometime this weekend.

I have a lot of homework to get through this weekend and I need to do my taxes. I haven't decided what to do about my laptop that died and hopefully if I get a decent tax return I can get a new laptop.

- Until next time

Tonight's Workout (2/23/05)

Good.

I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. I didn't want to go, but they're threatening snow for tomorrow so I figured I better get in a workout before I'm snowed in.

Elliptical
- Time: 12 min
- Dist: 1.0 mile
Treadmill
- Time: 38 min
- Dist: 2.6 mile
Lots of Stretching

I didn't run as well as I did on Sunday. Although, I ran a full mile without stopping, my workout was cut short because both my feet went numb. I think my laces were too tight. Plus it was late and I needed to get home anyway. I'll do better next time.

I'm back on track with WW. Now that I can officially add points for working out, I was under my target points for today.

- Peace out

Tonight's Workout (2/22/05)

None.

I worked late tonight then I had to run a few errands and do some studying.

I did pretty well with WW today. I even cooked tonight - Chicken Parmesan and Green Beans. It turned out OK. That's about it for now.

- Don't be a stranger

Tonight's Workout (2/21/05)

Good.

Since I ran yesterday I decided to go to Ronya's step class tonight. I haven't been there for a while and after going to Ultimate Step classes, her routine seemed very basic. Either way it was a pretty good workout.

Cardio
- Step Class (50 min)
- Abs (10 min)

I did OK with WW today. I went to Wegmans and picked up some sauteed tofu from the buffet for dinner. I also got some green beans to go w/ it. Nothing else to write about tonight.

- Later

This Weekend's Workout (2/18/05 - 2/20/05)

Great!!!

On Friday…
I went to Ultimate Step Class. Which, in my opinion, is the best workout in the Washington DC area. I’m actually starting to get the hang of it. I’m almost to the point where I can Chassez with the best of them.

Cardio
- Step Class (60 min)

On Saturday…
I didn’t workout. I took some friends to visit my friend’s Wine shop in Fredericksburg (See previous post). On the way back we stopped at this new trendy grocery store called Wegman’s for dinner. Wegman’s is awesome!!! One day I’ll post a blog entitled “Wegman’s is Awesome”.

On Sunday…
I finally made my goal of running 1 mile w/o stopping! Woo-Hoo!!!! I ran a 15 minute mile on the treadmill for a total of 3.1 miles. So in the end I ran a complete 5K in 48 minutes!! I know, big deal. It was a treadmill. But for me it is a big deal. I’m starting to see progress.

Elliptical
- Time: 12 min
- Dist: 1.0 mile
Treadmill
- Time: 48 min
- Dist: 3.1 miles
Lots of stretching

I think the trick was: A. Finding the right treadmill, B. Finding the right set of songs on the I-pod, C. Doing an efficient warm-up followed by stretching and D. Taking an Aleve before you go to the gym. I think the last one is the key. I had almost no pain this time. Except my foot tends to get numb the longer I run. But when I take a break to walk it off the pain goes away almost immediately.

This past week has been a big Weight Watchers nightmare. I enjoyed too many dinners and lunches w/ friends. This week I don’t expect to do much socializing over food, so I’ll be able to get back on track with maintaining my daily points.

- So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye

The Virginia Wine Experience

This is me and my friend Edwin at his Wine Shop in Fredricksburg, Va.



His shop is called the Virginia Wine Experience. I drove my posse out there today to check it out. His shop is really nice. He specializes selling in wines from Virginia's finest vineyards. A representative from the Stone Mountain Winery was on hand to give us a tasting of the various wines they produce. We sampled these wines along with chocolates, cheese and crackers which were also sold in his shop. We ended up buying a lot of stuff and having a good time.

So, if you're ever in Fredericksburg stop by and enjoy the experience.
The Virginia Wine Experience

- Later

Tonight's Workout (2/17/05)

OK

After weighing in at WW, I skipped the meeting and went to the gym. I was looking forward to getting on the treadmill and running. I'm trying to run at a 15 minute mile pace. Unfortunately, I pulled something in my right leg and I lost my motivation to run. So, I focused on lower body strength training.

Elliptical
- Time: 12 min
- Dist: 1.09 miles
Treadmill
- Time: 16 min (approx)
- Dist: 1.0 mile
Low Body
- Leg Curls (3x10 @ 40lbs)
- Seated Leg Curls (2x10 @40lbs)
- Seated Leg Lifts
- Leg Presses
Lower Abs
- Pull Ups (2x10)
- Ball (3x10)
Upper Abs
- Crunches (2x30)
Chest Presses (2x15 @ 20lbs
Stretching

I lost 1 more pound this week, which is not bad considering all the birthday eating I've been doing. I have one more celebration this Saturday night. Then I'm through.

- Talk to you later

Tonight's Workout (2/16/05)

None.

Tonight I celebrated my 2nd to last birthday observance. Gay crew got together and took me to dinner downtown. The meal was great. I had salmon, the house wine and Creme Brulee.

Tomorrow I have my last birthday lunch. Then it's back to tracking points and regular workouts.

- Hasta La Vista Baby

Tonight's Workout (2/15/05)

None.

Old age kicked in pretty quick. This morning my back started to hurt. It was so bad that I collapsed on the couch and could barely reach for my glass of orange juice. But since I'm a trooper I went to work anyway. As long as I didn't have to bend over or reach over my head, I was fine. Luckily my job involves sitting at a computer all day with little or no movement. As time went by I gradually started feeling better, but I wasn't feeling good enough to go to the gym. So, I decided to go home and rest.

Tomorrow I'm celebrating my birthday w/ some more friends. So, no workout tomorrow either unless I get up early and..... NOT!!!!!

- Have a good one

Tonight's Workout (2/14/05)

Today I turned 33!!! Yeah!!!

I'm cheering because I don't look or act 33. I'm still as outgoing and irresponsible as I was at 23. But despite the fact that today was my Birthday and Valentine's Day, I still worked out at the gym.

Elliptical
- Time: 12 min
- Dist: 1.0 miles
Treadmill (run walk)
- Time: 55 min
- Dist: 3.3 miles (approx)
Abs
- Crunches (2x30)
- Pull-ups (2x10)
- Ball (3x10)
Chest Presses
- 30lbs (2x15)
Lots of Stretching

I took the day off so I had more time to spend in the gym, plus my car was in the shop and I didn't want to sit there waiting for it. The rest of the day was divided into shopping, hanging out w/ friends and getting pampered at the salon. I still have more people wishing me a Happy Birthday and wanting to take me out. I didn't plan anything for the big 33, so I'm having to celebrate my birthday at least 5 different times with 5 separate groups. I can't complain. I love being the center of attention.

- Cheers to another year

This Weekend's Workout (2/11/05-1/13/05)

OK

On Saturday morning at 8am the Vagas got together to run a practice 10K. Needless to say I was the worst in the group. First it was cold and the ground was hard. I didn't get a good warm-up or stretch, so I was constantly walking. I didn't even do the entire 6 miles. In the interest of time, I did a shorter 4.5 mile loop mostly alone, but I prefer it that way. Just when I started to enjoy running inside, the outside running wasn't as much fun at all. But we ran downtown and the scenery was pretty cool. When the weather gets better I would probably run downtown more often.

Cardio:
- Dist: 4.5 miles (approx.)
- Time: 1:15 minutes (approx.)

I'm thinking of quitting the Vagas. I will run a 10K this year, but not in March. I was stupid to think that a 200lb woman who has never run a day in her life could be ready to run a 10K in 3 months. I have the desire, but not the strength. I'll stick w/ my current training program, but I'll need to decide soon if I'm going to run in March or not.

In the food department, I started celebrating by birthday on Sunday, so I've eating a lot of stuff that I shouldn't have. I didn't even bother w/the points. I figured it's my birthday and I can eat what I want to. So, I turned my back on points and gave myself a 2 day passport to food.

In other bad news, my laptop is no more. I pulled out the plug on Friday morning and the pin that's connected to the laptop came out with it. The cost to fix it far outweighed its value. So, I'm going to wait until I complete my taxes before I decided what to do about it. The folks at Micro Center helped me copy the critical files to a CD. But no more SIMS or surfing the web from the dining room. :-(

- Farfewell My Friends

Tonight's Workout (2/10/05)

None.

This evening I went to the hair dresser then visited some friends that just bought an apartment in the city. I'm resting up for the 6 miles I have to run on Saturday morning.

As for food, I stayed within my points. Yippee!!! This morning I believe my scale is broken because it reads 2lbs less than what it read on Monday. So, I'll have to verify this next week when I go for my weigh in.

- Keep it real, because I'm keeping it real

Tonight's Workout (2/9/05)

Really Good.

I ran/walked another 3 miles this evening. If I were training for a 5K I would be sure to finish in under an hour. I saw this thing on TV where this guy did a 5K in under 20 minutes. But I'm not there yet. Last night I did 3 miles in about 52 minutes, a little over my time from Monday. This is probably because I took a break half way through to stretch my calves.

Elliptical
- Time: 11 min
- Dist: .8 miles
Treadmill
- Time: 55 min
- Dist: 3.1 miles
Lots of stretching

I've just about overcome all my aches and pains when running, but now that I'm running longer intervals I've developed this other pain where my feet start getting numb. So I’m still at the point where I have to slow down and walk for a few minutes before I can start running again. I’m not sure I made my 1-mile goal this week. I tend to cover the screen w/ a towel so I'm not focusing on the numbers. There were times that I felt I ran for a mile but I can't be sure. Also now that I'm running longer I don't have time to do other things like Abs and strength training after I finish my run. By the time I'm done running I'm ready to go home.

As for food, I had another great day where I didn't go over my points. Even with the toasted Subway sandwich that I rewarded myself with after my run I didn't go over my allotted points today. Yeah!!

Tomorrow night, no workout. I have a hair appointment. Friday I don't think I can go to the gym if I'm going to run on Saturday morning. I’m going to use this free time to study and complete my midterms.

- Keep Hope Alive

Tonight's Workout (2/8/05)

None.

Since tonight I met w/ my book club, I didn't go to the gym. Instead I weighed in at Weight Watchers. I've lost 4.4lbs and I think half of that was probably clothing. I was wearing heavier clothes at my first weigh-in because it was in the 20s that day. So, no 5lb ribbon for me.

Nothing else to ramble on about tonight. I'm heading back to the gym tomorrow to try and do another 3 miles. Wish me luck.

- Adios Amigos

Tonight's Workout (2/7/05)

Terrific!!!

Tonight I ran/walked 3 miles in 50 minutes!!!! This is great!!! I've never done that before. My "coach" called me this morning and encouraged me to do two 3 mile runs this week. He suggested that I get up early and run before work. After the laughter died down, I agreed to try and run 3 miles twice this week after work and to prepare for a 6 mile run this weekend. There was some pain at first. So, I bailed on my first attempt, did some more stretching and hopped back on the elliptical. When another treadmill opened up, I was able to run w/ almost no pain. The trick is to find the perfect treadmill. Seems like no 2 are built alike.

Treadmill (run/walk)
--Time: 55 min
--Dist: 3.25 miles
Elliptical
--Time: 10 min
--Dist: .75 miles
Lots of Stretching

Right now my ankles are soar. Luckily tomorrow I have my book club so I can rest up for another 3 miles on Wednesday.

Today, even w/ the pizza I just ate, I managed to stay within my point range. Two firsts in one day.

Finally, there's a slight possibility that I may be on TV on Friday. So, I'll keep everyone posted.

- Until we meet again

This Weekend's Workout (2/5/05 - 2/6/05)

Nothing Spectacular

This weekend I kept fairly busy. Saturday I spent the day shopping for an outfit to wear to an 80s party that evening. (Hopefully I'll be able to post a picture of my final outfit some time this week.) So, Saturday I did a lot of walking and very little eating during the day. When I got hungry I made a salad. I just needed something to chew on before the party. Later, at the party, I didn't touch any candy, cookies or cake. But I did eat a few things which were topped w/ cheese or were cheese flavored. Plus there was no diet soda available, dern. So, from a Weight Watchers prospective, the points added up. Either way I had fun at the party and didn't over eat.

On Sunday, I started off the day by doing some much needed work for school, mid-terms start this week. I did a bunch of other stuff around the house before heading out to the gym. At the gym I had every intention of spending a long time on the treadmill, but I ran for .5 miles and things just didn't feel right. I couldn't get into a comfortable pace. My feet felt clumsy. I wasn't in any pain nor was I tired but like I couldn't get into rhythm. So, I decided to take a break and do strength training instead. Sunday is a good day to strength train because the muscle heads aren't there.

Elliptical
--Dist: .75 Miles
--Time: 10 Min
Treadmill (run/walk)
--Dist: Approx. 1 mile
--Time: Approx. 20 min
Strength Training
--Chest Presses (3x10, 30lbs)
--Squats (3x15, 50lbs)
Abs:
--Pull Ups (2x10)
--crunches (3x20)
Lots of Stretching

After I finished doing squats I went back on the treadmill to walk a little before doing abs and I noticed something... this second treadmill felt a lot smoother than the first. It was like I was walking on air compared to the one I was on earlier. So I did some investigating and I confirmed that the belt on the first treadmill had more traction than the belt on the second one. This explains why my feet kept rubbing against the belt. No mater how fast or slow I ran, the traction on the belt kept tripping me up. Either way I was happy w/the workout I had. Afterall I made it to the gym on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon when I could have just spent the entire day shopping.

Foods I shouldn't have eaten this weekend:
- Snacks at the party on Saturday night

Basically following WW guidelines has kept me from constantly snacking. The thought of having to calculate the points in 1 handful of almonds has prevented me from enjoying them. I know I'm over calculating some points, but when in doubt round up. I officially weigh in on Thursday, but glancing at the scale I have here I'm seeing progress.

I miss spinning so tomorrow if I can't get into a spinning class I'll try running again. I know which treadmill to avoid now. I'm trying to make it to my 1 mile goal this week. Wish me Luck.

- Au Revoir

Tonight's Workout (2/4/05)

Really Great. Lot of Fun.

Ultimate Step Classis the coolest aerobics class on the planet!!!! The instructor is this little Asian guy who is probably a dance instructor or something, because he comes up w/ the coolest steps. I think he makes them up as he goes, but they're really complicated and challenging. Lots of turns and jazz steps and his favorite step - "the Chassez" pronounced "Shah-Say". I still don't know what that is, but I'll master it by the end of this year.

Cardio
- Ultimate Step Class (1 hour)

I was really sweating in this class, so I figured I got a really good workout. I'm still very uncoordinated, but I kept up when I found the right combination.

I'm not going to go on about food tonight. I'm doing Weight Watchers and trying to stay within my point range. But this morning I ate 2 turkey sausage links. I threw out the origional box when I took the links out and sealed them into a ziplock bag. So I didn't know how many points they were worth. I tried to look them up online and couldn't remember what brand they were. So finally, after step class, I decided to drive out to the grocery store where I got them and figured out the points. I think I maybe taking this points thing a little too seroiously. I hope I see the benefits of my suffering the next time I weigh in.

I deffinately plan on running sometime this weekend so wish me luck.

- I'm out

Tonight's Workout (2/3/05)

Great.

I got back on the treadmill and almost no pain this time. I did a 10 minute warm-up on the elliptical, stretched and ran/walked for 40 minutes. I could have ran a little longer, but it was getting late.

Cardio
- Elliptical (10 min / ?? miles)
- Treadmill (40 min / 2.33 miles)

So far I can only run for 8-9 minutes before I have to slow down and walk. My next goal is to run a mile w/o stopping. I wish I was at this point 3 weeks ago then I'd feel more confident about this race in March. I was trying to get the Vagas to postpone the race until April, but so far no takers.

Before joining Weight Watchers I never thought about food so much. Now I'm hungry and I don't know what to eat. Everything I have is high in points. I'm afraid to eat for fear that I might go over my daily points allowance. Ugh!!! Now I know why people can't stick with diets. Who wants to be hungry all the time.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
- An entire pack of gum (It has no calories and keeps from feeling hungry)

I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow night. Probably Ultimate step class. My other goal is to master this class by the end of the year.

- Later Alligator

Tonight's Workout (2/2/05)

Pretty Good.

Because I was meeting a friend for dinner, I wanted to get in a good, yet quick workout. So, I went to step class. I say "pretty good" because I still don't do any propulsion moves, but tonight I only took 2 breaks. I really pushed myself to stay with the class. This isn't that hard, but it can be challenging especially when my feet start to get tired.

Cardio:
- Step Class (50 Minutes)

After class I met up w/ one of my best friends, Doug. We went to the Cheesecake Factory. I ate the free bread, but only the dark brown ones w/ oats around the crust. Then I ordered the Herb-Crusted Salmon salad. The salmon was steamed and served cold and the salad was the healthier field greens like leaves and grass instead of lettuce and cheese. With the diet Coke as my beverage of choice, I'm guessing my dinner was fairly healthy, but then came dessert. This place is known for it's cheesecakes and Doug is a big guy w/ a sweet tooth, so he ordered this hunk of chocolate cake called a "Mud Pie". It was huge and covered w/ ice cream, whip cream, almonds and chocolate chips. I stuck to my promise of no cookies, candies, or cake and luckily I don't care too much for chocolate. So I snacked on the ice cream and whip cream. Yummy but rich.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
- Toppings from the Mud Pie

Since I'm back on the lovely Weight Watchers plan, I have to be really careful about what I eat. Everything has points and I'm only suppose to have so many points in one day. It gets frustrating when I have to figure out how many points are in something that's not listed in the book. So, most of time I over guesstimate. But at least I'll be making better food choices. Like I found some cheese and crackers that are very low in points to replace my Swiss Cheese and Club cracker fetish, which is actually high in points.

I'll be in the gym tomorrow hopefully. Wish me luck I'll be on the treadmill.

- Later Dudes

My Hiatus (1/27/05 - 2/1/05)

My Hiatus

The following is a summary what's been going on each day since the last time I've updated my blog, which is also the last chance I've had to workout or go to the gym.

Thursday, January 27th, 2005
I went straight home after work to do some reading for school, turn in my assignments and submit a quiz. It was too late to go to the gym after I finished.

Friday, January 28th, 2005
After work I had to go home to untwist my hair so I could get it retwisted on Saturday. By the time I finished it was way too late to go anywhere.

Saturday, January 29th, 2005
Spent 6 hours at the hairdresser getting my hair retwisted. The curls are a little tighter than before. Must get it fixed the next time I see her. I have this Little Orphan Annie look. I wasn't going to the gym after I just got my hair done.

Sunday, January 30th, 2005
I was visiting my Mom in Maryland when it began to snow. It snowed throughout the night and into the morning. When it started to let up, I had to dig myself out and drive back to Virginia. I wasn’t going to the gym after I finally got home.

Monday, January 31st, 2005
After watching several episodes of a weight loss show called “I Lost It”, I decided to join Weight Watchers again. Yeah, Counting Points!! The meeting ended pretty late and I had to go to the grocery store afterwards. So, by the time I left the grocery store it was too late to go to the gym.

Tuesday, February 1st, 2005
I had some friends over for tea and light refreshments. We hung out talking past 10pm, so it was definitely too late to go to the gym after they left.

Hopefully, I'll get back on track from here on out. I'm really behind where I wanted to be physically at this six week mark. So, wish me luck.

- Bye Bye