Already Gaining Fast

According to my midwife I'm gaining too fast for her liking since she doesn't like my starting weight. Dispite my numerous explanations of my BMI according to my trainer before pregnancy, she is still concerned.

When I ask her what else she wants me to change though she says she guesses I'm doing all I can to stay fit and healthy. I say, whatever, I'm still going to end up much lighter then I was with Lincolnso I'm not worried. Nursing tends to bring down my weight quick anyways.

And I hit a new PR in swimming the 1/2 mile with a 22:35 time!
And I walked 5 miles today.

So there!

Still Exercising

I'm in my 5th month of pregnancy and have gained around 14 pounds so far, not bad.
So I'm trying to gain only 9 more by the time I'm done which is hard work to stay that low.

I swim 800 meters every other night and play raquetball on other nights or go for walks. The swimming is the best. My leg feels healed and with swimming it never gets aggravated. One thing I CANNOT due is pick up my nephew or son too much as carrying that extra 30-40 pounds really messes with my lower back and my left leg injury.

My current pregnant PR for swimming 800 meters, or 1/2 mile is 23:07.

Wish me luck.

New 5k PR

On the 4th of JULY I ran a local flat 5k in 32:45. This is a new PR for me at least
now that I am over 30. This means I ran it in an average of 10:33 min/mile. This is
great for me as I've been slower then 11 minute miles for some time and it means I am on
pace to do well in the relay later this month.

Running Out and Back

I ran two nights ago with Nate = around 3 miles.

Tonight here was my pace on another run. I'm working on my speed right now.
All legs are .25 miles in length.

1) 2:43
2) 2:36
3) 2.32
4) 2.20
Mile One: 10:12:59
5) 2.44
6) 2.23
7) 2.30
8) 2.38
Mile Two: 10:15
9) 2.49
10) 3.06
11) 3:02
12) 3 minute walk break
13) 2.33
Mile Three: 11:30 (if you subtract the walk break)

So I ran the first two miles a blistering pace (that is for me) at 20.29.13
According to the Air Force fitness standards I now have a passing two mile pace for my age group! Go for me. I had to hit somewhere between 20:30 and 15:48...so this is just passing. I will keep trying to maintain this speed over three miles. Right now my third mile slowed way down to a 12 minute pace, which made my average pace over three miles close to 10 min 40 seconds, which is right where my brother Will wants me for the relay in July. Now maintaining this pace for three legs and despite hills or other tough conditions (like after not sleeping and being on my third leg in 24 hours) is quite another matter.

I would also like to meet the Air Force Standard for push ups for women my age which is between 17 and 50 guy pushups! Right now I could probably squeeze out perhaps 9 or 10. I'll have to work on that.

My New Focus

I felt too sick with a head cold to participate in the triathlon with my brother, though I was there to cheer him on.

I am now focused on training for the Pacific Northwest relay, where I will run 3 legs of around 3 miles within 24 hours on July 25th.

I am also focused on how God might be calling me back to being an at-home Mom after my job ends in July.

Lots of refocusing, but this is a good time.
Keep us in your prayers as we are in a decision time regarding where to go after my job ends (we know we are are called to move back to the West Coast, but what part is still up in the air).

Relay Race Results

We got back from Holly's wedding in California and then got up at 4:30am the next day to make it to the church. We got our three teams broken apart into three vehicles and all made it to the starting line by 6am. After the first handoff everyone got really excited as they began to realize how fun the day was going to be, cheering each other on and running a race as a team.

The course was poorly marked at some points and leg distance had been changed overnight, which made some beginning walkers have to travel far greater and more difficult distances than were planned. They all had good spirits though and often we would slow our team to a walk to stick with the other teams if we were about to pass them. This race wasn't about winning, it was about community building and finishing, while racing in honor of one of our pastors that has Cystic Fybrosis.

I ran both my legs, a total of around 10 miles, at an 11 minute pace. I likely started out a bit faster and ended a bit slower, but I felt fantastic at the end. I could have run another leg if necessary, although my blood sugar was a bit low, as I didn't drink much Gatorade throughout the run. I didn't walk one second of it!

My second leg was along the levee heading into Lawrence, Kansas with farm land on my right. It was beautiful. I got to finish the race for my team of 5 women. In the end all the teams finished the 43 to 45 mile race (depends on whether you got lost, we did) in about 8 hours! About a 10 min, 40 second pace. We had some walkers and some fast runners and some slower runners like me. And together we went the distance. Over half of each team was folks who had never done a road race before. They are all jazzed about next year, and now better understand that you need to be in training for something like this.

Here are some pics of the fun day above. The first is of all the team members, plus Dylan our pastor and his wife Shannon. The second is of my starting out on my second leg. I finished this leg with just my sports bra as it got up to 75 with no shade around the final two miles.

I am now training to complete a sprint triathlon with my brother Eddie in Sacramento on April 27th. Wish me luck.

Ran 5 Miles By Accident

I was showing Nate and old Out-and-Back course yesterday from back when I was training for my marathon. I was sure it was 2 miles out and then 2 miles back. However when we were close to 3 miles out Nate was wise to ask if we were running to far. I then remembered that this route was actually a 4 mile out and back course. I guess marathon training does something to your head and you start thinking an 8 mile run is a short run.

Luckily we turned at around the 2.5 or more mile point and made it back in time for Lincoln to play on the slides at the playground. I pushed myself to stay close to Nate's pace, while Nate was handicapped a bit with a 25 pound toddler in a stroller (I like that ;-)). We estimated we ran 5 miles in around 53 minutes, which for me is fantastic! Exactly on pace with where Will wants me to be by July. I'll have my Timex watch on next time I run to get a better picture of my true speed. I've already run 10 miles this week and I'm only half way done, and feeling great! Now I need to stretch out my left leg before it gets all jammed up again.

Running Away Again

In preparation for my 10 miles in a local relay race on April 6th. I put in 5 miles earlier this week and another 2 miles a few days ago. The day after I run I then have to do some yoga stretching in order to keep my plantar fasciitis in check. As long as I really stretch out my entire left leg I seem to be doing fine.

This routine of running and yoga has been a great relaxing one for me and it is also helpful to have Nate running with me as he is training for the same relay race. Since we formed the team out of friends from church we are surprisingly some of the best runners on the team (this year I recruited a bunch of walkers and joggers). One guy told me last night that he hadn't run in over 15 years, so when he tried to run 4 out of this 8 goal miles a few days ago he didn't make that far and is sore today (surprise surprise). This puts a little more pressure on Nate and I to truly run our entire 10 miles (broken into so legs of 5 miles).

Even so, I am excited to coach a team of friends who is really just doing the relay race due to the vision of the race (it is for Cystic Fibrosis and our pastor has this disease and is in fact sick this week). If you want to support our two relay teams in this endeavor just make checks out to the CF Foundation and send them my way before April 6th. Isn't that how I got into running. I had a vision a few years before my marathon that I should be running in memory of my Dad to stay in shape and choose that life while I had the chance to honor him. He never really choose the fit life while he was here and I am sure he regrets that.

Another motivator is that I gave my scale away! Yes, you heard me right. At church we are supposed to bring something symbolic to leave behind during the Lenten season and leave it on the stage of the church. I brought my scale. I had been weighing myself at least once a day and this behavior was so routine that my 18-month-old son knew how to weigh himself by stepping on and then off and then back on the scale again. He is 25 pounds by the way, what a little porker - actually that is skinny for his age. Anyway, I am healthy and I know my body fat ratio is in a healthy range so I decided obsessing about my weight is only making it harder to loose any and I should relish my current fitness level for the positives I mentioned in an earlier post. I've come a long way and if you need me to run a 10k or due 15 guy push ups I could do that on the spot. Not many folks can say that! So who cares what the scale says.

To answer Dad's question on my last post my next two road races are relays. I love running with teams. The second relay race will be with my Woodward relatives running about a 1/2 marathon spread out over 3 legs and 24 hours. I get to run one at around 11pm and then another around 6am. How fun!
AND

I Did the Itidarod

It’s unlike any other event in the world. A race over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain known to man: across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and windswept coastline...and I did it!

Okay, not the real Alaskan Itidarod Dog sledding race, but I just did my own Winter Endurance Test. With warm coffee and a fire in the fireplace tempting me to stay inside, not mention Nate's fresh muffins, I layered on many layers and headed out into the 15 degree windchill. I ran my own Alaskan wilderness race through freezing wind, putting in my 3 mile training run, in preparation for the Brew to Brew relay race in April.

And I was greeted by my own beautiful terrain, as the solo runner through the neighborhood. Stars flickered in a jet black sky above and their light filtered through the old oak trees that lined the streets. The old trolley trail crunched with the sound of frozen mud under my feet and I skated out an back again. I did it! It think this was my best endurance feat of the winter, and it was truly all mental. I didn't even mention that I have cold-induced asthma. Time for that inhaler, a nice hot shower, and a few muffins.

Keep trekkin!
Sarah

Swimming with Lincoln

Tonight Lincoln and I talked our way into the YMCA (since my membership is on hold till March 1st) and we went swimming AND played on the slide. Lincoln tried to say "water" and "slide." He was very excited and he is a very big boy. Climbing up the play set to the slide without my help.

Sometimes it is fun to just be a kid again by being active with a kid. God please protect all the kids in this world. I wish they all had a safe adult to just play with.

My BMI

My brother Will challenged me to question the numbers a bit more.
The YMCA did a BMI height and weight calculator that stated I was at 27.1 in my BMI - which is overweight. They also did a 7-pinch Jackson-Pollack test but didn't explain it well to me. Nate found a place on line for me to enter my pinch results-
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html.
Luckily I'm pretty small on all my waist-up measurements, leading to a BMI of 23.6, which is considered normal or ideal for my frame!

Yipee. I guess buff muscles lead to me weighing more - but I love being strong! It is easier to pick up my baby and throw him that way - Lincoln, not Nate - but someday maybe Nate ;-).

RE: Official Results

I had an official fitness test at the YMCA today, my first since this time last year. I found out that I'm actually officially 5 feet 4 inches tall, yipes, an inch and a half shorter than I have always thought. This means my healthy goal weight should be lower than I thought; it should be somewhere in the range of 110 (which is what I weighed in 4th grade - impossible) and 145 (which is what I weighed my Senior year of college). Basically back during my Freshman year of college when I was running a lot and could do 35 pushups, and weighed 127 pounds and thought I was fat - I was actually at an ideal weight for my frame.

So even though I still have some weight to still loose, like at least 18 pounds to at most around 30 pounds (sigh), the GOOD news is how far I have come.

I had a fitness test 6 weeks after having my son Lincoln in Oct. 2006 and can now compare those results to my results today - and I am happy! So in 16 months since Lincoln has learned how to walk and communicate and I have grown as well.

Positive changes since 6 weeks after labor:

• I've lost 32 pounds
• I've lowered my fat weight by 38% and achieved an average lean body mass rating.
  
• I've lowered my BMI from 33 to 27.
  
• I've increased my maximum bench press from 110 lbs (well below average) to 140 lbs. (well above average).
• I've increased my maximum leg press from 220lbs (below average) to 300 lbs (well above average).
  
• My cardiovascular health is rated as average after being well below average after my pregnancy.
• And I am well above average in flexibility as I can reach over 7 inches past my toes!
  

Onward and upward I must say. This is not a time for stopping. Time to keep forging ahead.

Wish me luck.

Weight Lifting but not Losing

So I guess if you lift lots of weights you don't necessarily loose weight, unless you were really overweight to begin with. You just make your overall fat to muscle ratio better. I haven't posted a new weight because I have continued to waver around my Oct weight despite all the P90X workouts I've been doing. But I had to show these somewhat embarrassing photos to brag a bit about my arm muscles. I definately feel stronger and can almost do 10 guy pushups now!

I want to hit the next three weeks with a vengeance and really finish this 90 days strong, then i can start over again and this time actually do the diet right as well. My goal this year is to still get down to my goal weight.

I am down to size10 or 12 pants and that feels great. So even though my weight has stayed the same, I know I've lost around 2 inches in my waist, and a 1/2 inch around the hips. I'll just take it a day at a time and we will see where I end up.

Variety and Holiday Chocolate

I had ten days in Seattle and made sure to go running four days, and cross country or down hill skied on two days. The other four days I rested. The last few weeks before this long break from work I wasn't able to work out much at all due to illness and extra long hours at work. I should be on day 70 of the 90 day workout program I've been trying. But I really feel behind. However, this break was a fun way to enjoy my new fitness. I have never felt less sore after skiing two days in a row, and I wasn't sore at all after running with my friend Cara three days in a row over the hills of Seattle. By the end of my winter break we were able to speed up our run by around 2 minutes, so that we ran it in around 35 minutes instead of 37. I think it was around 3 miles.

I still have a lot of work to do to continue on this path I've started down. Some goals for this year are to fit in the size 12 dress for my dear friend Holly's wedding in April. To do this I need to loose two inches around the waist, and four around the hips by then. I also want to increase the push ups I can do, and perhaps even complete my first pull up sometime this year. Thanks friends for cheering me forward.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Feel free to post your goals here as well.

Re: The flu Equals Weight Loss

One factor I hadn't planned on using in my weight loss plan was catching the flu; however, it has proven strangely effective, at least in the short term. Within 12 hours I went from 158 pounds to 151 pounds by simply retching my way through the evening. I know...such a lovely image...and now I am a bit light-headed and tired and dehydrated. Basically it gave me lots of sympathy for anyone who struggles with bulimia -what a horrible trade-off in strength and health in order to lose weight! I can't image how hard it would be to live day after day tempted to lose weight quickly that way (which also saps your strength and self esteem at the same time).

I'd much rather keep going with healthy eating and exercise, which help me lose weight while gaining self esteem, a nice additive. I'm not going to post this 151 as a true 151 weigh in until it lasts till Christmas, since all the eating I will do until then will likely restore my strength and a few pounds that the flu prematurely ripped away from my frame. I'd rather be a 151 with strength and health, than post a 151 that is merely a weak, dehydrated, fake. But sometime soon I will surely get there (especially with the salted and buttered popcorn Nate is handing me while I type this and he edits my grammar).

For family members needing Christmas ideas though, my size Large running pants are way too baggy now and I would love to slip into some Mediums! Much love and I had better go drink some more Gatorade to rehydrate!

An accomplishment!

I've constantly worked out 5 days a week since mid-October which is starting to make my clothes a bit baggy and my arms look stronger. I also think I've lost a couple pounds putting me in the 150s no matter when I weigh in, night or day! My goal is to loose a few more pounds by Christmas which would put me down at 155 pounds (which I haven't been since Christmas 2003 - 4 years ago).

I am finding it much easier to run now that I weigh less. This time last year I tried running about 2 miles when I weighed around 190 pounds. It was much harder then it is now. Last night it was 60 degrees at 8pm at night. I had to get out and run since this sort of weather only happens one a month in Dec and Jan and NOT at all in Feb here in the Midwest. I just ran all around the neighborhood with all the brick houses lit up with Christmas lights.

I had fun just running without a watch or a time limit. I ended up running lots of hills and through lots of wind which blew the leaves around. The sky looked threatening, almost like a summer thunder storm might start. I think the wind made folks think it must be cold and nasty out because I didn't see many cars or people out at all. We went from an ice storm warning in the morning to a 60 degree windy night, and no one took the time to walk out side to check and enjoy it.

One hour later I made my way back home. My heal hurt a bit but I felt fantastic and so much faster then I have been in a LONG time. I'm guessing I was running under a 10 minute mile at parts. I need to sign up for a 5k soon to check my time. But I don't want to push to hard to fast and aggrevate my heal.


Here are my workouts the last six weeks that have led to my success.
Starting October 21st, 2007
Week One: 2.5 hours Weight Lifting, 1.5 hour cardio, workedout 5 days
Week Two: 2 hours Weight Lifting, 3 hours cardio/Yoga, worked out 5 days
Week Three: 3.5 hours Weight Lifting, 3.5 hours Cardio (ran,swam,yoga), worked out 7 days
Week Four: 5 hours cardio, worked out 5 days
Week Five: 1.75 hours Weight Lifting, 3.5 hours Cardio, worked out 5 days
Week Six: 2 hours Weight Lifting, 1.5 hours Cardio, worked out 4 days
Week Seven: I'm in now.

That's a total of 31 days of working out in the last six weeks!

The rumblings of change

Day after day I get up and workout hard, and eat less, and stay focused. And so far I weigh and look about the same as I did one month ago when I started this workout routine. However, underneath the surface I can tell I'm stronger. I can do twice as many push ups, stretch twice as far (and for those who know me you know that means now I can almost touch my nose to my toes), and am starting to at least feel the muscles under the surface.

I've read that fitness and overall weight loss is an up and down journey. The most important change occurs when I start to form a habit. If I can lock into a new healthy habit then the results will be evident throughout my life, and may not really show up for awhile. Just like if I developed an unhealthy habit, which could lead me to creeping weight gain and a slow decline in overall health. Any change takes time. Right now I'm setting the foundations with healthy habits so that I am growing healthy under the surface, which will slowly become evident on the surface as well.

So far my new healthy habit that I hope to practice now and therefore keep for a lifetime, is working out in the mornings before my family is awake. This gives me a way to relieve stress and get my heart rate up before I meet the needs of the day. Another healthy habit I am working on right now is eating smaller portions and eating healthy (whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean meat). I read the book, "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy" by Dr. Willett from the Harvard School of Medicine. And I've adopted the food pyramid created by the Doctors of Harvard as the guiding tool for my healthy eating. See below.
So I've started at the base of the pyramid and am focusing on the stuff at there. Daily exercise and weight control, then eating whole wheat and healthy fat and then on up in moderation.

Another healthy habit I am working on includes exploring emotional healing for myself and my family through some great recovery tools and by joining a women's support group. It has helped me risk more in my relationships and is helping me draw on God in a more intimate way, which feeds every area of my life. Now if I could engage this sort of healthy processing of emotions on a daily basis through great communication with myself, God, and others, I would be on my way to healthy living on a whole other scale!

Slowly but surely the pounds are dripping off. But more importantly slowly but surely I'm become a different person, a healthier one, and who wouldn't be proud of that!

A Perfect Week

I did all my early morning workouts this week, except on Friday the DVD player quit on me so I went running instead. My weight swung high the first week (when I was sick) and is now back down to around 160 so I haven't lost any weight. But I am feeling stronger. This program has lots of upper body weight training, yoga, and pushups and pullups. so my arms are definately getting stronger. I think I might go swimming today, my day of rest. I've also had lost of fun video chatting with my brother Eddie as we workout. It always helps to have a friend urging you out of bed in the morning!

From Sweet Dreams to Kempo X

I've learned the hard way that I need to be on the alarm clock side of the bed, or else I sleep in.
Let's just say my husband hits snooze and somehow an hour later I'm late for work and have missed my workout. I was on the alarm clock side this morning, and even then I got up a 1/2 hour late. I made my workout but wasn't able to ride the bus into work. I'm trying to get up earlier in the morning so that I can both work out and ride the bus into work.

The day I'm able to do this will be a miracle and I will post it here, because it will require me getting up at 5:30am, working out for 1 hour, then showering, then walking to the bus stop at 7am, then riding the bus from 7:20 to 7:40am, and arriving to work early! Wouldn't that be fantastic. I would be a healthy, earthly-friendly, early-bird worker. In my dreams ;-)

Well, actually it is my sweet dreams that keep me from this dream of becoming a better morning person. That and the interrupted dreams that my son still gives me at night, with the waking up and needing attention, or delayed dreams due to needing to debrief with Nate or clean the house until 10 or 11pm. To make this work I need to get to bed closer to 9pm, than 11pm. It is a lifestyle change and it will take time. It also involves the compliance of my great husband since for some reason I can't fall asleep without him next to me. So either we both become morning birds, or neither of us do, unfortunately. For right now I'm happy if I just get the workout in, get no shower, and drive my car to work, getting there a bit late. I know it's not really close to my final goal - but its a start.

Kempo X was fun this morning. Lots of shouting though, which I was afraid might wake my guys so I kept it quiet. I tried to Skype my brother so that we could work out together, but I couldn't reach him. My heart rate got up there even though it didn't feel that hard. It was fun and I've been thirsty for most of the rest of the day. I think I will try to make it to the gym to go swimming. I can see why my brother likes it - very close to boxing or karate. I like Yoga better. Maybe a gender bias there.

Over the river and through the cold

to a house full of cough and fitness videos we go! Kleenex's and cough medicine are all over our house as well as used airline tickets from two trips in the last 5 days. No wonder it was difficult for me to keep my perfect streak going. So after pridefully challenging my brothers onto perfection, I got sick with a head cold, went on a weekend trip to St. Louis and had an 18 hour travel and work day to Baltimore in the last week. Since last Wednesday I've only done two of the 7 workouts.

I did Chest & Back on Monday and Yoga X (the whole 90 minutes) on Halloween night. I did do 20 minutes of the Plyometrics video before my son asked for my attention (and my legs were so sore just from the warm up that I fear what the whole DVD will do to me). I also ran 1.5 miles while pushing Lincoln in his stroller last Thursday (which was a feet since I did have a head cold).

I'm back on track and feel strong. That Yoga workout was intense and was way harder then any class I've ever taken. I was amazed at how far I could stretch at the end. I was able to hug each one of my legs when they were stretched out straight.