Gravity ...

Silly me ... not even lunch time yet I've had a fun and adventurous morning thus far. I almost missed my bike ride this AM b/c I was not capable of putting air in my tires. argh. I had bought a new pump Thursday night but obviously missed the course in how to actually use it! I swallowed my pride and went to the bike shop and used their air ... fortunately/unfortunately the shop owner was outside getting ready to lead a group of 30 advanced riders out ... he helped me and off I went.

The ride was meeting in the middle of Rock Creek Park at Peirce Mill and I had struggled in figuring out how to get there with minimal interaction with traffic and hills since I am a nervous nelly still with my clipless pedals. I started up 14th street and then determined the hill was too steep so rode over to 15th ... and then 16th. ultimately ended up going via Adams Morgan and it wasn't too bad. There was a group of about 25 of us newbies out there this AM and of course before we even took off I fell off my bike b/c i completely forgot my feet were clipped in!! oops ... what a way to make an impression. No major damage. On the way back I rode the Rock Creek trail all the way to P Street/24th ... but somehow couldn't maneuver a steep hill by Calvert Street and promptly tipped over, gashing my leg, knee and hands. Oops. When I got home I realized I had lost my bike computer so I don't even know how long i rode. At least 25 miles b/c that is what it registered when I last checked ...

Anyway, I made some homemade wholegrain blueberry pancakes and coffee and relaxed for a bit with the NY Times. Now I'm off to get a massage prepaid with my FSA account before meeting a friend for high tea. Why couldn't more days be as spectacular as today??

Spring in the air!

What a beautiful week ... the weather has finally turned and there is hope for some decent weather. VERY exciting. And I'm very proud of both my food prep for the week as well as workouts.

Monday- Swam 1.5 miles and actually feel that some of the technique is sinking in. I feel like I can breathe better, swim further, and be more efficient. What a thrilling feeling.

Tuesday- Run, run, run. Need I say more?

Wednesday- SIX miles total ... I timed myself running the reflecting pool twice (1.64 miles) and came in at 21.32. So I'm slow ... but I knew that. Some people can walk as fast as I run. BUT its a benchmark. I did this in the evening after work with Miss Lorey, and its so much more fun exercising with a friend than on your own. And although I get a huge charge out of working out in the Am b/c it keeps me honest the rest of the day and motivated to stay fit and healthy, there is something majestic about running on the mall while the sun sets behind the Lincoln Memorial. Quite beautiful. And I do believe we were the only two people there without a camera!! While I was doing my timed laps I gave tips to some of the photographers and even gave bunny ears to one photographer whose subjects smiled broadly. They were all thrilled with the unexpected, spontaneous result!

Thursday- today is my big achievment I believe ... I woke up a bit stiff from yesterday's run/walk and at 5:30 am its just not easy to get out in the dark ... so I skipped my spinning class but instead was at the NG gym at 6:10 am where I rode the bike with hills for 45 minutes and then lifted weights. I was a bit curious, though, as to why riding the bike with hills at a level 4 seemed SOOO difficult, yet in spinning class I push myself harder yet it seems easier? Conundrum ...

So now I'm at the office, and quite ready for the day. Couple of obstacles though- one of my friends brought me a triple-berry muffin from Caribou "just because" and another brought in homemade brownies. He said I should reward myself for the diligence I've been attacking my nutrition and workout. As of now, the muffin and brownies are still untouched ... I am endeavoring to keep it that way too ...

INTERESTING OR SCARY FACT- According to "Eat This, Not That" a Hardees biscuit has more calories and saturated fat than a Burger King whopper. Now, I don't eat Whoppers, but the thought that such a big, juicy hamburger has less than a biscuit has me rocked to the core. I might just have kicked my biscuit habit for good. They are just not more important than my feeling more fit and capable to go hang gliding, or zip lining, or whatever other activity that I would love to be able to do. And the lighter and fitter I am, the easier that will be ...

Que sera, sera

Yeah! Made it to spinning class this AM thanks to the magic of my $4 cab ride splurge. Almost did myself in though as I found myself still reading at 1:00 am one of the Goodwill books that I picked up last weekend. Oh well! I can always leave early (that means 5 pm) since I was in the office before 8 am, already ready for a full day. Did I mention it was D-Day here? Rumors abound, let's see what shakes out and if I'm still employed in eight hours.

Lorey's Before and After

Here you go! Miss Lorey has been a bit silent this week, so I thought if I put up a picture of her before and after I might hear from her! Hope you're doing well! (And yes, you can hear the jealousy in my voice as I think of you on your upcoming cruise!!)

Before and After

Good intentions are just that. INTENTIONS. So, despite going to bed early in preparation for today's morning run, I nonetheless missed it. The first trigger was when I woke up at 2:30 am, five hours after going to bed. Why? Because that's how long I am accustomed to sleeping. I finally made it back to sleep around 3:30 am but was then felled by two mechanical failures ... my blackberry, which has been on the fritz, went kaput sometime b/w 3:30 am and 7:00 am when I awoke to daylight ... ARGH. My backup alarm, a small radio positioned strategically in the bathroom, chose just last night to die as well. Will I run the 5 miles on my own today without the inspiration of the group? Probably not, although I will work in a long run.

There is a great level of nervousness on the workfront- they just cancelled a big meeting on Thursday that was to be division wide to discuss our business. Although put on our calendars two months ago, it hass been postponed while they work on "scheduling" ... and in the meantime the head of my division and my original boss are meeting with HR. This means layoffs from within my group of about 16 people. so, I have a 1/16 chance it could be me. Within my level (directors), I've brought in the least revenue. Scary. Each of us are running around sure that it is our name on the chopping block. If it is me, they would have to get confirmation from the other division (the one that pays 70% of my salary etc.) ... so, not really sure what my chances are, but its not looking good!!!

Other than that, having a lovely day. And I'm getting a "new" blackberry ... one that was turned in by someone already laid off.

So the photo above is an exercise I did on Prevention.com (you can link to it from Washington Post's Lean & Fit section). Shows me now and what I would look like at my goal weight. I threw in the Cherry Blossoms b/c by next year's bloom I will be that svelte, in shape athlete!!

Slip, sliding

Ooops. I was mildly pleased with myself for being on time and ready to go today for my swim at the Y. That happy feeling lasted only as long as it took for me to get stuck in the elevator with a panicky woman and the door halfway shut/halfway open on the pool level. Argh. We made it out and I went sputtering to my lane, apologizing for the tardiness.

And that was the least of my worries! We swam the equivalent of a mile before our coach decided to have us swim a 300, the same thing we did when we tested into the program. Only this time, fatigued after swimming for close to an hour, and with a hefty dosis of concentration I did the unfathomable- I was 20 seconds slower than I was a month ago! (This doesn't bode well for the biking or run distances). Seems that when I'm concentrating on keeping my head down, breathing every third pace, keeping long strides, ec. it turns into overload on my poor cells. I have promised to do better and get in two workouts before next Monday's swim.

Now I'm ready for bed, its not even 10 pm, bc I am majorly stressed about tomorrow's run. A FIVE MILE RUN. I'm not sure if I have ever run that far, definitely not under pressure. Since I wasn't working today and instead was visiting with my friend Katie (who I've known since high school) who was in town from Texas, I managed to walk another 4 miles in the gorgeous weather. I hadn't seen Katie in about five years- and since then she had a)become a pediatrician, b) married another pediatrician and c) gave birth to two adorable babie boys, Simon (18 months) and Ian (almost 3). Fun afternoon reminiscing. After the naptime we walked to Eastern Market and over to a house I've been looking at to buy ... that turns out to a)overlook a historical cemetery and is b) a bit on the fringe side of the hood. Shall I keep looking? Attempt to get a walk thru of the house? Not quite sure right now ... but I will let me feet and eyes rest, all to wish me luck tomorrow!!

$4

Why $4? That's the magic number I believe I will splurge every Thursday am as I strive to make it to the gym no later than 5:45 am for a 6:00 am spin class. Might not be so painful when the weather isn't bad, but for right now, wow is it painful. Couple that with the pitch darkness and its just extremely difficult to leave home. (And today I was specially glad to have spent the $4 so that I arrived almost on time as the leader of the Y-tri program was our guest spin instructor- AND he took attendance!)

Spin class wasn't so bad and the follow-up 45 minute stretch class was pure heaven, minus the scent which was quite awful actually! The sun was coming up behind the instructor, so that was nice. I do have to admit to being slightly embarassed to have skipped the ridiculous outdoor run, but oh well ... I'll make up for it!

And what's top of mind now? The same thing as always ... FOOD! Based on all the evaluations and feedback from yesterday, I tried again. Here's what I packed for today!

(Before workout bfast)
1 banana
1 vanilla yogurt

(After workout bfast)
1 Fiber One protein bar
1 cup black coffee w/1 sugar

(Lunch)
1 serving of rice and beans left over from last night
1 applesauce (no sugar added!)
1 apple
1 cup strawberries (leftover from last night)
1 perrier

(Afternoon snack)
1 Apple crisp
1 Fuji apple

Dinner is still up in the air, but I'm thinking of using the George Forman grill and the turkey burger I have. I could add a salad of baby spinach + peppers on the side. For dessert maybe a smoothie made out of strawberries, blueberries and plums. Can I blend a plum???

Update ...

OK, so to finish the day off I had rice and beans for dinner with some fresh cut strawberries for dessert.

What did I learn from today?

Lots of conflicting information and opinions about what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, etc. I believe I shall endeavor to follow the Betsplan as much as possible. Not quite sure how its defined, but it is loosely comprised of the following ideals:

1- NO diet coke or artificial sweeteners
2- Lots of H20
3- 2-3 fruit servings daily
4- 3-4 vegetable servings daily
5- Small amounts of healthy protein throughout the day
6- Maintain my blood sugar levels constant so I'm not inclined to snack or eat high fat/processed foods for a quick fix

And to make this really work there are a couple of guidelines I've been trying to stick to:

1- Be conscious of what I'm consuming by packing meals and snacks
2- Keep moving ... minimum amount of exercise by tri-program is guaranteed, but add in walks throughout the day when sleepy or bored ... both triggers for my famous nose for sniffing out chocolate ... or candy
3- Plan for distractions ... e.g. happy hours, travel ... don't elements of surprise like that yummy smelling spanikopita draw me in as the scent wafts by on a passing tray

So, let's see how this goes ... I'll get near a scale soon and have a monthly check-up for progress.

Good intentions

OK, I've been pretty pleased with my attempts to contain my eating and spending habits by packing a breakfast and lunch every day to eat at the office. Here's what it looks like:

Calories	Item consumed …
	2 Perriers
110	1 banana
110	1 Activia yogurt (from Costco- either vanilla, peach, strawberry)
72	1 mozz cheese stick
76	1 apple or plum
100	1 can of Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle soup
130	1 portion of pita chips
	(Alternate lunch is cut up peppers with hummus + baby spinach and cucumber salad)
140	1 Fiber One bar (only 140 calories- PLUS 9g of fiber)
39	1 Apple or Pear crisps
777	Total Calories

Not so bad, right? That's what I thought ... thinking that of course I would have wow- anywhere between 750 and 1000 calories to "spend" on dinner and/or an evening snack. My lunchmates, however, showed me the error of my ways by pointing out the following:

Activia yogurt- the 4 oz portions I purchased at Costco have 17g of sugar!!!
Fiber One bar- akin to a candy bar, albeit with less sugar than my yogurt at 10g
Apple Crisp- made in China, so scary to think of the chemicals ... uh oh!

And so we won't even discuss the dried blueberries I snack on either. Frustrating. Markus also explained to me that I shouldn't eat my Fiber One bar unless its immediately after a workout, this way my body will process the sugars as it replenishes glycogen levels instead of turning it into fat. I know I've learned all this before, but for some reason it seems to be making more sense to me now. Stay tuned. No group workout today so I'm beholden to drag myself to the gym on my own ... packed sneaks, downloaded a podrunner 55 minute track, and am ready to go!

Day 3 of no Diet Soda- and a headache that won't stop....

So Betsy convinced me to give up Diet Soda for Lent and I am in the throes of a two day headache. When will it ebb? I had a couple of iced teas today so I have had some caffeine and know that it is not just a caffeine headache. So is diet soda so addictive that it causes withdrawl all on its own? My body is experiencing physical pain because I am not ingesting artifical sweetners and unpronouncable chemicals? WTF? Another reason to give it up.....

Although I am reserving the right to have a FOUNTAIN Soda at the movies. Since I don't go to the movies much anymore it will be a rare occurence.

Now I am going to tackle more consistent workouts this week. The foot seems to be getting better.

Lorey