Lose It!

One thing that was a frustration training for IMAZ was my weight. I wanted to lose 20 pounds to be ready for the race, I lost 11, and gained back 3 by race day. I somehow thought I should just magically lose weight with all the training I was doing, while only having a loose handle on the food I was eating, after all I needed it right. Well not exactly. This time I am going about getting a stricter control on my food intake, actually tracking it to the very chocolate chip cookie (that doesn't count 'cause I just ran 10 miles). After gaining a few more pounds back since the race I am now tracking with an app that a friend recommended. I just started it yesterday, it really is an eye opener how many calories you are alotted and what is actually going down.
It is amazingly simple to use and has a large database already. I will post every so often how it's working for me.

Heart Rate

I'm supposed to be training with heart rate zones, I don't for several reasons, but will as soon as I get around to addressing those reasons. I am in no hurry, because well, I just really don't like being tied to technology, except during a race. How else will I know if I'm gonna make that cut-off time! I love my Cateye on my bike, it is simple to use and gives me just the info I want, better yet there is only one button to push and I don't have to charge it! And as much as I have failed at my Garmin school lessons, I never will master it, when it is set up properly by my loving and ever patient spouse, and strapped to my wrist (sometimes he even presses the start button for me, even though I really know how to do that!) I need it for running, I need to know my pace and average pace in a race. But back to this morning, I had a 45 minute zone 2 run, but apparently my body is still recovering from my Tuesday brick because every time I grabbed the HRM things on the treadmill it was way too high. Ok, good reason to walk more, but is that really helping my training? Well that's what they say! I do have a HRM that goes with the Garmin, but c'mon am I really going to wear my Garmin on the treadmill or spin bike? Also the strap is too big...............so maybe this weekend I will get around to going shopping for a stand alone heart rate monitor with a small strap. Also need to get a new phone this weekend, does this sound like a person who claims to hate technology?

Race Report--

For a 5K--Sure why not. Let it be said I really didn't want to go to St. G, run in the cold etc. However once C and I decided to go Friday night my attitude improved considerably. I knew it would be cold (for me) but actually it was quite nice, I took off my jacket and handed it to Craig the last mile or so. Kev wasn't sure whether or not he would make it, he did, so that made it especially fun.

Kev and me, our traditional pre race pic!

Somewhere on the course, Craig snapped this one, check out the cool beanie, I swiped from Kyle and Brad.

Kev ran the half, it's gotta be more fun to run when someone other than mom and dad are cheering at the finish line!

So, what would I say about the St. George 5K, well it was around the Dixie Center but not the same course around the Dixie Center that I did for Save a Sister 2009. I think it was faster. It was nice and flat with probably 600 or so runners. I like a big field, it felt a little crowded at the start but it was chip timed, so not a big deal. My pace was 10:40, I'm still trying to get down to 10 minute miles, but this was good for me. One more Runners Series race to do, I was thinking about Spectrum 10K.

Yummy lunch with the best company!

Have I mentioned Cafe Rio is now in Redlands too, YUM!

I love the title of this picture, "worn out woman on a treadmill"! Thursday's workout done!

St. George Runners Series

I am lottery unlucky--obviously I have not won the CA lottery, (I did win an entry to a tri at a tri club meeting last year!) so when it comes to winning the St. George Marathon lottery, which I have lost a fair amount of times, the only sure bet is to do the Runners Series. It's even a race now to get entered into the Runners Series, but here is the deal: you sign up for the Runners Series, a nominal $10 and if you complete two Washington County races, one being a City of St. George race you get guaranteed entry into the St. George Marathon and a yucky cotton t-shirt, but hey it's only $10. That's pretty great deal except for the fact that I live in CA, it's a five hour drive to do a 5K. Yep I could do the half marathon, but it's cold there and I'm wimpy, so lets just get this 5K over with. Kev is signed up too, but he's doing the half. So it looks like this weekend is drive, run, lunch w/Kev, drive and Lisa D's big birthday party! Well the party part sounds fun!

Shoulda--maybe I still will....

Did! Done!

Brick

Got my bike/run brick done this morning, yay, felt good! Ya know why they call it a brick? Bike + Run = Brick (Or is that just "ick"?)

Brotherly Love

Kevin gave Kyle an appointment with Max Testa for his Christmas present, Kevin says he loves Kyle. Kyle is not so sure about that!

Dang it, Dang it, Dang it!

So, I really did get kitted up and out the door, and guess what.....my shifter is broken. I have no clue what could have happened. Sadly, I have not ridden since IMAZ where my bike behaved flawlessly. Maybe something in transport, I dunno. Since all the men in my life are out of town I think it will wait till they can check it for me, otherwise I'm going to see Eddie.

I'm baaack!

Pink iPod (fully charged)

Pink Floyd loaded (...on the iPod)

And the only pair of socks my boys absolutely won't touch...........yeah it's all good, (umm, yes, I really do have these socks, Craig bought them for me at a marathon expo) I'm back, 5 mile run today and dusting off the bike!

Training Plan

I have been having a very hard time putting my training plan into action. It is cold (I know, I know it is So. Cal, but still for us it is cold), and when the alarm goes off I'm having a hard time rolling myself out from under my nice warm comforter. I have my training plan on my desktop in an excel file which I don't bother to open and look at, so today I have taken a major step forward or backwards technologically speaking. I have put my training plan on a calendar page and taped it to the bathroom door. This has always worked for me in the past, then I take a highlighter and cross off my workouts when they're done. Easy, right! There it is in all of it's pretty colors saying Yay, you did it! Hoping to say "Yay!" tomorrow, all I have is a 45 minute run. Come on Mel, get it done!

Stupid New Years Resolutions!!!

I didn't go to the gym this morning, too busy crying my eyes out over Brent! No seriously we got him on the plane and he is off for a two year adventure of his life and along the way he gets to learn to speak Khmai and see places that are off the beaten track and give service like he never dreamed he could. I am happy! However at this moment I am annoyed, my gym, my gym has no spin bikes tonight---really! Ok, ok no excuses, I am off to the Highland version of my gym to see if I can get into their spin class. Training plan today 1 hour bike, 15 min run.

January 3, 2011

Back from another trip to Utah brrrrrrr it was cold. My training started this morning with a half hour zone 2 run, amazing how hard it is to build fitness and how easy to lose! Started to clean up my eating today with the Paleo Diet. Maybe I should just call it the Paleo emphasis, I had a yummy lunch of steak with blueberries and raspberries and then we went out to dinner tonight with the boys. Tomorrow we put Brent on the plane for his mission. Two years in Cambodia, you would think after sending Kevin and Brian off on missions I would be good at this, but not so much, it will be a tough morning. He's flying to SLC, Kev will pick him up, and he'll get to see Kerri, Kendall, the boys, Bri and Sarah and Grandma and Grandpa. Training tomorrow, well maybe tomorrow night.