P90X Week 7

Yeah, this is exactly what I look like when
 I do the frog stretch, too, only I have a human
child on my back using me as a trampoline. 

Has it really already been 7 whole weeks since I started!?!? After week 4 I got a little lazy and only half did the next two weeks of workouts, but I'm happy to report that this week has been much different. If only it would stop getting COLD on cardio days then maybe I could actually get a decent run in. Yesterday I went only two miles, not because it was cold but because that was all I could muster. I guess it was just one of those days! Luckily it was just supposed to be an easy day, anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. I did about 10 minutes of stupid painful stretching afterwards while Jordan climbed all over me. Do you know what the frog stretch is? It is one of the most awkward positions to ever put yourself in and it HURTS like nobody's business, especially when you get really deep into the stretch and your 30 pound 2 year old decides to jump on top of you.

So I still don't look any different than day 1 which is very disappointing. However, I am now capable of doing FOUR UNASSISTED PULL-UPS now!!! I was so proud of myself and showed my husband who appropriately told me how proud he was of me! AND, I did 329 of Tony Horton's crunches the other day which is only 10 short of the full workout. Wowzas!!

Tonight's workout is legs and back, my favorite one!

Color Me Crazy 5K

This past weekend was the Color Me Crazy fun run and 5K in Ardmore. What a blast! My Aunt put a whole team together ("Run or Dye Trying", cool team name, right!?). I usually train for 5Ks but I didn't this time; I knew I would be pushing J in the stroller and wouldn't be able to go all out anyway.

We woke up Saturday morning half an hour late. I have no legitimate excuses--I just wanted to sleep. J apparently wasn't ready to wake up either and he was a cranky baby! We drove about an hour and arrived in plenty of time. In fact we ended up sitting in the car for half an hour so avoid standing in the cold! Jordan didn't want to keep his hood on over his ears (I had to pull it back up about 500 times) and I made him wear my gloves (which he also took off repeatedly).

In our race packets we found our white t-shirts (which were very colorful by the end!), sunglasses (to protect our eyes from the colored powder I assumed), some color pouches, bibs, etc. We started off in the very back. Literally, the VERY BACK of the pack. I ran most of the way with my sister who was pushing her son in the stroller also (although he's older than J and a lot heavier and harder to push!) and neither one of our kids really liked getting covered in the color! I poured some of our color into J's cup holder. He put his hand in it (covering my nice white gloves) and then tried to wipe it off--he didn't play in it anymore after that! He's a clean freak like his dad, I guess.

This is the first 5K I've done that I actually took the time to enjoy. Usually I cram my earphones in my head and ignore everyone around me. This time I just kinda strolled and laughed and talked and didn't listen to my iPod at all. With about a mile to go I kicked it up a notch and actually ran the rest of the way at a good pace, not because I really wanted to but because I knew it was about to start raining. It started coming down pretty good during the last quarter mile but we missed the worst of it. By that point Jordan was sick of being in his stroller and wanted to get out and play. I coaxed him into playing with the color a little more (he liked smearing it all over Mommy) and then we went to the car. We missed the big color cloud finale everyone did at the end but we watched from the sidelines (out of the rain!).

MY FIRST 5K: I SALUTE YOU

I ran to my car (pushing a screaming J) only to realize that I should have gotten my keys out before facing the rain. I couldn't find my keys. I stood in the parking lot (poor J was crying for me to hold him and his little hands and cheeks were so cold) tearing apart J's diaper bag. I was sure I had locked them in my car! Alas, I found my lonesome little car key in the stroller and got Jordan inside with the heater on. And then he cried because he was thirsty and of course all I had was a 32 ounce Dr Pepper I hadn't touched from the day before. So I let him have it. A 2 year with 32 ounces of fluids protected only by Styrofoam and a plastic lid. It took me about 10 minutes to get everything back into the car. When I put J in his carseat he was NOT happy--he wanted my DP and I wanted him to stop crying so I gave it to him. 5 minutes later he pours the entire thing on himself. He was drenched. The carseat was drenched. I changed his clothes, we stopped and ate, and then he slept the entire way home.

Jordan happy with his DP (before the big spill...)

So colorful!! 

Sisters! I didn't get a pic with my other sister :(

My hands afterwards (and I was wearing gloves!) I had to scrub my poor ring clean.
Notice how white my fingers are?? They were cold!

All our colorful gear :)

Jordan's little shoes 

He couldn't go without his bear, duh. Bear had fun, too. 

My white glove Jordan was wearing. The other glove is AWOL.

My pretty shirt :) 

Mr. Sleepy Man before we even left the parking lot to go home.
 (Notice the towel under him...)

When we got home he didn't want to do anything
but lay on the couch and watch Barney!

Week Four of P90X

I officially challenged myself to doing 12 weeks of my own P90X version almost four full weeks ago. How's it going?

I've done well! The first week hurt, as did the second, but by the third week I could feel myself getting stronger. I started adding more reps to every set and even commented to my husband that I need some heavier weights now. Go me! I'm still not able to do all of the Ab Ripper workout. The goals it to do 25 repetitions of each move. My first week... I could only do 12-15. Now I'm doing at least 21 on them all!

The cardio days have consisted of 2-4 miles each time depending on how much time I had before it got dark (or how badly it hurt to walk, ha!). Now seems like a good time to ask:

AM I THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS WORLD WHO LOVES SPRINGING FORWARD AN HOUR THIS TIME OF YEAR!?

Sure, we lose an hour of sleep one night, but we gain an hour of sunlight for many days to come! To me it's TOTALLY worth the trade-off. Now when I get home I'm not rushing around frantically trying to get out the door to go run before it gets dark! I don't have to worry about wearing my dorky flashing light on my shorts to signal people that, "Hey, there's a live human being on the road here, please don't hit me!" I love waking up in the morning and it still being pitch black outside--it makes me feel like I haven't missed the opportunity to get something done that day!

Anyway, back to week four...

So far I've noticed ZERO changes to how I look. I feel stronger, I run faster, I breath better... but I still see no definition to my abs (after considering how ruined my stomach was after pregnancy, I wonder, "Will I ever have abs again!!??). My legs aren't "smoothed out" like I'd like them to be, my calves are rather puny, and my arms still look like spaghetti noodles. BUT... I feel stronger and I'm pretty proud of myself anyway.

This week has been a sort of "rest week" for me. The first 3 weeks are one day weights, one day cardio, one day weights, one day cardio... but week four consists of no weight training, only cardio and lots of stretching.  Next week will be the beginning of new kinds of weight training--which means I should really look these moves up before it rolls around!

What's cool about P90X is that you can go online and print out the worksheets for free and then, if you know what the moves on the worksheets are, you can do them on your own without buying all of Tony Horton's DVDs. I think the DVDs are worth it if you're a beginner and need the guidance, but if you're an expert like me (HA!) all you really need is a worksheet and some good YouTube videos that show how the moves look. After you've done them a few times you remember what they are without having to look them up.

It makes me feel pretty awesome when my husband is working out and has to ask me what a "deep swimmer's press" or a "crouching Cohen curl" looks like! Mhmm, that's right. Pretty legit.

Bucket List

I've had this list in my head for quite some time, but I seem to keep adding to it and, without writing this stuff down, it's hopeless.

So, here is my fitness bucket list:

1. Run a 5k in under 24 minutes.

2. Complete a half marathon. Woohoo!! Route 66 Half Marathon, 2 hrs 16 minutes

3. Complete a half marathon in under 2 hours.

4. Complete a full marathon.

5. Run the Spartan Race. (more specifically: the Spartan Beast) Did it and lived! December 14th, 2013. 

6. Complete a fitness program. (Will P90X finally be the one???) I think I can cross this off since I've been going to the gym regularly for 6 months and have no intentions of quitting. Woohoo!

7. Rock a swimsuit without worrying about my body! My husband has already told me a hundred times, "You already look hot, what are you wanting to change??" But, just like any other girl out there, I have my own insecurities. Regardless of what anyone else thinks about me, I want to finally feel confident about my body!!!

8. Run a mile in under 6:56. To some that may not be very fast (to me it's flying, FYI), but it's my PR (from way back in HS!!) and I. Want. To. BEAT IT.

9. Stop counting (and stressing over) calories. I only count calories now when my pants start getting tight! lol But mostly I just try to eat better and I don't worry about the calories. Best feeling ever. 

10. Run a race with all my sisters.

11. Run a 10k in under an hour.

Whew, I think that's enough for now...

The Moves that Hurt the Most[est]

It's been over a week since I started my P90X goal! I've stuck to it almost perfectly and I feel truly accomplished every time I check a little box saying I've completed that day's workout. It hasn't gotten boring yet--but it sure does HURT a lot.

No no, not that kind of pull-up... 

Some moves hurt more than others:

1. Pull-ups. Wide front pull-ups, closed grip overhand pull-ups... They hurt, they're hard, and I can't do very many. I use a chair for some assistance, I'm such a cheater! I can do about 2 or 3 without help, but then I'm done. I mean like for the day, done. So the chair will stay.

The dreaded dive-bombers... ouch. 

2. Dive-bomber push-ups. I'm a girl and so I cheat and do all push-ups from my knees, but this particular kind you have to just suck it up. Oh boy, are these ever hard. The first day I did them I could only do half of one by the time I was finished!!

3. Groucho walk. I can handle squats and lunges and even wall squats, but I HATE the groucho walk. It BURNS, friends.

4. Abs. Pretty much everything Tony Horton tells you to do as far as your abdominals go is going to hurt... for days. It's been a week and I'm still sore. And those exercises don't just hurt your stomach but your legs too! Didn't see that one coming, did you? Seated and Reverse bicycles are probably my least favorite (or most loathed?) because by the time I'm finished with them my legs are on fire. Yeah, my legs. The target is to do 25 repetitions of each exercise and I'm still just trying to get to 20!

You know what doesn't hurt? Running... unless it's the day after you've done "legs and back" and then it hurts pretty fierce. However, with all this STUPID Oklahoma weather we're having, it makes going for a run quite a pain.

A P90X Goal (Minus Tony Horton)

This goal will last 12 weeks and should leave me with a rockin' summer body.

I mentioned in a previous post (or did I?) that I needed to start doing P90X again but I hadn't started because I lost my DVDs. Sad day! I can do them on my own but that means no Tony Horton in my ear saying, "This is the mother of all workouts," which secretly makes me giggle because it seems like he says it during every single workout! So I've made my schedule and have my worksheets all printed out and pretty in their own folder and everything. I've already started doing a few workouts this week just to get my body used to it, but my "goal" doesn't actually start until Saturday (which will leave me with Fridays off, woohoo!).

Here's a snapshot of what my schedule looks like:

If you're familiar with the regular P90X program you'll notice that this is quite altered. There are no days for core synergistics, plyometrics, Kenpo, or Yoga. Why? Because I hate them! But, since those are mostly set aside for cardio workouts, I'd rather just leave those days open for whatever kind of cardio I want to do that day (which, as we all know, will mostly be running!). I've attempted the program several times already in the past. After about the 3rd week, it becomes so. very. monotonous. I'm hoping that by giving myself some choice in what kind of cardio I'm doing each week I won't get as bored with the program. And as far as doing Yoga goes, I'll be 100% honest, I HATE it. I know, I know, I should do it anyway. It's good for me and helps with muscles and flexibility and blah blah blah I HATE IT. So on days the program originally called for Yoga... I replaced it with "light cardio, stretching." That sounds way more appealing to me! (Or should I say way less painful?)

My biggest worry (which is always a concern) is whether or not I can actually stick to it. My half marathon training lasted 9 weeks and there were days when I just couldn't do what was on the schedule, and that was only doing it 4 days a week. This, on the other hand, is 6 days a week. Much of what I'll be doing, however  can be done inside so it won't matter if it's raining or snowing or is hot or cold, I won't be able to use those excuses. And besides... I really love lifting and doing squats, lunges, etc!

One thing that might hinder me: my son. He likes me to hold him. A LOT. The other day I was doing side-to-side lunges. I'd lunge to the right, he would follow to that side and cry, "Mammmmma...." and then I'd lunge to the left and he would follow and cry, "Hoooooooollldd meeeeee..." Right, left, right left... I tried to get him to do it too. He did for a second and thought it was funny, but then he went right back to crying for me to hold him!

He likes to sit on me anytime I do anything on the floor. Crunches, sit-ups, stretches... he's right there on top of me. See what I mean?

So there you have it, my next BIG GOAL. I will try to update weekly (if I can actually stick with it, that is!) on how things are going. I will take before, during, and after pictures and will post them at the end if they're worthy enough!

Maybe my husband will get in on this challenge too... ;-)

The Dentist

What does the dentist have to do with running? Well I figure running keeps my body healthy and going to the dentist keeps my teeth healthy, right?

Since I was a little girl I've always hated anyone touching my teeth. My dad used to pull my sisters' teeth out when they got loose enough but when it came to me... all it took was one TERRIBLE incident and they took me to the dentist from then on.

I don't like dentists, either. Not that they're mean malicious people or anything, but the things they do to my mouth are unforgivable. My dentist is actually a very nice man who smiles a lot and says things like, "You're doing great!" And I know it's not his fault that I have 17 layers of coffee stains and a billion cavities, but I still can't bring myself to pretend like I'm glad to see him. Maybe if I bumped into him at Walmart I'd be friendly and make conversation, but when I'm sitting in that chair leaned all the way back listening to the "bzzzzzzzzz" of the drill he's using on my sensitive teeth, I just can't bring myself to enjoy his company.

So it really may be no surprise to anyone that I've avoided going to the dentist for three years. I blamed it on "insurance" but, let's be honest, I just really hate going. There has never been a time in my life when I went to the dentist and didn't have any cavities. Then last year I had no choice but to go--my tooth was causing me some excruciating pain and I ended up having a root canal. It was a sad day!

Well I finally took out some dental insurance because I knew if I didn't go soon they were going to have to give me dentures before I'm 30. So I went at 8:00 this morning. It took them an hour and a half to clean my teeth. She kept saying, "I know it hurts but your teeth are just so stained... Do you drink coffee?" Like I was going to be able to answer with her hand in my mouth, but she understood what my opened mouth "Uhhhhuuuhhh" meant: Yes, I do drink coffee and I have no intentions of ever stopping, thank you very much.

The entire time she was in my mouth digging and banging and scrubbing and scraping into my teeth, I kept wondering if it was really worth it. So what if my teeth do fall out? I love mashed potatoes and chicken noodle soup. But when she was all done she smiled really big and said, "You're going to see a major difference in the color of your teeth!" and then handed me a mirror. Holy mackerel  my teeth were actually almost white! It was a miracle! I mean yes, it's a couple of hours since I left and my teeth and gums still hurt (from a simple cleaning, remember), but I guess maybe it is worth it after all.

So what's next? Well, I have eleven cavities (I'm embarrassed to admit, but it is the truth after all) and I need 4 crowns on teeth that are just about to fall apart. She said it may take a few years to get all the work done that I need BUT (and this is the thing I was actually excited about) I don't have to have a deep cleaning done! Woohoo! As badly as a surface- no-shots-or-laughing-gas-required cleaning hurt, I can't imagine how painful a deep cleaning would be! Sadly for my husband, he had to have one. Today. They've done half his mouth and said they'll do the other half another time. Poor guy. But, he doesn't have nearly as many cavities as me so I guess we're even, right?

All I have to say is: Our poor children don't stand a chance.

Please Don't Take My Legs

Last night I worked late and didn't get home until after 6:00. I didn't want to run or workout or do anything, but since my weekend consisted of zero workouts and about 8,000 calories, I decided I needed to buck up.

I couldn't believe how muggy and warm and humid it was outside! For the first time since last fall I started to sweat, and that was before I even started! Nonetheless, my run still felt great. It was such an awesome feeling to get out there and do something good for me. After I finished running I sat on my front porch and started to cry, not because I was in pain or because I had sweat in my eyes, but because I experienced a rush of gratitude for my healthy body. And then I prayed, "Please don't take my legs..."

Where did that come from? I haven't watched any sad movies lately about losing limbs or anything, but I do know someone (who I met just recently) younger than me who has a plethora of health issues. She has such a vibrant personality and is such a hard worker; you'd never know she's sick just by looking at her and yet, she is. I was talking to her the other day about how she used to do gymnastics and was extremely active, but when she started getting sick there was little she could do anymore. That just breaks my heart! And there I was, totally capable of working out and doing the things I love, taking it all for granted.

I have legs that allow me to run, arms that allow me to swing my kids in the air, lungs that fill with clean air, and a body free of disease! These are just a few of the reasons I should be getting out there to run, leaving me void of excuses like, "I don't wanna."

Have you been taking your health and your healthy body for granted like I have? Just remember: Some day we'll be old and won't be able to do the things we love and we'll look back and wish we'd taken better care of our bodies!

Picture credit here.

Weight Training?

I need a new goal to work on! I'm still running off and on. It's nice just being able to go whenever I want, however long I want, and not worrying about sticking to a schedule.

I've started implementing some weight training in with my cardio. My husband really wants me to play co-ed softball again this summer. Last year I hated it because I was so weak I could barely hit the ball! So if I'm going to be coerced into playing again I need to be able to hit the ball further than the pitcher's mound.

What kind of weight training am I doing? Very minimal stuff that doesn't require much weights. So would it be weightless-weight training? Hmmm... Lunges, jump squats, tricep dips, Russian twists (my favorite), superman... that kind of stuff.

I used to do P90X. Yeah, I spent like $200 for the set and now I can't even find it. One time I committed to the program for and entire 8 weeks! This was before I got pregnant with J and WAY BEFORE I started running and paying attention to the foods I was consuming. I took before pics and then some progress pics at the 8 week mark. I looked exactly the same. No muscle tone, no change in the muffin top, no nothing. Was it all Tony Horton's fault? Well of course that was my first conclusion. But, to be fair, he did say something about eating healthier, too. Well that's stupid!

So I quit working out and decided I'd just be chubby. Then I got pregnant and BAM, "chubby" took on a whole new meaning. That's when I started using MyFitnessPal. I could not believe how many calories I had been consuming on a daily basis. OUCH.

So now here I am, still eating a lot of crap but being much smarter about it. And I think, "I bet if I gave Tony Horton another chance, he could whip me into shape," but I can't find the stinkin' DVDs. Which means I need to print out the worksheets and just do this stuff on my own. By the way, you can find those here.

So basically over the next few weeks I'm going to wing it and just do whatever workouts I want with a little bit of running here and there. No big races to train for until the Warrior Dash which comes to Oklahoma again in May!

Where Have I Been?

Well folks I'll be completely honest: I have NOT been running since my half! I've drank a lot of Dr Pepper, eaten a lot of holiday cookies, and, let's be honest here, I've loved every minute of it. Don't get me wrong, I love to run, I really do. But after several months of doing it out of obligation it has been nice to sit back and only run whenever I felt like it (which has been twice in the last month, FYI).

I really do need to get back into it though. It's always that first initial run after a long dry streak that is the hardest. Partly because I dread how much it's going to suck, and partly because I forget how much I actually enjoy it. I'll admit, it's really hard to get into the groove this time of year! It's cold outside and ridiculously dark by the time I get home every day. And with the recent events here in my hometown I don't really feel comfortable (or safe) going by myself to the park for a run anymore. :(

BUT... Christmas break starts in TWO DAYS! The upside to that is I'll have two full weeks without any work! The downside is that I still won't get much time for running because I'll have the kids all day. Again though, with the recent shooting in Connecticut I'd rather spend every second with my kids anyway.

I guess over the next few weeks I'll just be wingin' it, running-wise.