I Don't Generally Set Goals

It's true. I don't. Setting goals leaves room for failure and I don't really like to fail. Who does? Plus I've never seen myself as a goal-oriented person. Honestly, I don't know the effect goal-setting has on me.

But, I've decided to set a goal.

I may have been inspired by the "literature" from Brian, the head honcho of Adventure Boot Camp. (BC = Boot camp from now on)

Backstory break:
I found out yesterday that I wasn't on record with the BC people, even though I registered and emailed back and forth numerous times with someone in the office. I did some heavy-hitting following up today and requested all the crap I've been missing. Evidently, there's all kinds of support included with the BC package -- daily emails, a webcast, and ... well ... other stuff. So, I got three days worth of stuff today, including news that I was supposed to buy three sets of dumbbells (5, 8 and 12 pounds). Uh, $10 per dumbbell at Target ... SOOOO not buying all three sets. So I bought the set of 8 and I'll use my set of 4 and I'll be fine. The heaviest stuff is likely to be legs anyway and I'm heavy enough to add that extra weight on myself, so yeah.

We now return to regular programming ...

The emails I got today talked a lot about setting a few goals for yourself for the 4 weeks of BC. They suggested healthy eating habits, minor weight loss, strength goals, better running times, etc. I have to say, Boot Camp Brian (now BC Brian) is pretty motivational. Mind you, I'm quite cynical and usually don't take much away from cheesy, inspirational crap. But this stuff is good! He talks to the science behind exercise and nutrition. I like that! That's smart people talk, right there.

Okay, back to what I was saying. I've picked a goal. It's a mighty one. It's not one for BC, but one for the next 9 or 10 months.

Are you ready? (Because I'm not sure I am.)

I'm going to do the half Pig!

Aaaahhhh! 13.1 miles!!!!

I mean, I really think it's doable, people. That's a big deal for me to think that and to put it in writing, but I think I can do it. No, I don't expect to run the whole thing. Hopefully I'll run more than half of it, but mostly I just want to do it. Surely it's not all that bad to be moving in some way, shape, or form (running, walking, crawling, or wobbling) for 13.1 miles.

Right?

Oh boy.

Okay, now that that's in writing, I can give you a BC update.

Day 3 went pretty well for the most part. I was super sore when I woke up, and throughout the day, but once I got moving the discomfort diminished a bit. The workout felt easier today, but I really think that's just because the workout was easier in general, and because anything would feel easier than the first day.

One obstacle I ran into today (and yesterday and Monday, in fact) involves planks and push ups (images below for those who need visual aids). I can't do either. And for good reasons.

1. My arms don't hold up that much weight very well. In case you didn't catch it, I weigh more than the average bear. That's a lot of weight to hold up! I want to know what bench press weight is equivalent to lifting my mass off the ground. Anyone? Physics people?
2. My wrists hate me. Blame it on high school color guard or throwing shot put and discus or using a keyboard daily, my wrists don't like how fat I am any more than I do.
3. My knees hate me. There's something about the proper plank position that just puts a huge kink in my knees. Now, I grew up with Osgood-Schlatter disease, so I'm very familiar with that kind of kneee pain. This is not that. This is a sharp ickyness. I'm thinking it has to do with the angle of the pressure.

So, why am I struggling with this? There are lots of things I can't do. My problem is that everyone seems to be able to do them. I think I've reverted to gym class horrors again or something. It kills me to not even be able to hold myself in the girly-plank position (from the knees). What the heck? Plus, there are more BC exercises that start with the plank. That means I can't do those either. BOO!

Fortunately, Linda, the trainer (now BC Linda), is very good at giving alternatives to difficult positions/exercises. It's what BC is all about, apparently. Everyone should be able to participate, regardless of fitness level.

Okay, so I have a plan. I'm going to try push ups from the bench or the wall and work my way up to girl push ups. I'm going to work on stregthening my arms, especially chest press-ish things. Good plan. Go me.

That, folks, is enough blab. I'll check back in with you all in two or three days, unless something phenomenal happens. Oh, I'm going to try to run tomorrow evening, mostly because I miss it (CRAAAAA-ZY!)

Here are the pictures I promised (all stolen from various Internet sources; consider this their citation):

Plank position (essentially a push up in the "up" position)

A girly, or modified push up. Though this chick's butt is in the air, and that's not right.A push up against the wall. I think that sums it up.

Short But Positive

I can't write a full blog because I have to get ready for work, but I wanted you all to know that boot camp was exponentially better this morning.

Whew.

I had a half a bottle of Odwalla juice RIGHT when I got up (about 150 calories) and a piece of whole grain toast (which I will skip from now on ... it was too much). I got to camp really early and took my time setting up. Trainer Linda remembered my name and came up to me to say she was glad I came back. I apologized for my behavior yesterday and told her I was in panic mode. She said she could tell. Geesh.

Anyway, all was well. I even got to do a little jogging, which, sadly, made me happy.

Okay, gotta go. Thanks so much for all of your encouragement, folks! You've been so wonderful!!!

How Was Your First Day Of Boot Camp?

It was HORRIBLE folks!

I was completely miserable the whole time. Whiny and nauseated and weak and whiny and out of breath in a totally painful way and whiny.

Basically, I felt like I was back in the worst kind of gym class where the exercises seem pointless and everyone is doing better than you and barely sweating and you just want to go sit on the bleachers and pout.

A family friend said it best: "I will start crying and assume the fetal position at the mere mention of gym class."

Yeah, that's about right. That's all I wanted to do.

First of all, I couldn't breath. I don't know if I was holding my breath or what (no headphones = I can hear myself breathing = I try to over-control my breath = suffocation = death), but I was miserable! I couldn't breath in deep enough and was making that awful gasping sound and then started to panic and ... well ... it's all downhill from there. Plus, it was about 153% humidity out there this morning. UNGODLY!

Second of all, my legs wouldn't hold me up. I was wobbly-kneed from the get go. You'd think all this running would have taken care of that, but I guess I've been working different kinds of muscles or something.

Third, I was late. It took me longer to get out of my place in the morning than I thought, took me longer to get there than I thought, and I couldn't find the friggin' group once I got there. UGH! I was between 10 and 15 minutes late, so I started on a terrible note.

Fourth, mountain climbers and push ups.

Fifth, I wanted nothing more than to puke and then lie on the wet ground. My stomach was not prepared for a pre-dawn exercise fiasco.

Clearly I was unprepared in more ways than one. I wanted to quit. I wanted to retrieve my gift certificate and give it to someone else. In fact, I even tried to get it back at one point, asking if I could reschedule for a cooler time of year. The trainer wasn't pleased and told me that I was just working at a higher level than I was used to and that I should try to slow down. I immediately went into defensive, excuse-making 9-year-old mode, which really helped me get out of gym class when I was 9 years old. Trainer Linda, not so much.

So, I left unsure if I'd be returning or not. I rested on my living room floor when I got home, struggled to stay standing in the shower, scarfed my breakfast happily, then tried to avoid taking a nap on my drive in to work. I stayed in a bitter mood for a good 2 hours, too. I'm a champion at that.

Well, the bitterness wore off, and I'm feeling a little better now. A little. We'll see.

On an educational note, I reached out to my knowledgeable Facebook friends today for advice on pre-exercise eating. See, I don't like to do it. When I run in the evening, I like to get out there before putting something in my stomach. As long as I can remember, I've always had a negative reaction to exercising with food in my stomach. This could have, however, had something to do with my tendencies to overeat. It wasn't until recently that I realized I only need to down 100 calories to sustain the kind of workout I do. Well, yeah, that still upsets my stomach. Today would be the prime example. I only had water and an apple and I still got sick. UGH!

So anyway, here's an article my FB Friend, Lauren, passed along to me: Should You Eat Before or After Exercise?

The other ladies also had some excellent tips and provided me with a little comfort in knowing that other people struggle with the same eating/sick thing. So thanks girls! After reading their tips and what the article had to say, I've decided to try some full-calorie juices and/or a piece of toast and/or a piece of fruit before I leave ... whichever combination suits feels best. I'll also be trying to get a whole glass of water down before leaving the house. Blech!

So, tomorrow is another day. I'm going to try to keep my mouth shut, stop whining, slow down, breathe, and just do what I'm there to do -- FINISH!

Okay, I may still whine a little. At least give me that!

The Eve Of The Apocalypse ... Or Boot Camp

Ah geesh! Here we are. It's the day before ...

dun dun DUUNNNN ...

The first day of boot camp!

Tomorrow I begin my month-long (20 days, to be exact) torture session, otherwise known as Cincinnati Adventure Boot Camp for Women. I report at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Pretty sure it's going to be raining. Awesome. Whine, whine, whine.

Okay, let me tell you the truth. I really was trying to avoid it, but I figure this blog is supposed to be helping with accountability, and by sharing this, I'm hoping you can help me with this.

[deep breath]

I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful to see what happens, to see if my body is really impacted by what I'm about to do. Will I actually get smaller?

Since the beginning of March this year, I've been focusing solely on cardio -- running to be exact. I haven't done any weight or strength training. I haven't exactly dieted either. I've paid very close attention to what I eat, and even spent a good deal of time as a vegetarian. The combination of my non-diet and my new exercise habits hasn't exactly produced the results I expected.

Actually, I've been working out regularly since March 2009 (half of the time included weights, etc.) and that hasn't yielded visible results in my eyes either. (Okay, my body has changed shape a little here and there, but no numbers have dropped off.) I'm interested to see how a closely-monitored, trainer-led daily workout will impact my physical well-being. And I'm hopeful.

Hope is dangerous. It leads to disappointment. This is why I don't set goals and I often don't share my hopefulness. Sharing leads to joint disappointment ... and sympathy. I don't like those things.

This next month promises to be a difficult one for me. I don't really like not having control over my schedule. Being essentially forced into an every-day workout is rather off-putting. What if I don't feel good one day? Or three days? With running, I make my own schedule and decide whether or not I feel up for a run. Most of the time with running, though, I've impressed myself by ignoring those days when I don't feel so good and just press through the workout anyway. So maybe I've built up some kind of mental endurance over icky days. Maybe. This month will surely test that.

One good thing about this month, though, is freed up evenings. I'm not going to completely avoid an evening run, but I certainly won't feel pressured to get one in over the next month of scorching hot evenings. I'll be active for a whole hour each morning, so an evening run will just be an added bonus. I'm not going to strain myself in the evenings either; if I decide to run, it may just be a Week 2 workout instead of Week 3. Or I'll just jog at my own pace.

Blah. I don't want to think about it. I can't believe it's tomorrow already. I can't believe I have to get up at 5 a.m. and drive 5-ish miles in the pre-dawn to workout. THEN I have to try to cool down enough to stop sweating so I can look like a normal human being at work all day. (This will be the biggest challenge of all, I think.)

On that sweaty note, I bid you all goodnight. Please check back soon for a boot camp update. I predict I'll feel good tomorrow evening, but will feel like Hell Tuesday evening. We shall see!

A Plague of Gnats and Paparazzi

I’m having a fight with Firefox and Blogger right now. They’ve tagged up on me and are currently winning.

Shocker.

Anyway, I’m writing this blog entry on Tuesday night and will likely post it Wednesday morning. Frankly, I’m tired, getting crabby, and want to go to bed and refuse to wait any longer for technology to catch up. [*Update, I posted Tuesday night using an Internet sneak attack! Pow!]

So, despite that peppy intro, I’m actually feeling good (aside from a wicked exercise-induced stomach/lung ache … this one’s a weird one folks).

So, what’s up, Beck? Why the good cheer?

People, I just finished Day 1 of Week 3 for the third time. Better yet, I just finished Take 2 of Week 3 yesterday.

Confused? Don’t be.

Basically I’m trying to tell you that I just ran two days in a row. I believe this is a first for me. For some odd reason I’ve always tried to put at least one day between runs. I don’t know what delusion I was operating under, but clearly people run back-to-back all the time. But it was a little challenging. Whether it was the weather, my tired body, or me sneaking in some extra long runs (increasing 90 seconds to 120 in one case and tacking on an extra minute at the end of my last walking interval), today was a toughy. I’m predicting another 3 tries at Week 3.

But anyway, go me!

Today I brought along the paparazzi, otherwise known as my mom, (Hi mom!) to take pictures of me running. It seems so lame, and I have a hard time thinking that anyone would want to see me running, but for the sake of the blog and for the possibility that I will encourage others, here are pictures.

The very pretty pond at the new running path. Excellent shot, Mom!

In the poetic words of the Black Eyed Peas, "Let's get it started."

If you ever see this view of me, you're probably walking.

Check out that stride! I actually look like a runner here! Probably because I'm running down hill.

Where's Waldo?

I'll give you a hint: She's probably running toward the Cracker Barrel and Chik-fil-A signs.

A Rocky moment.

Post-run cheese. It's amazing that you can't see the massive drops of sweat pouring off my head.
Please don't zoom. =)

Me and the paparazzo, my mom.

Back to the running. Yesterday I encountered another “obstacle.”

Bugs. Ew.

My lovely co-worker, Sara (Hi Sara!) asked me not too long ago about how I deal with bugs on my run because she deals with them on her nightly walk. “Ummm … bugs?” [Insert dumbfounded look.] I haven’t had to deal with bugs yet, but boy did they make their appearance yesterday.

Open-mouthed panting + bugs = splatter on my grillz and wings in my peepers.

Mmmm … protein!

So yeah, thanks, Sara, for cursing me with the plague of gnats on my gnightly run.

Does anyone have any secret anti-bug-crunching tactic that I should know about? What dictates a run’s bugginess? Is it time of day? Weather? Landscape (soggy vs. dry)?

Also, could there be* a more difficult way to upload pictures? Am I missing an easy way to do this on Blogger? Ugh!

* "Look! I'm Chandler Bing. Could I be wearing any more clothes?

A Tribute, A Sacrifice, A New Place To Run

Today, I am paying tribute. In fact, I am so moved by the things to which I am paying tribute that I have decided to sacrifice my weekend run.

Please, a moment of silence.

Mmmmmm ...

Yes, that's right ... I'm skipping the chance to take a Sunday evening run for the sake of watermelon and beer. What you don't see is the frozen Newman's Own four cheese pizza cooking to a crisp in the oven. Health food.

What? It's Bud Select and watermelon is good for you. And, the pizza? It's just good.

So I actually have a semi-valid excuse for choosing not to run this weekend. I didn't do it yesterday because of a marathon shopping trip with friend-o Adrienne, a few hours by the pool, and because I had to say goodbye to my BFF Jeff, who is off to Sacramento to sing and dance his heart out for the rest of the summer. I'm not running today because I just got back to the store with my precious and delicious cargo and I must attend to it. Oh yeah, and because of this interesting problem I've run into.

Dude, the days are too long for running!

I love, love, love Daylight Saving Time and all that it symbolizes, but man it puts a damper on my workout schedule. I just can't wait until 8:30 or 9 at night to run for the sake of waiting until the sun goes down and the temperature drops. I'm a nine-to-fiver. A lazy one at that, who enjoys her sleep and is not willing to sacrifice it.

[I should note that as I sat here typing that last sentence it occurred to me that I should consider running in the morning to solve that problem. But, in light of my upcoming crack-of-dawn boot camp workouts, I'm going to ignore that idea. You understand, right?]

Anyway, this does not mean I will be giving up running for the summer. It just means that I'm going to eat pizza and watermelon and drink beer tonight. Because it's the weekend and I'm not going to stress about it.

On a positive workout note, I tried a new park on Thursday! Well, actually it's not a park. It's a running path at a corporate "park" in my area. I've driven by it many times but have yet to take the plunge to try it out. But I did, and I like it! Yay!

1. It's 98% flat (and 87% of all statistics are made up)
2. It's very un-busy

What's interesting to me is that un-busy part. It's both the reason I've been avoiding it and the reason I love it. I've been avoiding it because I'm still very scared to run alone in unfamiliar, not family oriented places (like parks with playgrounds). It's why I haven't gone running on the streets yet and why I haven't tried Five Mile Trail yet (that and it's apparently very difficult).

Now, there's part of me that realizes that I'm not exactly a primary target for would-be attackers. I'm not a "pretty young thing," to use the words of Mr. M. Jackson, and I don't think I appear to be easy to kidnap or anything--it'd take three people to pick me up and carry me away and I don't think attackers travel in packs, especially not in the 'burbs. So, what is there to be afraid of? I don't know. I'm paranoid. I also think, "What if I fall or get hurt some other way?" I run with my phone, so it's not like I couldn't call for help. Ugh, whatever.

Hey, so how do you handle this situation? Are you afraid to run on your own? Do you take special precautions?

So anyway, back to the new running path. It's flat, it's unpopulated, there are no snotty--I mean precious children bouncing about. It's nice! It goes next to the highway, too, which helps drown out my locomotive breathing. Judging by my experience running Week 3 at Veterans park, I think the shorter part of this trail is just under a mile. There's a longer path, but I think it probably goes over a mile. I opted for the shorter this time. I will be returning, probably this week.

I should note that Thursday's run was not an easy one. My body was not cooperating and I was getting really hot really quickly. (I think this is because of that extra-long daylight issue.)

Okay, my beer is probably close to frozen in the freezer, so I better go rescue it. Be jealous. =)

Week 3, Take 2

I ran Day 1 of Week 3 again tonight. Great run. Still feeling really great about my progress.

I also tried a new park. The track was a bit shorter, but it's also almost completely flat. Loyal readers, meet (or reacquaint your self with) Beech Acres.

I had to run an errand for the sake of my flea-bag cats and decided to try something new. I'm glad I did. There's something about new paths that make the run easier. Well, at least this time. I can't say the same for the Redlegs Run for Home 5K. That was hard. Blech.

Anyway, that is all! Happy short post, people!