Gettin' By

currently...

...enjoying the early morning darkness in the company of my coffee mug, computer and cat.

...trying to shake the feeling that I'm running an hour behind.

...reveling in the warm spring temperatures forecasted for the week. Short-sleeves, sidewalk chalk, and sandals on the agenda.

...preparing to pump you up as Design Coach at Ella Publishing's Spring Training. (And psssst...if you register before April 1, you'll save $5!)

...logging some quality mileage on my running shoes as training for spring races kicks into high gear.

...crediting new tunage on my ipod for faster mile paces and a renewed adoration for hitting the pavement.

...catching up on Project Life. And for that matter, life in general. (see item #2).

...designing (& building) a Leprechaun Trap with the girlie.

...dreaming of spring vacation.

...trying not to panic as my To-Do-Before-Spring-Break List seems to lengthen every day.

...contemplating a pedicure. With green polish.

...plotting surprise birthday plans for Mike that will include golf, dinner, an overnight at the Omni, and of course, March Madness. (Go Duke!)

...printing NCAA tourney brackets for the family basketball pool.

...making sure all my Blue Devil garb is clean, ironed, and ready to don for Round 1. (Though I will be cheering for both CU and CSU in the first round as well - way to represent, Colorado!)

...anticipating much smack talk to ensue as our household divides into Those Who Cheer for Duke and Those Who Cheer for Anyone Playing Duke.  Any guesses as to who's on what side?

So what are you up to...currently?

 

Finally Friday.

This week's posts for Give-It-Away Thursday and Five on Friday were derailed by a little girl with a stomach bug, whom I spent most of the last 36 hours with cuddling on the couch.  And the rest of the time was spent trying to clean puke out of the carpet - not just Riely's, but the dog's as well (who apparently developed a sympathy stomach bug to show his loyalty.)  My suggestion to just rip it all out and install hardwoods was not popular with Mike, who reminded me that we own a Bissell Little Green Machine expressly for the purpose of removing said puke from carpet. I still like the idea of hardwoods better.

Luckily the girly (and the dog) are feeling better and I think (fingers crossed) our Friday will be puke-free. We've got a busy weekend in the works, and I'll be kicking things off this afternoon with my Spawn of True Scrap class at 3:00 EST.  Hope to see some of you there!  After the class, I'll be around to answer questions and offer advice on carpet cleaning. Just kidding. Kind of.

Tonight Hayden has his first night football game (Friday Night Lights, people!) and I'm hoping we don't freeze our tushies off watching from the sidelines.  I'm thinking some spiked hot cocoa in a thermos might be accompanying me.

Also on the weekend agenda? Carving pumpkins, a visit with the cousins, another football game Saturday afternoon, and a date night for Mike and me. Because he totally owes me for cleaning up all that puke.

Annnnnnd don't forget that Scrapfest is happening all weekend over at Jenni Bowlin Studio!  There are nightly chats with the design team, challenges and inspiration galore. And we'll be selecting one of the Scrapfest participants to be our December guest designer, so pop over and show us your stuff! I'm talking about scrapbook stuff, you perverts. Geez.

 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Ripped in 30: A Review.

It's been a week since I finished the 30-day torture known as Ripped in 30 by infamous trainer Jillian Michaels. And while I'll offer an extended review below, for those that want the Cliff Notes version, I can sum up the DVD in just a few two-word phrases:  It sucked and it works.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know from my various posts on running that I am truly a weenie-girl at heart.  My inner athlete is about as tough as Pee Wee Herman. I whine at most types of physical exertion, complain when exercise makes my muscles sore, and have been known to burst into tears during particuIarly difficult runs - yes, I'm THAT tough! So it should come as no surprise that Jillian kicked my ass. And I complained (loudly). And yelled obscenities at the tv. And scared small animals and children with my extreme lack of coordination.  But just like with running, I stuck it out. Maybe because I saw results. Or maybe because Jillian made me want to be tougher.  Or maybe, I just decided to kick that damn wussie-girl attitude to the curb for 30 days (cue Eye of the Tiger here).

What I Did.  With swimsuit season on the horizon, I was looking for a workout to give me the tone and definition that running hadn't - most notably in the ab and arm area - and this DVD definitely delivered. Because I didn't want to lose my running conditioning, for five days a week, I continued to run 3-5 miles each day, and did the Ripped Workout post-run.  One day a week, I just did Ripped, and one day a week, I just ran, doing a longer run (8-13 miles) on that day. So, yes, I was working out seven days a week.  Which is probably not recommended, nor is it realistic that I'll continue at that intensity.  But I had a bikini body in my sights, and I was one focused girl.

What I Got.  At the end of 30 days, I had lost 8 pounds.  I also dropped 1" from my waist, 1" from my hips, 1/2" from each thigh, and gained a 1/4" on each bicep. But what was more impressive was the fact that even after just two weeks, I didn't need the scale or measuring tape to tell me it was working - I could see and feel the results happening to my body. Well, hello ab muscles!

What I Liked.  Obviously, the results were the biggest payoff with this workout regimen, but there were other positives:

• The compact 25-minute time frame. It didn't take a lot of effort to fit that into my schedule and when you're used to runs that can last several hours, 25 minutes seems pretty do-able.


• The included meal plan. This 30-day plan includes simple, easy-to-prepare meals, with most of the ingredients available at a regular grocery store. Prior to Ripped, I was eating less food, yet more calories (can you say carb-addict?). On Jillian's plan, I incorporated more protein into my meals and actually ate a real breakfast - not just my usual cappuccino. I was never hungry or felt deprived, though the first week I would have traded my arm for a Cadbury Creme Egg (which would have made the push-ups even more difficult.) On the weekends, I skipped one of the 200-calorie snacks and had an evening glass of wine instead. After all, I couldn't reasonably be expected to give up both sugar AND wine, right?!


• The variety of exercises.  None of the moves in the four weeks of workouts are repeated, and I offer up my undying thanks to Jillian for not making me do reptile push-ups more than once. Having a new workout each week keeps things fresh. She also combines exercises that work several muscle groups at once (lunges with arm raises, squats with bicep curls) so the workouts are efficient and effective.


• The simplicity of the equipment.  I only needed one set of weights (I used 3-pound handweights) for all four workouts. I'd also recommend keeping a towel handy, because you will sweat like a racehorse (or is it pee like a racehorse? sweat like a pig? sweat like a sweathog going to the races?)


• The price.  As much as I'd like to spend hundreds of dollars on a personal trainer who will yell at me and make me work as hard as Jillian, I'm not willing to cut into my wine budget for that expenditure. A girl's gotta have her priorities.  For $9.49, I can have almost the same experience, and still enjoy my favorite sauvignon blanc.

What I Hated.  Um, besides the slightly sadistic reptile push ups and pendulum lunges??  Well I knew going in that Jillian wouldn't make it easy.  But beyond some of the killer moves that made me feel uncoordinated and clumsy, here's what I didn't like:

• The high-impact nature of some of the cardio moves.  I don't have knee or ankle issues, but by the end of week 2, I was feeling some pain in those joints from all the bouncing and jumping. She does offer some lower-impact modifiers, which I opted to do, but I would caution anyone with pre-existing joint problems to be careful.


• The boring background music.  Granted, you pretty much only hear Jillian barking orders at you, which is simultaneously intimidating and inspiring, but when she's quiet enough to allow the music to be heard, it resembles what can only be described as Fitness Muzak - annoyingly bland and decidedly vanilla. Once you learn the moves, I'd suggest piping in your own soundtrack while you do the workout.

So if you're looking for a good way to tone up, slim down, and need a totally valid excuse for screaming expletives at a fitness icon, I'd highly recommend Ripped in 30.  While the month-long experiment has not completely crushed my inner Pee Wee, it has given him some killer biceps:

If you have specific questions about the DVD that I didn't answer here, feel free to ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer based on my experience.  And enjoy your Tuesday, my friends!

 

 

Five on Friday.

In honor of my marathon week (yes, much like my birthday, I'm opting to turn the occasion into a week-long celebration. I promise to shut up about it next week. Maybe.) I thought I'd post five of the official race photos. And as a side note, a big YAY! to Marathon-Photos.com for allowing us to purchase all our race photos for one download fee of $49.95, rather than charging us a ridiculous $20 per photo!)  I don't recall seeing any photographers on the course, because if I had, I would have high-kneed and smiled and tried my best to look like a world-class athlete, a pose that really only has a life-span of the millisecond it takes to capture the frame. As it were, most of these shots show me in my natural running state: feet just barely off the ground (I wasn't walking - I swear!) with clenched fists and a pained facial expression that's clearly asking "Is it over yet??"

Please do enjoy.  And feel free to poke fun. I'm still too sore to kick your ass. :)

About the half-way point. Keeping my eyes focused on the ground so as to avoid tripping hazards. And cracks that will break your mother's back.

Somewhere in Wash Park (around 17 miles?). I'm not really holding an inhaler - it's just a snot rag for my perpetually runny nose.

Making my move at the finish.  No way I'm letting Beared Tank Top Guy, who's been drafting off me for the last 10 miles (see last photo), cross the tape first.

If it looks like I'm about to cry, it's because I am.  I'm just so overjoyed they caught BOTH of my feet off the ground in this photo!

The last few yards of the race. Love the whole "sunshine-on-my-shoulders" thing going on here. (And that red/pink blur just to the right of my elbow is actually my family cheering me on!)  If only that hairy elbow weren't ruining the shot.

This weekend, I'm planning to test the running waters again with an easy run. We've got a birthday party to attend, a front porch in need of Halloween decorations, and there's a November Jenni Bowlin kit calling my name.  See you on Monday!

The Marathon: Expectations vs. Reality

photo credit

Remember this post from back in January?  Where I sheepishly admitted (in a very small font) that I was, in fact, going to attempt to run a marathon this year? Well, on Sunday, at the Rock & Roll Marathon in Denver, that goal came to fruition. And I can think of no better way to celebrate than by obnoxiously using a very large font to exclaim: I RAN A MARATHON! I DID! I DID!

No one is more amazed at this accomplishment than me. It would seem logical that at some point between registering for the race and logging the countless miles in training, I would have imagined myself finishing. But honestly, before I took that last stride over the finish line, I had never let myself think about what it would be like to actually complete a marathon. But there I was at the end of 26.2 miles. And it was awesome. Euphoric. Overwhelming. Enough to make me forget aching feet and fatigued muscles and just focus on one thing:  I DID IT!

 
And now, two days later, the sore muscles have set in and I've had some time to think about the race. And while finishing wasn't an event I'd built up in my head, there were other aspects of the race I had certain expectations about. As you'll see, most of them were totally blown out of the water (or off the race course, as it were.)

Expectation:  A sore calf muscle had been plaguing me for the past two weeks. A constant, nagging pain with every step. I knew it would hurt during the race, but my main concern was how much? And would it hold up for 26 miles? I'd never experienced this type of pain while running before, and I had no idea how my body (or mind) would handle it.
Reality: In a last-ditch effort to help my with my calf pain, I tried KT Tape, which is designed to help a variety of muscular ailments. I applied the tape to my left calf as directed, seriously doubting that some stretchy material would ease my pain. But, hey, it was pink! And coordinated with my outfit! So why not try it?  And that calf muscle?  It was the one part of my body that did not give me a single moment of pain during the race. I kid you not. A few hours after finishing, the muscle was screaming, but then again, so were all the other muscles in my lower extremities.

Expectation:  I knew from my previous half-marathons that the miles never really "fly by."  And with this race being twice as long as anything I'd ever competed in, I knew I was in for a long haul. Some miles would be easier than others, but ticking them off was going to be slow process.
Reality:  I don't know how, but the first 10K did, literally, fly by.  When I saw the 10K marker on the course, I was shocked to look down at my Garmin and see 6.2 miles at a little more than 54 minutes into the race.  And I felt the same when we hit the half-marathon point - where were the miles going? We're already half way done! I knew this feeling wasn't going to last (and at about 19 miles, it was gone) but the fact that I felt that way for more than half the race was incredible. It restored my faith in my training and made me realize that - damn! Those training schedules do really work!

Expectation:  New music never fails to motivate me. I had loaded almost $30 worth of new iTunes onto my iPod in preparation for the race (and then forced myself not to listen to it until race day - I wanted the songs to be fresh!)  I also splurged on some new headphones - these buds from Skull Candy - because I knew I'd be relying heavily on the beat to get me through this race.
Reality:  I couldn't have lined up a more perfect playlist. I never arrange my songs - I just hit "shuffle" on the running mix and let the iPod play as it will. Not knowing which song is up next is part of the adventure. And on this day, the tunes I needed played just when I needed them: an easy striding Blue Rodeo song on the downhills, a bass-driven Britney beat on uphills.  And those new ear buds?  Like having a concert stage in my brain. I was able to tune out everything around me and focus on the beat in my head.  It was musical perfection.

Expectation:  The bands and crowds along the race course would motivate me to keep plugging along.  A variety of people and sights always helps to pass the time, giving you interesting and different things to look at along the way.
Reality:  I had no idea how the cheering and encouragement of perfect strangers would push me along when I needed it most. The high fives, the hand-written signs, the clanging cowbells - they all served as a pat on the back and the motivation I needed to keep putting one foot down in front of the other.  Some of my favorite signs included:
        26.2:  Because 26.3 would just be CRAZY!
        If it were easy, I'd be running with you!
        Y'ALL ARE FLIPPIN' INSANE!
        Toenails are for sissies!
        At 19 miles, you'll wonder why.  At 26.2, it all becomes clear.

And the sentiment on that last sign pretty much sums it all up. Yes, it takes a certain type of crazy to willingly sign up for a 26.2 mile race. If you could see me scaling the stairs in our house the last two days, you'd witness how hard it can be on your body.  But I've now seen why it's all worth it. Because something happens when you cross that finish line. The doubt gives way to relief.  The nerves are replaced with confidence. The pain is forgotten for the pride of the accomplishment.  In that moment, I felt strong and invincible.  And the words of Emil Zatopek rang true: "If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." 

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  • •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  • 

For the record, my offical time was 3:54:31, finishing 670th of 2894 overall, 170th of 1357 women finishers, and 24th of 216 in my age division. Thanks to everyone who emailed, tweeted, or phoned with their support and congrats - I can't tell you how much it means to me! I so appreciate all your positive thoughts and encouragement in helping me reach this goal.

 

Marathon Monday.

I know that I kind of slacked off on the Marathon Monday posting for awhile there (but seriously, there are only so many ways to creatively write I ran lots of miles and most of them sucked) but I'm back for one more entry before the big race day, which happens to be next Sunday, the 17th.  At 6:55 am, I'll be crossing the Rock & Roll Denver starting line (along with about 30,000 other people) and attempting to complete my first 26.2-miler.

I'm pretty confident in the training I've done. We ran a 22-miler a few weeks back in 3:20, which seems to indicate that I can complete the race in under four hours - but a nagging muscle soreness in my calf (specifically, my flexor digitorm longus) is the one thing making me nervous.  The last two weeks have been a taper in mileage, and I've been alternately resting, icing, and getting massages on the calf to help keep it in decent shape for the race. Looking forward to giving it (and myself) some well-earned time off after this race.

I'll be visiting the runner's expo this Friday to pick up my number and I have no doubt the nerves will officially set in at that point.  On my to-do list this week: download some new tunage for the ipod, make sure the Garmin and ipod are fully charged, wash my favorite (and lucky!) Nike running skirt, and stock up on a few race essentials: chocolate covered espresso beans, Bonk Breaker bars, and blue Gatorade.

I'm reminded of how far I've come since the beginning of this training, when I made a page to document this undertaking:

Going the Extra Mile | supplies: patterned paper, chipboard, rub-ons, brads (KI Memories) + pen (Staedtler) + font (Traveling Typewriter)

I adore those Sew Cute calendars - so perfect for documenting a sample of my workouts!  Here's hoping that I'll be working on a page celebrating this accomplishment soon.  And in the meantime, if you want to check out some more projects using the new Over the Rainbow collection from KI Memories, come participate in our Blog Hop this week.  Today's hostessess are Shannon Tidwell and Kelly Noel, and I have no doubt the eye candy will be plenty. Be sure to stop back by here on Thursday, when I'll be featuring a KI page as well.

Enjoy your Monday!