Gym & Training Day 14 Recap

No workout yesterday.  I know, I know, no excuses, but sometimes when your 2 year old throws at tantrum you have to adapt.

Everything was going well yesterday.  We went to my daughters dance class, did some errands, and even made it to the gym without big incident.

Then what I'm calling "my lunch mistake" threw the whole rest of my day off.  At first I started to blame my kids for their horrible meltdowns that runined the whole rest of the afternoon, but I realized it was something I did that caused it all.  I brought two lunchables to the gym for the kids and a tunafish and crackers pack for me.  Of course my children chose to eat my tunafish instead of their lunchables and because there was only one of them a fight ensued.

After trying to calm BOTH kids, I eventually took them to the pool instead of Kids Club (aka daycare).  At first my son decided he wanted to take a nap instead of swimming so he sat in my lap while my daughter swam then he decided to swim so I got him changed and had him swim for a bit.

For whatever reason, after that my daughter had tantrum leaving the gym. (If you're keeping score that's two tantrums in about two hours.)  She got calmed down enough when we got home but later, after dinner, she had another tantrum that this time involved the entire rest of the family. (Still keeping score?  That's 3 tantrums in a six hour time span.)

So as you can see...it technically is an excuse as to why I didn't work out, but at the same time, my children are young enough where I can't ignore them, so if I have to sacrifice a workout every now and then I guess I can just make it up another day.  So today, Friday, I'll be making up for my missed Thursday.  I'm going to do my long run and do Total Body Cardio Fix.

Saturday is my oldest's 5th birthday party and Sunday is Father's Day.  I'll probably not get in another workout this week, but next week is a new week!

Gym & Training Day 13 Recap

Day 13 of 61 was a mentally tough day.  I forgot my armband for my phone and it threw off my whole workout...sounds silly, but holding my phone while running was just enough difference to make it a bad run.

Not only was the run horrible, my mind was on other things during my workout.  The only bright spot in the day was that I noticed that my leg lifts at the end of Lower Fix were a little easier for me.  I got through all of them without really struggling too much...3rd week was the charm, I guess.

I got it done, but I'd consider this a C day.  It's sad when the rest of the week was going so well.  Hopefully Thursday will be better and I can finish off the week strong.

Day 13 of training done! Mentally tough day :(. Having sinus/tooth issues again. Look at the leg lifts. Better than last week!!! #summerbreeze10korbust #getfitforthemforme #summermeltdownchallengegroup #running #21dayfix #picplaypost

A video posted by RunMomMe (@runmomme) on Jun 17, 2015 at 11:51am PDT

Gym & Training Day 12 Recap

Tuesday was a tough day mentally.  It took almost a mile and a half to get into the groove.  I used a different treadmill and I swear that was part of my issue...different things to watch were a distraction.

I did however do a really great round of Upper Fix.  I still can't do a push up.  I asked another Beachbody Coach Kevin Crenshaw to see if he had a great how to video...he told me I should make my own.  I did do a little experimenting and spreading my arms a bit which gave me a deeper dip to my push up...but I still need some work on it.  I've never been good at them so it's definitely something to put on my to do list as far as things I need to work on.

I tried to listen to a little Personal Development ( Shaun T's Define Your Life ), but multitasking proved to be another distraction.  I think music is the way to go for me.  Does anyone have any good suggestions for workout music?  I had a list of songs for a long time, but somehow they got messed up and I know that I'll need more when I race in August!

Day 14 done! 2.5 mile run and Upper Fix. Brought out my Roanne's Race shirt for the occasion. #summerbreeze10korbust #getfitforthemforme #summermeltdownchallengegroup #running #21dayfix

A video posted by RunMomMe (@runmomme) on Jun 16, 2015 at 11:44am PDT

Gym & Training Day 11 Recap

Training Day 13 done. Total body cardio! New pink headsweats visor came!!! #getfitforthemforme #summerbreeze10korbust #summermeltdownchallengegroup #headsweats #running #picplaypost

A video posted by RunMomMe (@runmomme) on Jun 15, 2015 at 12:00pm PDT

Monday was another 2.5 run and Total Cardio.  I got a new app on my phone and made a great animated post with me doing modified cross countries and my favorite running song.  It was a pretty good day working out.  I was definitely feeling my weekend run, but I got through it pretty well

The bonus was that I got my new Headsweats visors in the mail.  The pink one I'm wearing was one I ordered specifically for me and I got two others that were grab bag ones.  The construction and wear and tear-ability of these things are so awesome.  I wash them in the washing machine and dry them without worrying about them falling apart.  I've had my #runchat one since I started running two years ago so it's nice to be able to switch it up a little fashion wise.

Gym & Training Day 10 Recap

My training schedule showed that I should do a 2.5 mile long run.  My plan had been to do a real run, pump up the speed to 6.9 and run it out, but then my husband had Friday off so my plans to go to the gym changed to a long run with my friend Michele... who had scheduled a 4 mile run!

So with her kids on a bike and in a stroller, we set off around the town of Mountain House.  I've run two 5ks here and did a training run with their runners group once, but with a late start time it was just the four of us running around the perimeter of the town waving at a few other people out for walks and maybe two other random runners.  Nice wide sidewalks and a few sloping hills through the landscape and great conversation got us to four miles before I could even think about it.  Having the stroller with her I'm sure was a hard thing to do, but secretly I was glad she had it so when she got tired I could have the excuse to walk a little.  I know I know, the cowards way to deal with getting tired, but it does help to walk a little bit every once in a while.

It sounds so silly that all my running during the week would make it easier to run a distance twice as far as I'm used to running, but it went great!  I'm about 100% sure that running is all mental for me.  I remember in college once I went to basketball practice a little hung over/ a little still drunk and took 8 seconds off my mile.  Doesn't sound like a big thing, but I still remember, 20 years later, just how easy it seemed to run that day.  I was distracted by worrying about getting caught and loose enough from the alcohol I'd had to forget about how tired I was and I just ran.  That's probably the only time in my 5 year basketball career where I remember having fun running.  Every other time was a drain!

The other great news of Sunday is that right after my run I weighed myself and the number came up AMAZING!  I know it's probably because I was slightly dehydrated from running, but I did the math in my head and I'm only about 6 lbs away from my "before I met my husband weight".  My ultimate goal is to get back down to my playing weight, in the 150s but by the end of the summer I want to be at least in the 180s.

If I can get to a light weight by race day I'm sure it'll make running a whole six miles so much easier!  Doing the running is definitely helping the weight come off, but my cross-training with 21 Day Fix I'm sure is the reason the weight is coming off faster than my running earlier in the year and in 2014.

I still can't believe I started running races in 2013 when I was in the 220s.  All that extra "baggage" to carrying around is INSANE to think about.

Gym & Training Day 09 Recap

Day 09 of Training, Thursday, is a short day, due to Friday being my long day...so I planned to do a 1 Mile for time, to test myself  & Pilates Fix.

Under a 10:00 mile!!!

My short run yesterday was AWESOME!!!  Knowing it was going to be short I pushed myself to the extreme, or as extreme as I could.  I started out at a 5.0  for about a quarter mile to get myself warmed up, then upped the speed to 6.9! At first I was distracted by the sound of my feet pounding on the machine, but I kind of used some of my meditation tricks to focus on my breathing and pushed through the mile with no trouble.  I doubt at this point that I could run that fast for any extended length of time or distance, but it felt great to at least do a mile that fast.

My final mile time came out to under 10 minutes!  I haven't done that in FOREVER!!!

Planking!!!

Pilates Fix wasn't easy yesterday, but it definitely was easier than last week.  I need to workout how to do planking.  Right now I do all of them bent kneed due to my broken foot, but I don't think I'm getting the full benefit of doing the exercises that way.  Maybe I need to do half regular and half bent knee because really the toe touches and leg lifts don't seem to be doing anything for me the modified way I'm doing them now.

All in all it was an A+ day!  Friday's long run might be switched to a weekend run because hubby is off work today.  I should know in a few hours if I'll have to reschedule my friday workout.

Gym & Training Day 08 Recap

Wednesday was a 2.5 mile run and Lower Fix. I knew going in that Thursday was going to be a short run day so I gave a little more. I pumped up the speed from a 5.0 to a 6.0 and gave a good go of it!  As much as people say they hate treadmills, I love the ones at the gym. They push me to keep a steady pace which has to do something good for me, right?

Lower Fix was easier this week although after a good run those leg lifts at the end it HURTS!  

I love my little workout routine now. I get strange looks from people but I don't care!!!  I'm doing my THANG!

Gym & Training Day 07 Recap

Tuesday was a 2.5 mile run and Upper Fix.

Played around with my speed for my run.  Feels great to be able to run for 20 something minutes without stopping.  I can't believe that this time two years ago I couldn't run for a minute straight without dying and now look at me...I'm running like Forest Gump!

Upper Fix is getting easier...I started out with 8 lbs weights but had to switch to 5 lbs.  Maybe next week I'll make the move up permanently...

Arms are feeling great, but I still can't do a push up to save my life.  I swear I bend my arms just a little bit and feel like I'm pushing up an elephant!  I keep trying though, looking like a fool, but I get it done.

Gym & Training Day 06 Recap

5lbs weights.  iPhone (not shown), armband & headphones
and a workout mat is all I need to get fit.

Day Six was a little shaky.

The kids got to Kids Club ok and I got everything stashed in the lockerroom and the Curves room was even almost empty.  I'm starting to see some regulars.  I wish they were a little more friendly, but it's only been a week so who knows if they even remember me.

By the way, I'm using the Hal Higdon 10k Novice Running Plan, but since I'm also doing 21 day fix for my cross training, on the cross training days on Hal's schedule I'm just taking a short warm-up run before I do my 21 Day Fix routine. My Monday scheduled workout was Stretch and Strength so I did intervals for about 1.5 miles then a cool down.

As much as I don't want to say it, my running had a case of the Mondays.  I started out ok, but after just a little while I started to get tired.  I think outside stress was affecting me more than I thought and my foot even was hurting a little bit.  (For those who don't know, in 2008 I dislocated 4 bones in my left foot.  I've had two surgeries and have already raced a dozen or so races, but every once in a while it gives me trouble.  Yesterday it was some cross training stuff that was pinching it.)

Anyway, Tuesday will be another longer run so I'll push myself through it and stay focused on my 8 week goal of doing 6 miles without stopping.  Some people train for a race to just finish, but I want to beat my last recorded time from the Summer Breeze course.  So far I've been faster than my normal running.

Last month when I was running my average was 11:53 and this month so far my average is 10:50.  I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I'm running without the kids, but I like to think that me losing a bit of weight already this week and the cross-training that I'm doing with 21 Day Fix is helping my body get faster.  I know I'll probably never get down below an 8 minute mile, but a 9 or 10 minute mile would be GREAT!

Did Total Body Cardio starting out with 8 lbs weights and switched to 5lbs weights.  I want to push myself, but I think maybe I'll need to wait until next week to add more weights.

My favorite part of the day however came when I got home and checked the Summer Meltdown Challenge Group Board and one of my group-mates had gotten her first workout in.  2/3 of the group had already started their workouts and were doing great, but to find out that the last one to start finally got her workout in really made me proud!  I think I was more excited about that than my accomplishments for the day.  I guess it's the "teacher" in me.  I still can't believe that all those years I thought I'd be a teacher and then changed my path.  Maybe I wasn't supposed to be a school teacher so that I could be available to help other people through Beachbody.

Had to get up super early, but I'll be back at it mid morning.  Can't wait to see what kind of a workout I get in today!

Gym & Training Day 05 Recap

Friday I RAN, yes RAN, two miles at a speedy little pace that is about a minute faster than what I normally run at!  Getting through treadmill running is tough, but with the right tunes in my ears I can get through anything.  Lately my favorite is one by Breathe Carolina called Blackout.  Very appropriate for running if I do say so myself.

My 21 Day Fix workouts have been great, but I've switched them up a little because well frankly there are some workouts that aren't my favorite...the Total Cardio, Upper Fix and Lower Fix are my favorites.  I think I'm going to try Dirty 30 today if I can write down all the moves I need to do before it's time to go to the gym!  I would use On Demand, but I don't think all the workouts for 21 day fix are on there! :(

Workout with the kids in daycare (and a little meditation) has chilled me out considerably.  Of course I get mad at certain things, but I don't wake up feeling angry now the way I had been over the last few weeks.  And guess what?  Seeing those crazy little faces over the half gate when I come to pick them up from the Kids Club room is AMAZING!!!  I've never been more excited to see them.

Bonus for the week is that I'm down 3lbs after a week of training!

Today I'm slated for another run and workout.  Trying to rangle the kids now to get them out of the house and to the gym!

Gym & Training Day 04 Recap

I think I've figured out that I'm more of a mid morning or early morning workout person.  Yesterday was dance class for my 4 year old daughter at 10:45 and with my summer plans the way they are we had to go to the gym after class instead of before.

My 2 year old son has been coming with us to dance class since September and when allowed he goes off to the side to dance.  Yesterday he got one of the last years umbrellas to practice with and worked his own little routine next to the bigger girls.

Lunch break went ok.  The kids had doughnuts from the doughnut shop and lunchables.  Not the most nutritious thing to eat, but when I'm on the run, it's better than fast food.

Dropped the kids off at the gym and they happily went along.  I was so worried that they'd freak out about going into daycare for the first time in their lives, but they've taken to it like ducks to water.

Now...down to the working out.

The Curves Room at the gym is my new home.  I feel completely comfortable in there and don't worry about crazy looks people give me any more.  I do have to say though that when I got on the treadmill yesterday some younger girls were laughing in the row behind me and somehow my twisted little brain thought they were laughing at me.  Great...right?  I'm sure they weren't, now that I'm out of the moment, but it's so sad to immediately assume that!!!

So Day 04 of 61 was scheduled to be a Pilates Fix Day and a longer run, but since I'm going to do my long runs on Fridays (since weekends will be kid & hubby time) I cut my run short to a good mile and did Total Cardio Fix again knowing that Pilates would kill my legs in preparation for my run on Friday.

Not sure if I've talked about this before, but I have a little routine I do, when doing my Fix workouts.  I get a mat and weights then set my RunKeeper to an interval of  one minute steady and fifteen seconds slow on repeat so I do an exercise for a minute then rest for fifteen seconds, the way that they do it on the DVD.  Its great because it beeps at me to tell me when to change so I don't really even have to look at the clock!

I could do it on BEACHBODY ON DEMAND, but it seems easier since I know all the exercises already to do it that way.

Anyway I can't believe I've already finished four days in a row!  That's more days in a row than I've done in two months.  I've checked my weight all week and I'm already down about 3 lbs.  I know this will fluctuate in the next few weeks, but at least I'm going in the right direction!

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Just in case you want to add me as a friend on my running apps:

Patty_Gordon on Nike+ (this is the one I use the most for running)
Patty Gordon on MapMyRun
Patty Brown Gordon on RunKeeper

Gym & Training Day 03 Recap

#NoKidsAllowed

Yesterday was day three...  I was as sore as I've been in a long time, but I went to the gym, jumped on the treadmill and did 2.5 miles without issue...well sort of... about half way through my workout a mom brought her two elementary school age kids into the workout room and while they weren't being completely out of control, they were a distraction from what I was doing.  There is a playroom for the kids at the gym, a VERY nice one, so the fact that this mom had her kids in with us was mind boggling and a big distraction.  Part of the reason I'm working out at the gym is so that I can get my mind off my kids and get my mind on me.  Sounds crappy, but really, it's MomMe time!!!

Anyway, did a great job with the running then took my place in the corner with my weights and did Lower Fix.  I always feel a bit exposed when doing exercises, like some expert is going to be watching me and telling me I'm doing it wrong, but it never happens.  I remembered most of the exercises I needed to do, but after running my legs were like jello so I did them in a slightly different order when my legs were telling me that they couldn't do any more of a certain action.

Let me tell you it was a struggle to get that last set of exercises in, luckily I was sitting on the ground to do the leg lifts or I probably would have fallen down.  I even had trouble walking back to get the kids!

My highlight was being able to show the kids where I workout!  They wanted to see where I was so I walked them in and told them all about my workout.

After that I collected up the kids and they got to play with one of our neighbors in the pool.  I can't believe that today is now day 4.  We are going to do a later session due to my daughter's dance class, but it should be a great day 4!

My food has been hit and miss the last three days.  I'm doing it all right, but I feel like I'm still not getting in enough food.  Food prep for next week is going to be a BIG priority!

Also I'm excited.  One of my fellow Challenge Group peeps is going to run the 10k with me in August!  I can't wait to get out on the bike trails and get that BLING!!!

National Running Day

Gym & Training Day 02 ReCap

#Meltdown

Yesterday's workout was amazing...2.5 mile run went great with a great time on it.  I took some weights into a corner and did the 2 session 5 exercise each rotations and while I think a lot of people were looking at me crazy, it worked well to do it off to the side of the weight mirror.

Upper Fix was so good that today it's hard to sit up and it hurts when I sneeze...signs that all those muscles that have been sleeping since January are now awake.  It's funny though that my arms aren't the ones that are feeling it, but my abs that are going crazy!!!

We spent an hour and a half at the pool with the kids that was great!  The kids played with another little girl for a while and when it was time to go I didn't have to do anything more than tell them it was time.

What happened after leaving the gym was a total disaster!

You know that picture that they show of the frazzled mom with two kids having temper tantrums in the middle of the grocery store?  That was me!!!  I had two kids crying as I was leaving the store and spent the next 40 minutes listening to my son freak out before he passed out and took a nap.

Food for the most part was on track, but I need more greens!!!  And how am I supposed to eat all those reds?  I guess today I'll have to revaluate what I'm doing.

Gym & Training Day 01 ReCap

It was perfectly evident that the stars were aligned against me yesterday.  I got the kids up and going like I wanted to.  Got packed and everything ready then went out to the truck and it wouldn't start.  Normally this would have sent me into a rage and especially because it was my 4 year old who left the door open over night, but I took a deep breath and called my hubby and then my brother and 45 minutes later we were on the road!

#NOEXCUSES

The gym membership needed to be "turned on" and so that took a little extra minute, but everything else turned out to run smoothly...except that moment where I almost ate it on the treadmill and that other moment when I almost slipped on the workout mat...but who's counting...right???

This summer's running plan and workout plan are something that I want to do, I need to do and you know what?  Yesterday...when the kids were playing at the gym daycare, for the first time in MONTHS I felt at peace.  I know that sounds crazy, but it was like the weight that's been on my shoulders and chest disappeared in that one hour and a half workout session!

I went to check on the kids after about an hour and when I saw that they were playing nicely, I went and sat in the hallway on the other side of the gym and had some ME time.  It was amazing...and you know what?  When I came back to get the kids...I felt LUCKY to be picking them up and spending more time with them instead of feeling that slight dread of having to "deal with them" for a few hours.

All in all, it started out rough, but ended amazing...I can't wait to get back over there today and do it all over again!

Milestones

(see full image)

#onestepcloser to 600 miles!  Cant wait to hit another running milestone. #summerbreeze10korbust #summermeltdownchallengegroup #burnthis #fitfam #getfitforthemforme

THIS Is What That Extra Shoelace Hole Is Used For. I Wish I Knew This Earlier!

A little running info! I need to pay more attention to my shoes if I'm going to kick butt in August!
Posted by MomMe Meltdown on Monday, May 11, 2015