Damn, Damn, and Damn

I wanted to run tonight.  My batteries were low on the treadmill so I decided to do my P90X before I ran.  I put the batteries in the charger.  It was X Stretch tonight and it felt so good to do I stuck with the whole DVD and wore myself out.  Later, with fresh batteries in the treadmill, I found something to watch on the computer and settled in to a nice 3.6/3.8 mph pace.  I died after 12 minutes.  I didn't even get to breaking a sweat.  Was it the stretch video or the four miles I ran yesterday?  I don't know, I just know I can't run, so I'll forgive myself and record the one run I did early this morning.

Time: 27 minutes
Interval: 2
Distance: 1.4 miles
Calories: 182
Average Speed: 3.11

IDK . . . Was this a good night?

I did some online research today to try to find a different 10K race and may do one in North Miami in January at Oleta River State Park it's part of the DOWN2EARTH groups of runs.  It's a 10K on trails.  Should be fun.  There doesn't appear to be a time limit like the 7 Mile Bridge Run, but it did say runners needed to be able to "run" the 10K.  I suppose that means I need to not hinder the progress of other runners.

It was a good night for P90X and a good night for running, but not such a good night for eating.  My husband brought home fresh pizza as a leftover from an event he attended.  It really seemed to hit the spot because I at four pieces at 300 calories a piece, that's pretty much my entire day's calories in in one sitting, not to mention I'd already eaten 1,000 calories during the day.  I did a little extra P90X, but I was just too worn out to run any more.

Run I
Time: 26
Interval: 2
Distance: ?
Avg. Speed: ?
Calories: ?

Run II
Time: 60 minutes
Interval: non
Distance: 3.7
Speed: 3.7
Calories: 483
P90X: ALL Ab Ripper X!!
Yoga X: 30 minutes
Kenpo X: 15 minutes

Two exercises on Ab Ripper  I did slight modifications--mason twist and another one I don't understand what he's doing so I turned off the CD and made it into two different exercises.  One the mason twist if I pick up my feet I can't touch the ground, so I left my feet down and did 40 reps.

Kenpo X is so fun.  I wish I had a bag to punch.  I will also be shopping for a few yoga blocks.  I really like P90X and can see it helping my running.  If you can't do it, start like I did.  One minute for one week, two minutes on week two.  Before you know it, you will be adding more than a minute a week and wanting to do more.  The change ups in the workouts really helps with boredom!

I need to change the batteries on my treadmill.

Two Runs

I did two runs today.  Felt a little weak, so I held on quite a bit, but stuck it out to the goal time and distance.

Run I
Time: 60
Interval:4
Distance:3.33
Calories:433
Avg Speed: 3.33

I held on a intermittently after 36 minutes.

Run II
Time: 45
Interval: 3
Distance: 2.49
Calories: 326
Avg Speed: 3.32

Kind of a ho hum day for running, but one thing I notice is that I am consistently running faster than three miles per hour.

P90X
Yoga X: 14
Ab Ripper X: 14
Legs & Back: 14

Logging in Some Motivation

It had been about a week since I logged my workouts.  Between the job hunt, studying for my certs, and some other personal crap I've been dealing with I'm really on the skids.  Sitting down and writing down all the work I did last week really helped me see that even though I may not be fast enough and tough enough to run the seven mile bridge when it comes time, it can still be my goal.  So I will relax today and do some running after while and try to tap into the energy I was feeling at the beginning of the month.  My goal for the last of September is the elusive four 15 minute miles.  That may not seem like much to anyone but me, but I have to remember when I started this venture several years ago, I could barely jog for five minutes and I weighed almost 220 pounds.  I'd been kind of fat my entire life from childhood to adulthood.  Thought I was doomed to feeling gross and huge.  Now I look forward to the day I am back down to 168 and lower.

I'm looking for that magic combination of speed and stamina and one day I will find it.  I didn't do a lot of P90X last week, but I'm not going to let that talk me in to skipping new goals.  I enjoy the Yoga X so much I'm going to do that every day for a while.  I will also be adding a minute to my regular discs and a minute to Ab Ripper X.

13 minutes Yoga X
13 minutes daily disc
14 minutes on Ab Ripper X

Pretty good considering I started with two minutes and couldn't even do the warm up for two minutes!  I was peeing in my pants and holding my boobs.  My feet ached and I wanted to throw up.

I got my resistance band in the mail on Friday, so I will be instituting the pull-up challenge into my daily workout.  Shout out to Rogue Fitness for having the best reviews and best resistance band--ever!  These are like the one in the gym I couldn't afford to go to.  I questioned the choice of 1 3/4" because I was still so weak.  At 174 pounds and unable to do a single pull up, I wanted the next width.  However, I went with what was suggested.  I still can't do a complete pull up, (I can bring my forehead to the bar from a dead hang) but the challenge is there to do that one perfect pull up and then go from there.

Well.  Today should have been the start of this week, but as bummed as I was I decided to give myself a break.  I didn't overeat like I would have done in the past on a day like today.  Tomorrow starts the big push for the last week of September.

Only One Run Today

I probably shouldnt' call these "runs" as I do an awful lot of walking and my average is not much more than a brisk walk.  Oh well.

Time: 43
Interval: 3
Distance: 2.45
Calories: 394
Avg Speed: 3.42
P90X: #4 12 min and AB Ripper X 13 minutes

I am noticing a lot of progress on the P90X in general.  Seems like that plan is the one thing that is working out better.

Three More Runs

Just trying to push through this blah feeling I've had.  Gonna keep on tryin' and keep on postin'.

Run I
Time: 32
Interval: 2
Distance: 1.88
Calories: 245
Avg Speed: 3.52 (New September Record!)

Run II
Time: 54
Interval: 4
Distance: 2.9
Calories: 394
Avg Speed: 3.2

Run III
Time: 43
Interval: Experimental 15 minute sets 1 - 15 for 15 minutes
Distance: 2.5
Calories: 325
Avg Speed: 3.48

Three Runs

Just trying to stick to some kind of plan and show some progress.  Getting discouraged again.

Run I
Time: 30 min
Interval: 2
Distance: 1.7 miles
Calories: 227
Avg Speed: 3.4

Run II
Time: 53 min
Interval: 4
Distance: 2.84
Calories: 369
Avg Speed: 3.2

Run III
Time: 42 min
Interval: 3
Distance: 2.29
Calories: 299
Avg Speed: 3.27

Two Good Runs

Moved P90X time up to 12 minutes on workout and 13 on Ab Ripper X.  Totally feeling it.  My legs feel like jelly.

Run I
Time: 52
Interval: 4
Distance: 2.75
Calories:358
Speed: 3.17

Run II
Time: 39
Interval: 3
Distance: 2.08
Calories: 270
Speed: 3.2

Total
Time: 91
Interval: 3.5
Distance: 4.83
Calories: 628
Speed: 3.18

Disc #3 P90X

2727 Calories! Holy Smokes!

What a crazy day.  I ate out for lunch and dinner today  I couldn't seem to exercise enough to get rid of what I ate.  I did three rounds on 8, 7, & 6 minute intervals and barely chipped a hole in the calories I ate:

Run I
Interval: 8
Time: 70
Distance: 2.9
Calories: 377
Average Speed: 2.48 

Run II
Interval: 7
Time: 70
Distance: 3.12
Calories: 406
Average Speed: 2.67

Run III
Interval: 6
Time: 70
Distance: 3.35
Calories: 436
Average Speed:2.87

P90X Disc #1: 9 min
Ab Ripper: 10
Calories: 88

Totals:
Time: 210 minutes
Distance: 9.37 mile
Calories:  842
Average Speed:  2.67

1797 calories left over for the day.  Still an amazing 500 calories over for the day.  This is a prime example why some people can't lose weight.  Even if that was only 250 calories, say in a scenario that a person eats out every night, but still manages to do 9 miles in a day, that's a weight gain of something like two pounds a month.  The exact opposite of what I'm trying to do!  I really would like to lose 50 pounds before the Seven Mile Bridge Run in April.  I need to lose seven pounds a month from this point forward.  2800 calorie days are not the answer.

Taking A Chance

I decided to jump in and take a few chances.  Cut my running time down to 60 minutes and shorten my intervals to four minutes.  I didn't make the calorie burn I needed to make, so I returned a little later and did a short run just to make up the calorie and distance goal for the night.

Run I
Time: 48 minutes
Distance: 2.31
Calories: 300
P90X Disc: #11 9 minutes
Ab Ripper X: 10 minutes

Run II
Time: 22 minutes
Distance: 1.2
Calories: 156

Totals:
Time: 70 minutes
Distance: 3.51
Calories: 456

Average speed: 3 mph

3 mph is not was I was looking for in speed.  The problem is going back and starting over.  Doing the warm up and working back up to the jog/run needed to complete the goal distance/time.  Oh well.

SMASHED IT!

Wow, what a good night for exercise. My mind was clear.  No negative self-talk, just me and the run.  Increased my P90X time to nine minutes tonight.

Interval: 5 minute
Time: 60
Distance: 3.16
Calories: 412
P90X: Disc #10 9 minutes
AbRipperX: 10+ minutes

Not sure how long I went on the AbRipper.  It was at least 10 minutes.  I probably could have gone longer, but I didn't want to ruin my muscles for tomorrow's workout.  I'll try ten minutes again.  Who knows?

Still haven't begun to touch maintaining the speed I need to begin chipping away at the Seven Mile Bridge goal.  So-o-o-o frustrating.

Day Five: Let Me Hear Your Body Talk

I did a little research on the sudden sugar cravings I've been having lately.  I think I've been misinterpreting the "sugar" my body is asking for.  Apparently it's a good thing for our bodies to crave various things.  It's the way it communicates its needs to us.  In this case, I need to eat more sugar, but not the kind of sugar I've been translating it to mean.  I have to reason my body would not be craving something it can't use.  i.e. simple carbs that just burn up in an instant and leave me feeling crappy the rest of the day.

I couldn't do it today because I'm broke until tomorrow, but I'm going to pick up some fruits, nuts, and raw veggies.  When my body starts craving fats, I'll eat nuts.  When it craves sweets, I'll eat fruit.  When it craves energy, I'll eat lean meat and make sure I'm drinking plenty of water.  The point is my body needs healthy fuel.  When those "knocks and pings" come along it doesn't mean to put in more crappy fuel.

Today's workout was just the usual:

Time: 45 minutes
Distance: 1.56 miles
Calories: 203
Disc: 7 minutes -- #8 and Ab Ripper X

Probably going to stick to walking through until at least Saturday.  I'll see how my foot feels Saturday morning.

Day Four: I Need To Ask You Something

Since I've cut my "running" time so short, I've been trying to get on the treadmill first thing in the morning and so far it's been nice to get it out of the way before the day begins.  This is my third day returning to a calorie counting regime.  I forgot how rewarding it was to record my activities and foods I eat (and didn't eat) for the day.  I'm sure I recommended this site in the past, but I am reposting the link to Calorie Count.  There was no amount of exercise that compares to the success I had the year I dedicated to watching every thing that went into my mouth.  I am 50 lbs down from about four years ago, but half of it came off in the last year.

My phone(s) rang today.  I knew it was someone I really didn't want to talk to, so I didn't answer.  There was  a message on my home phone and cell phone.  Why not just ask me what you want instead of telling me you have a question?  Maybe that's the way it's done.  I don't know, but I hate to get a message that says, "Call me, I need to ask you something."

I did everything I was supposed to do today and was done by 9:30:

Time: 20
Distance: .59
Calories: 77
Disc: #7

Day Three: Foot Feeling a Little Better

My foot has improved dramatically from what I had over the weekend.  Still managed to do seven minutes each P90X and Ab Ripper X and a short 15 minute walk.  Returning to counting calories has helped a lot.  I need to figure out a way to save some calories for a snack before I go to bed and figure out some under 100 calorie snacks I can enjoy.  Perhaps a trip to the grocery store for something I can divide up into 100 calorie portions would do the trick.

Distance: .37 miles
Time: 15 minutes
Calories: 50
Disc: #6

Today, the Seven Mile Bridge Run is far from my mind with newly recovered knees and a bad foot.  Need to stay with rest the foot for a few more days.  Maybe Sunday I can do a little jogging.

New Month New Goals New Strategies

I wanted to increase my challenge and progress with P90X this month, so I am going to try to add two minutes a week instead of the initial one minute a week I did last month.  Tonight was the first night to do seven  minutes.  I really felt it in the Ab Ripper X.  At seven minutes, disc 5 is still in the warm-up.  Still resting my foot.

Distance: .24
Time: 10
Calories: 32
Disc #5: 7 min
Ab Ripper X: 7 min

On a side note, I returned to Calorie Count and realized my food consumption has begun to creep up which definitely explains the plateau in weight I've been on the last three or four months.  I'm going to try to stick to it pretty close for the next three months and see if I can't lose for good those eight pounds that have been haunting my since April.

Slowing Down

My left foot is giving me troubles again.  I'm pretty sure it's Morton's Neuroma.  I remember the day my feet began to bother me.  We'd done a show.  It must have been fall or winter because I was wearing a pair of my favorite lace up high heels.  We were walking to the restaurant to eat afterward and I remember feeling pain in the area between my heels and arches.  That turned out to be what I think was Plantar Fascitis.  It too returns periodically, but not as bad as that first time.  It was painful to get out of bed.

So here is what I think is Morton's Neuroma.  Pain, tingling, numbness in the third and fourth toes of my left foot and a feeling of pressure discomfort between the metatarsal bones.  There's a nerve that runs between them on their way out to the toes.  I'm pretty flat footed, so that adds an additional propensity.  I massaged and massaged the area today.  I did a very short walk and then did some ice and heat combination.  No P90X since Thursday.  I did not do any exercise yesterday or this morning other than walking from here to there kind of thing.  Hopefully that will help it.  It is very uncomfortable right now.

Distance: .11
Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 15

Might as well have been a rest day.  I wanted to do something with the new month and feeling of starting fresh.  I'm not sure why in two months I was unable to conquer the six minute interval workout.  Thinking I might need a new strategy.  I want to start five minutes intervals and give my foot time to heal.  I am going to do some short walks starting a five minute interval workout this week and see if some of the inflammation goes down.

Plateaus and Platitudes II: Breaking Down Barriers

I ran the second time tonight and forgot to write it down.  Never ran the third time and totally blew off P90X.

Run I
Interval: 9 min
Distance: 3.88
Time: 90 min
Calories: 504

Run II
Interval : 8 min
Distance: ?
Time: 90 min
Calories: ?

Plateaus and Platitudes

My weight has hovered around 168 - 173 for five months.  Worse, I haven't really progressed in distance and time for two months.  August is over on Saturday and I still have not conquered the six minute interval.  I want this.  I've got to bust through this.  Yesterday I ended up doing three rounds.  I will do it again today.  I want to run that bridge and I don't want to do it like some old lady.  I want to do it like a runner a true runner.  Here are my stats for today.  It was supposed to be 12, 11, 10.  I got mixed up and did the 10 minute interval after lunch:

Run I
Intervals: 12 min
Distance: 3.41 miles
Time: 90 min
Calories: 443

Run II
Intervals: 10 min
Distance: 3.73 miles
Time: 90 min
Calories: 485 

Run III
Intervals: 11 min
Distance: 3.56
Time: 90 min
Calories: 463

P90X and Ab Ripper X: Disc #4 Yoga X 5 -- minutes

I still have a P90X workout to make up for.  I may do that on Sunday.

Up In Flames II -- Up and Able to Take Nourishment

I'm awake and feel hung over--bad hung over.  I tried to go back to sleep for a little while.  Eight o'clock is the best I could do.  I was in bed for 11 hours.  I feel like I've been sick for days.  I'm going to eat a sensible breakfast, wait and hour and try to get some exercise.  I thought about it for a moment and even though I have a headache I'm going to try to run.  I figured I could run this morning, work on my Spanish and A+, do my P90X stuff after lunch and then do today's run late tonight.  This morning's run isn't going to be a record breaker, it's going to be more about burning calories and disciplining myself for yesterday.

Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting

Today I went to the website I joined when I bought the P90X program November 2011--just short of two years ago.  Seeing I'd lost 30+ pounds since then made me happy.  I'd also forgotten how frustrating the website was to use.  I tried to figure out how to say this without it looking like more (or less) than it was.  I've gone down about four inches in most of the major areas of my body.  Four inches from my waist, four inches from my chest and several inches from each of my thighs.  I am the most proud of the loss from my arms and thighs.  I'd sure like to tackle that waist measurement.

I have a party to go to on Saturday.  I've been upping my runs and workouts just a little bit to try to lose a little bit more Saturday.  I know that's not the idea.  The idea is to adopt a lifestyle of health and fitness, not binging exercising for a big party the coming weekend.  It sure would be nice to drop five pounds between this past Monday on this weekend.  Not gonna happen.  Anyway.  I did five minutes intervals and didn't make it much further than the last time I crammed my workout.  I just want to run faster and further.  Isn't that what we're all looking for?  Here are my stats:

Time:  70 min
Distance: 3.69
Calories: 480

P90X and Ab Ripper X: disc #2 5 minutes
Calories: 50

Supplemental

Time: 17 min
Distance: 1.01
Calories: 131

I found a website that calculates the calories (assuming it's average) burned doing the various P90X workouts:

P90X Calorie Counter

I don't know how legit it is, cause it sure feels like I'm burning more than 50 calories in five minutes. *wink, wink*.