I am crazy. Absolutely insane.

Recently (3 days ago) I set a goal for myself to walk at least 5K (3.1 miles) every day.  And I am proud to say that I have managed to do that every day since I started.  Yay!  I also am training to ride a century and I go to yoga twice a week.  But, today a new challenge arose when a friend asked me if I was planning on running any 5K races soon.

I told her I wasn't planning on doing more running until after cycling season was over, but if she found a 5K to run together before that, I would start earlier.

This begs the question: what the hell is the matter with me?!

With everything I'm doing otherwise, how can I do 5K training too?

But I am considering it, I even have the Couch to 5K Program page open right now and my calendar to add the training in as a separate calendar so I'd have it for reference on my phone.  And, conveniently enough, the week after we do our century ride in which entrance fees go to breast cancer research and League of Michigan Bicyclists, is the Capitol City River Run Half Marathon and CCRR Cooley Law School 5K for Education.  We have to drive a bit to get to the century ride and the 5K is right here in Lansing, so, I'd like to do it, even though my friend is already signed up to do the half marathon section of the race.

I've participated in the Weight Watchers Walk-it 5K day in the past (twice, this year and last), but I'd like to do an "official" race where I get a number an everything.

Again, what is the matter with me?!  I'm actually thinking about doing a 5K, where I would have to train 3 days a week, on top of the 6 days a week I'm training for the century?  And yoga.  But it certainly would push me to the 5K every day faster.

I am nuts. Crazy. Whacko.

There is a reason professional athletes are professional athletes, training is so time consuming!

And I have a lot of thinking, deciding and planning to do... yeesh.

http://www.healthwriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/running.jpg

How Do You Spell "Hhhhhhhhhggggmmm"?

I have been absent.  Sorry.

I don't know why, but I've been in a rather, erm, lethargic mood lately.

I also have failed to write several posts that I have promised to write, about Amazon, and others.

I have been totally failing, and I'm working on it.

I would like to share a great link with you: http://www.ashtangayoga.info/practice/asana-vinyasa-series/  It's a very informational site.

Also, check out the free books on Amazon in the Kindle Store.  I got some great ones.

That is all, back to our usual programming.  See you tomorrow!

Weekly Weigh In - 6/3/11 (Holy Crap! It's June ALREADY?!)

Starting Weight: 199.4 lbs

Ending Weight: 200.4 lbs

Total Change: + 1.0 lbs

Damn it.

Exercise Week

Monday the Fitness Center in our complex is closed.  Adam and I went for a bike ride and I did an upper body circuit.  We also planted our garden and went for a late evening walk.  It was not hard to break a sweat today, it is HOT here. 90 freaking degrees. Whew.

Tuesday was Yoga day, yay!

Wednesday I did not work out today due to the massive amount I had going on with Courtney's Bachelorette Party stuff.  And Bridal Shower.  Also, side note: if you are in the Lansing area, do NOT go down to the Saginaw Highway.  There is a ton of construction.  It is a nightmare.  If you can avoid the area, do it.  If not, take 96 to Lansing Mall to minimize the construction disaster contact.

Thursday was yoga. I love yoga.  And in the two short weeks that I have been going to classes regularly I am seeing improvements in my postures and my practice.  I love it.

Friday I didn't work out really, I jumped rope for a bit, but I was rather melancholy from my weigh in.  So I took a day to do fun work out instead.

Eating Week

Friday I ate my exact daily points.  Got all of my healthy checks in as well.  I'm kind of running out of things to put here on a normal day....

Saturday I went over on points a little, but I still got in my healthy checks.  Even a short walk to give me a one point activity check!  And Adam made his slow cooked bacon for breakfast, yuuuuuuummmmm!  

Sunday was MY BIRTHDAY!!! YAY!  Olive Garden, all around!  Their breadsticks should be against the law, they are so good.  Not that they need to be any more unhealthy (3 points a piece, yikes!) but I think they need a wee bit more garlic butter and more parmesan cheese. Nom nom nom nom!  I had the cheese ravioli for lunch/dinner  I only ate half of what came, which allowed me to eat my exact daily allowance, despite eating out.  And we ate generally later in the day which allowed me to use a majority of my points at Olive Garden.   I also need to let you know here that today starts my week of eating vegetarian on a trial basis.  But even if I make the change permanent, I will be making a new category of vegetarian, Fish, Dairy and Bacon eating vegetarian.  Fortunately, I am making this move for health reasons, not really as a statement to meat vendors or anything which allows me to keep the meat I like.  Which is really just bacon.  And we only have it once a week, on Saturday mornings.  And according to my research on the interwebs, that classifies Adam and I as vegetarian sympathizers.  We eat meat less often than others, much less than we used to and with research into the meat we buy - tend to buy local.

Monday my parents and brothers came to town and we went out to Emil's over on Michigan to celebrate my birthday. Yum yum!  I had the Fettucini Alfredo for lunch/dinner, salad and one piece of bread.  This place is a local eatery, and a great place to go.  Cheesy Alfredo sauce....... mmmmmmm......  cheesy......

Tuesday I tracked everything, went over on points a little, but not bad!

Wednesday was Courtney's Bachelorette Party, baseball and bar hopping, fun times!  I still tracked everything though. :)  I also, without even thinking, broke my week of vegetarianism.  I didn't even realize it until a couple hours later.  :(  Nicole wanted to get a hot dog at the game and I was all, "That sounds yummy!" and I got one. Damn.  I will try again next week. I will, I will, I will.

Thursday I tracked well and had three points left for the day.  I'm not sure I calculated correctly, so I am going to leave those points there.

All in all the week felt like a success, but I gained, so not really.  Huff.

Weekly Weigh In - 5/27/11

Starting Weight: 200.6 lbs
Ending Weight: 199.4 lbs
Total Change: -1.2 lbs

Exercise Week


I haven't explicitly said this during these posts, but in the sense of full disclosure, I do not go to the gym on the weekend.  Any exercise I get is an outdoor activity with my family and/or my hubby.


Monday Adam and I went to the service center of our apartment complex to fill out paperwork to be allowed to use the gym facilities on the premises.  After a long debate which involves the fact that I have to get an MSU affiliate ID to be able to use the gym, I was allowed an exception, this time, to be able to use the gym without an MSU ID.  This place is really getting on my nerves and I will write about the continuing saga that is living here later.

I worked out for an hour, ran for 10 minutes, did every machine, every way possible (there aren't many) and did 3 sets of 10 (3x10) of everything.  I also did some core work and a lower body circuit from the previous work out plan I was following.  And stretching. Stretching is important.  I was jelly by the end, and I will probably be sore on Tuesday. Ouchie.  But Tuesday is YOGA DAY! YAY!!!

Tuesday was yoga day!  At the community center here in our complex, they offer some classes, including YOGA.  YES!  Yoga is offered in the evenings from 7:30-8:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  All summer.  For $20. Excellent.  It was amazing!  The teacher is of the same teaching background as the Ombodies Studio in Mount Pleasant.  I love it.  I am so glad I get to spend two hours a week doing this!!  And I fully plan to continue to do it beyond this summer too.  Love it.  When I am in yoga class, I am so focused, everything melts away.  I wish like crazy that I had sought out a class sooner instead of doing the DVDs at home.  Love. It.

Wednesday I went to the gym again in the morning.  I'm allowed to do that for the month of June so we have time to find our marriage license which, is in a hidden box somewhere.  Why would I need my marriage license to be allow to use the gym, you might ask? Because our wedding rings, the fact that I am listed on the application for our apartment as his spouse, and the fact that I HAVE HIS LAST NAME aren't enough.  Argh.

Anyway,  I worked out and the longer I went, the better I felt.  And I was wiped by the end of the work out.  Whew. If you want to read about how I structure my work outs go here.

Thursday: yoga day again!  As you can tell from my post last night, yoga was amazing.  I love it.  I am never going without it again, ever, if I can help it.  Wonderful.  Spectacular. Awesome. I love yoga.

Friday I hit the gym in the am again.  Full Body Circuit today along with cardio, all of the machines in the fitness center and abdominal exercises/stretching.  Good work out, tired and felt like jelly by the end!

I'm going to check out a belly dancing class tonight, I'm a little nervous, but excited.  I'll let you know how it goes and if I am going to keep doing it past this week.

Eating Week


Friday, Saturday and Sunday  did not track points.  We went home to celebrate my Dad's and my birthdays.  So points wise it was an expensive weekend.  Cake all around.  Ouch.  I don't want to think about it.  But I did practice moderation, even if I didn't count the points.

Monday I tracked very well.  I am still working on getting all my veggies in every day.  Also, Gomtang noodles: Delicious.

Tuesday I did excellent with the tracking!!  I tracked everything I put in my mouth.  I got my water in, still not all my veggies though.  We really need to go grocery shopping.  Really, really need to go shopping.

Wednesday I tracked right through to the end.  And again, I failed to get all my veggies/fruits in.  But Adam and I went grocery shopping tonight and got celery (and Schuler's cheese, YUM), watermelon and light veggie dip (for carrots that we already have).  They didn't have the Fat Free Marzetti's Ranch Veggie Dip.  I had 18 points left for dinner and we went out to dinner with my momma-in-law (who is in town this week for training) at Sophia's House of Pancakes in Grand Ledge.  Yummy.  I had Apple Cinnamon French Toast.  It was SO GOOD.  If you're ever in the area and want a local eatery to go to, go there. Delicious.

Thursday: I got all of my fruits and veggies in!! YAY!  Since that is all I had for lunch, I got them all in in one meal.  Yuuuuuuuummmmmmm....  I tracked everything I ate, got all of my water in. All food groups and healthy checks here and accounted for. Wondermous!  

All in all the week was a success!  Let's hope that I continue to be successful past this week and FINALLY get out of this damn plateau.  On Wednesday I will be saving a lot of points for later in the day, because it's Courtney's Bachelorette Party, woo!!!  I have several events this week that necessitate saving points, oh dear!  Sunday is my birthday and Adam and I will be celebrating by doing various things, including a trip to Olive Garden (I love the food there, so good...) and Monday my parents and brothers are coming down to celebrate and we're going to BD's Mongolian BBQ.  That place is so amazing......  Make your own stir fry............ ooooooooohhhhh yeeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhh.......  Oh, and before you just die of curiousity, I'll be turning 24 on Sunday, weee!!!  Next year I get a new license and picture!  Which will hopefully be a picture of a fabulous at weight me. :)

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Side Note: I changed how I explain my weeks.  Here is why: I track exercise Monday-Friday because I want to post this immediately after my workouts on Friday.  Convenience is the only reason I do it that way.  I track my eating habits on here from Friday to Thursday because my weigh in day is on Friday, so my points reset on Fridays and I like continuity.  So now you know. ('Cause it's Miiiiike's super short show!  .........Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Relaxed and Centered

As I've mentioned several times, I recently started taking yoga classes with a real live person instead of a DVD.

It is so wonderful.  I only had ever done a solstice meditation at Joy Tree, and only got one class in at Ombodies Yoga.  But here, I am in a full session.  It is a wonderful experience.  All of the yoga I have done so far is in the Ashtanga Tradition with vinyasa flow.  It is such a calming, dynamic, brilliant experience.  I am so calm and centered after class.  I float out of the building for crying out loud!

This has been such a good thing for me, with all of the crap that has been piling up lately.  My instructor's favorite saying is 'Leave it on the mat.'  And I do.  I am so completely focused on my practice when I am in that room.  Nothing invades my mind, it is blissfully empty of worry and thought.

After every class I wonder what took me so long to seek out a class instead of plowing on with the DVDs. It's a fleeting worry because I am so calm afterwards, but I wonder still.  And I know that I will never go back to DVDs of yoga, never, ever.

It's hard to find the right words to describe how I feel during my practice.  I'm sweating like crazy, my heart is beating like mad, but my breathing is slow, deep and even.  My legs are shaking but I breathe into those muscles; I find the connection between mind and muscle and I can make it through.

Of course, sometimes my knees hurt in the plank position because my muscles are fatigued and I have to adjust.  But I feel my body growing stronger and my connection to myself is growing every class.

I highly recommend taking yoga for anyone.  Especially people who have high stress levels, but anyone who wants a great work out and a place that centers, calms and relaxes them, should definitely go too.  And for all the pregnant ladies out there, a lot of studios have pre-natal yoga as well.

I think that if everyone in the world took yoga, there would be a lot more calm discussion than rash anger.

Namaste.

My First Yoga Class Experience

For my first class of Beginner Vinyasa Yoga, I went to Ombodies Yoga Studio over on Main Street in Mount Pleasant.

I went to a solstice meditation with Adam and my momma-in-law in December at Joy Tree Yoga in Big Rapids, and that was very, very relaxing and a nice introduction into the group yoga sessions.  Prior, I had only ever done yoga at home with a DVD.  And the current work out plan I am following suggested I go to a Vinyasa Yoga class last Friday.  So I did.

I had a wonderful time!

I figured that I would enjoy it, but I had a little nagging voice in the back of my head.  I proved that voice wrong though!

We went through Warrior 1, 2 and 3 with Vinyasa flows in the midst.  I really enjoyed it.  My arms were shaking and my quads were a little weak by the end and I was sweating like crazy.  I LOVED it.  I fully plan to make it a part of my weekly workout routine.  At the very end when we were coming back into our breathing, etc, our yogi came around and put oil (at least, it felt like oil, it made my feet soft!) on the tops of our feet and the middle of the arch of our feet.  It startled me at first, being my first Vinyasa class, but it felt nice and even as I was feeling very tired from the work out, I was very relaxed and centered.

I would highly recommend yoga and my sister-in-law just raves about the Hot Yoga classes she goes to in Grand Rapids.

I asked my Yogi in Mount Pleasant to recommend a studio down in Lansing and she said that if I can get into the classes on campus to do that because they are great (that's a quote) and she recommended another studio that I am going to go to a class later this week.

I'd like to get a multi-class pass, but to do that I need to find a job first.  Another post, another time.

But, regardless of where you are in your fitness, check out yoga, any place you go should have beginners classes, and I am sure that they would be more than willing to talk to you and help you figure out what class, or classes, are for you.

Namaste.

I Never Could Get the Hang of Thursdays

Oh, wait, it's Friday isn't it?

Well, I'm rather busy today, so I am going to have to short list all the excitement of Friday.

-Went to a Yoga class this morning: Good.
-Discovered my credit card number was stolen whilst in Europe: BAD, which I will describe later.
-Moving tomorrow: Good, I think.
-Wings lost last night: Disappointing
-My parents got me a Kindle for graduation: GREAT! THANKS MOM  AND DAD!!!


Run away!  Run away!  Run away!  Run away!

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!