It's Week 5!

Holy crap! It's the beginning of week 5 of marathon training! Time flies, it's amazing how fast it goes! But so far I've done really great with my training, I'm getting my runs in, cross training, and my diet hasn't been horrible! After 4 weeks of training I'm down 3.6lbs for the month, and for me that's fantastic because I lose weight really slowly, and so far it's on pace for how much I hope to lose by the end of training.

Figuring out rest days has been the hardest of all. My training plan calls for 4 runs a week, my sister and I take spin class every Friday together, and then I try to fit cross training in there like kickboxing. So far I've been exercising 6 days a week, so my slow weight loss has been discouraging, but I've been feeling pretty amazing, so I'm trying not to let it get to me! 

I also found a kickboxing class I really love near my neighborhood through ClassPass! They use real heavy bags, and you get a full body workout from class! One half of the class is combos on the bag with high intensity intervals, and the other half is strength training, which is where I feel the weakest. It gets a little discouraging, because I suck at push ups, burpees, and most ab exercises, but I'm trying my best and hopefully I'll see some improvement soon! My favorite is punching the bag of course! It feels so good to let out the frustration and just exert all the negative energy into the workout and come out so much better at the end! 

Week 5 & 6 are busy!!! This week is gonna be a challenge to fit all my runs in but I'm gonna try and do morning runs if I have to. So far I have class at Crunch tonight, running tomorrow, probably AM runs on Wednesday and Thursday since I have a going away dinner, and a workout at New Balance Girls Night Out, then spin class Friday with my sister, and Team Championships Saturday morning with my team, and my long run! Yea, that kinda busy! I'm not even going into next week, but it's very similar, and that's just what comes with marathon training!!  But as long as I'm enjoying it, it will be all worth it come November 1st!! 

My Ride or Die

Marathon training is in full swing, meaning sometimes I'm too busy to even remember everything I need to accomplish around training! I'm getting all my runs in, but so far I feel more hectic than last year. Last year my runs were consistently on Tues, Wed, Thurs, & Saturday's, but I'm on week three and I've done runs on Sunday and Monday, miles in the morning, or rearranged my runs around the classes I've taken! I'm hoping August will be more like last year, this month of July has been hectic so far, but I'm hanging in there, and just staying focused on my goal of getting to the finish line healthy and strong this year! 

The newest change to my training has been my fiancé! This past weekend we went to Sports Authority and he purchased a hybrid bike! When I first met him he used to have a bike and he rode everywhere, to work, to the city, it was his only mode of transportation, he hardly used the subway. But when his bike got damaged a few years ago we never replaced it, and for him it made him out of shape. So buying this bike was something he wanted for so long and I was so happy because I've wanted him to get a new one for so long also because I know he loved it so much. 

The best part was once we got the bike we left the store and we decided I'd do my long run, and he'd ride with me! It was great having him there to push me along the way, and it was nice to finally feel like we were doing something active that we both enjoyed together! 

The next day when he got home from work, which was supposed to be a rest day, he asked me to put my running gear on and run, while he came along with me. I wasn't expecting it but it worked out and we had fun, laughing, talking, and exploring our neighborhood. 

It's nice to have him there, he has water with him, so I'm able to test my hydration, and he looks out for my safety, which I secretly find sexy, but don't tell him that! Like yesterday he came out with me on my run, and he rode ahead of me for awhile, and when I finally caught up to him I noticed him waiting for me on the side, where a group of guys were causing ruckus, and he waited til I ran past them to follow me again, it was sweet! I know he was just being protective but it felt nice to have him be there for me. 

Overall this week has been a success, I've tracked all my food, my guy is getting active, did all my training runs, and I'm set up for a pretty awesome weekend! I have spin class Friday night with my sister, followed by my long run Saturday and a kickboxing class I'm going to try also, and I'm supposed to be volunteering at this years NYC Triathalon on Sunday too! Can't complain, life is good! 

Sometimes all you need are drumsticks!

On Monday after work I took a class at Crunch Fitness thanks to the awesome ClassPass! The class was called "Pound", and it's a low impact aerobic class that uses drumsticks! You do movements in tune with the music, and use the drumsticks with the movements either tapping them on the floor or over head. I have zero choreography skills so it usually takes me a few classes until I can keep up with the beats, but this class was pretty easy, and at the end I was drenched! I loved it but it was only 30 mins long, I could've gone for 30 more! That and Bootcamp on Sunday left me completely sore yesterday, and I love it! I mean come on, it hurts, but that's only our bodies telling us that it's working!! Can't wait to take another class again soon!! 

The Fat Kid in Class

So in my post yesterday, I was talking about all the perks having joined ClassPass and how I was a nervous wreck about taking Barry's Bootcamp for the first time! Well, I took the class, and I survived! But boy was that class such a challenge for me!!

I signed up for the Full Body workout, and I think everyday since I signed up I've been a nervous wreck! I've been on Google looking for all the information I could on the workout, all I wanted to know is if regular people like myself could actually get in a workout and do everything that was asked! But all I found online was how this was the workout to the stars and how hard it was instead! So all week all I could think of was how I'd be the weakest one in the class and that I wouldn't keep up and basically make myself look like a joke! 

The day of the class I was pacing all over my apartment just telling myself that I could get through it, it was only 50 mins and it would be over before I knew it! That really didn't help me, I seriously told myself that I'd rather run the NYC Marathon that day  than take this class! What in the world was I thinking!?!? 

So as I arrived to the studio I was even more intimidated when I saw the model like photos of the instructors plastered to the glass, and the camo militant theme from the outside. I mean could I feel any less fit than I already do?? But I told myself everyone has to start somewhere right!?

When I was all checked in, I was waiting with the rest of the class outside the studio, and ordered a peanut butter smoothie for post class, because in reality I just needed something to look forward to after class was over, in case this crazy idea of mine was a bust! 

Anyway when we were finally let inside, I felt a little better knowing this was coming to an end soon! The room is set up with mirrors all over the room, with treadmills against the wall on one side and then steppers set up on the opposite side. We were instructed that we'd be starting on the treadmills for class and then doing floor work later. As the the instructor told us to start warming up he also asked if anyone was new, and I introduced myself to him, and he told me what to expect, but that if I needed to, to take it at my own pace. 

We started and he started calling out commands to run at a speed of a 5-8, which I was ok at a 5, but then he said to increase the incline to a 6%, and that's where I started to struggle! So I never made it past a 5.7 on the treadmill, but I kept running anyway, and it was so hard because I really hate the treadmill, but I pushed through it. When we were ready to hit the floor the instructor told females to grab 10-15 lb weights, and the guys, 20-25 lbs, and I gladly took the smallest 8 lb weights they had, which was still heavy for me because I usually go for the 5 lbs or less! The lunges, squats, and presses with the weights were easy, but the countless bur-pees, push ups, walking push ups, and triceps push ups, made my arms so dead! I was a sweaty hot mess, front and center in the class, while everyone else was doing just fine with their heavy weights! And just when I thought we were almost done, we had to hit the treadmills one more time. After the floor work my legs were already shaking, and telling me no girl, not now, but I got on it and pushed through the best I could without giving up. I was ready to crawl under a rock because at moments I felt silly for even thinking I could be a part of this class, but I was doing it even if it wasn't as great as anyone else. We were back to the floor, and it was time for ab work. Ab work is the worst for me, we were doing bicycle crunches, and I could barely move my legs, and then we had to keep them straight up and do crunches, and that wasn't cute either. But once the instructor said we only had two moves left, I realized, I just did this, I took a class that scared the daylights outta me, but I pushed through and made it! 

At the end I was in tears, tears of pure pride and joy, I couldn't really feel anything else, I just felt proud of myself for not wimping out. And then as I walked out of class the instructor said to me, " Hey! You didn't die! Great work today!" and that made me want to go back for more, and I will because it felt so awesome after class. 

I was on a high the whole day, I used to give up on myself so easily in the past, but with marathon training in full swing, I feel like I can at least try to better myself, and try new things to keep me motivated. I want to be stronger than I am today on November 1st, and I want to know that I trained, and put in all the hours of hard work to get to the finish line strong and healthy. 

ClassPass Adventures

So earlier this week I started marathon training! Eeep! So many emotions were running wild through my head thinking of all the preparation necessary and how my life is pretty much over for the next 4 months! It's exciting because that it remains as one of the best days of my life, but I'm also nervous and scared because I just hope my mind and body can get through the training again. Last year I used Hal Higdon's Novice 1 plan and since it worked wonders for me then, I've decided to go with it once again this year. Last year my only regret with training was that I didn't incorporate enough cross training or strength training in my plan. Which is so hard when everyday life needs tending to also, training already takes up so much time, so to commit to even more time to train, is hard to process! But this year I'm gonna try and throw in other workouts on  non running days, starting with spin. Spin makes my legs feel refreshed for a long run, but also helps with recovery! And since I've been spinning at least once a week since the winter I want to continue and maybe pick it up to twice a week.

But let's face it, workout classes are expensive, but going to the gym and hopping on the elliptical, and trying to make sense of the weight machines just isn't cutting it for me anymore! Alas a solution in the form of an app called ClassPass is here to save the day! I was introduced to the concept from my running friend, Kathleen, who has nothing but good things to say about the app and how it works! You basically sign up for a monthly fee of $79 or $99 depending on your location, and you get access to all the classes on the ClassPass network all month long! No limit to how many classes per month, but there is a limit of 3 studio visits per month, which still works out because there are so many options to choose from! The average rate of classes in NYC is around $30-$35 a class so just 3-4 classes in a month will pay itself off, but you still can take more than that in a month! So I signed up this week, and I plan on canceling my gym membership, and I hope I can commit to this! I already love taking spin classes at Peloton but now I can take classes there and other studios I don't know about yet!

In the palm of your hand are no more excuses for not working out, there is literally something for everyone! And living in NYC I think it's perfect for variety in addition to my marathon training! So the first class I took was a spin class at Swerve Fitness, and I had been the studio in the past but never went back because it was too expensive for classes. But once I hopped back in the saddle I felt at home, and glad that I can go there 3 times a month now! 

Today I'm freaking out and shaking a bit because I'm currently en route to a Barry's Bootcamp class. The name should be enough to tell you it's no fun and games, this class is about business and and getting down and sweaty! The class consists of 25 minutes on the treadmill with sprints and intervals which I've never done, and that's making me scared because although I can run miles outside, I'm a terrible treadmill runner!! After the run portion of the class is the free weights part, and I heard the lightest weights they have are 8lbs and if that's the case my arms will be dead by the end of the first rep! I'm trying to convince myself that I'll be fine and I know I will be, but knowing how hard this class is, its giving me butterflies. But who knows maybe I'll love it and be hooked to hit!?!

Anyway I hope to write more soon, like right after class,that way I won't forget how I feel and I remember that for the next class!

I'm still here!

I'm here! Haven't disappeared yet! The last few weeks were pretty hectic, I went away on vacation to the fabulous Las Vegas! I had the time of my life, and enjoyed every minute, but now that I'm back home it's back to work!! Monday is the start of marathon training, so I'll be spending this weekend filling out my calendar with my training days! I am nervous for this training to get underway because my plantar fasciitis is really not pretty this year, It gets so sore much easily now, so I will be incorporating cross training if I feel like I need to scale back my mileage. But I am excited to embark on this journey again, I know it won't be the same as my first one, but I'd like to see how it changes me and how I learned from last years training.
I'm also excited to be running tomorrow morning! I'll be participating in the NYRR LGBT Pride Run in the morning in Central Park, and it should be a beautiful day! This morning the Supreme Court ruled  that all marriages be recognized in all states, giving everyone marriage equality! This is so historic and today I'm proud to be American, and tomorrow I can't wait to show my support. Love is love, and Love wins today!

The Food Transformation

Sometimes I feel like my world revolves around food and my next meal. Ever since joining WW it's changed the way I think about and eat food. It has taught me how to pick the good, and skip the bad, even though they stress you can have anything, they do teach how to make better choices.

During my pre WW days, food was my bestie. If I was feeling sad and depressed (which was almost always) I would buy myself a meal and make it the best part of my day. I would justify the stress and emotions I was feeling, make the food my happy place. And it didn't even really make me happy, I just ate the food because it was what I had made myself accustomed to.

Those days I used to work at Shea Stadium, I was part of the concessions management team at the ballpark, and had access to all the food I wanted there. When I worked there I had done WW once and lost 54lbs, and then fell in love and gained it all back and much more. So I knew about portion sizes, and I had the belief that because I had been somewhat successful and my job required me to be on my feet all day, walking back and forth, that I had this in the bag, no more meetings for me! I remember eating countless hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and chicken tenders on a daily basis, and then of course I'd have fries, but I'd top them with cheese from the nacho stand, and maybe add a pretzel in there too! I never drank water either, I'd have a bottle or two a day, but you'd always find me with a Snapple  in hand in some sweet sugary flavor! I knew they were no good but I'd justify the fact that I was walking all over the stadium for more than 8 hours a day as my exercise, and in turn food was my reward!

What was worse, was after my shift was over, I'd head to the bar with my coworkers and we'd get more than enough drinks to make us feel nice for the night, that on my way home I'd need more food. You know, to "absorb the alcohol", so that way I wouldn't be so drunk or hungover! FYI kids, you wake up feeling worse, and always vow you'll never drink or eat like that again, but there was always a next time for me.

I can remember getting off the train at my stop near my apartment, and I already knew what I was going to order to eat at home, cash in hand, ready to stuff my face. There's a Popeye's right outside the train station, and it became my food mecca. I was there almost every night, and I would order the same thing each time. I'd order 4 pieces of chicken, with fries, a biscuit, a large Hi-C fruit punch, and a slice of Mardi Gras cheesecake. But that wasn't all I got, I needed a snack after my meal, so I'd go to the deli right next door with my change, and get myself a 99 cents Arizona iced tea, a bag of nacho cheese Doritios ( the $1 size), and 4 bags of hot cheese popcorn (25 cent bags). Then I would go home to my bedroom in the attic, and devour everything in minutes! Once I was finished I'd hide all the evidence, stuff it deep into the trash at home so no one would notice or I'd keep it in my purse till I could throw it away outside.

And then one day I woke up and realized that I was probably 300lbs. I had always known I was overweight, but I didn't care enough at the time to change my habits, but I had always told myself, even as a teenager, "I will never go over 300lbs, when I do that will be the day I have to change."  Once I realized that I was finally at that limit, it scared me. I actually never thought I'd get that big, I thought I had the control, but I really didn't, I let the food control me. Now I was really scared, because what if I couldn't lose the weight on my own, what if I needed a greater intervention, like surgery, or would I end up so bad that I'd need to try out for a reality weight loss show?, or worse what if I couldn't do it, and I'd end up a victim to my home and my fridge?  300 is a big number, and on the scale, its a number that feels impossible to diminish, one week at a time.

When I finally decided to join WW again, I was more determined than ever to get my weight down and not rely on food as a means of support. I paid attention to the nutrition labels, I stopped fast food all together, and I became aware of the types of foods that were beneficial to my health, and let go of the foods that held me back for so long. I learned to love vegetables and fruit, I drank only water, nothing else, and I let go of my constant need for snacking. I also learned that I didn't need to reward myself with food, I started rewarding myself, with clothes, accessories, and new fitness gear. Eventually I was able to let go of many bad habits, and I no longer felt a need for the food that became my friend for so long.

Today I'm still not perfect, but I am so much more aware of what I eat. I passed by a McDonald's this weekend, and realized I haven't had a McDonald's burger in years! As for Popeye's, I haven't gone in there either in a few years, I love the food, but I know I don't need it anymore. When I go food shopping, I only buy food for my main meals, and no snacks at all, just plain popcorn kernels or sugar free ice cream pops. I don't fry any food anymore, all my food is cooked with spray oil, or baked in the oven. I bring my lunch to work every day, and it consists of a protein, veggies, a small carb, and fruit. I make breakfast every morning, and I make dinner every night. I fell in love with running, and it has increased my appetite greatly, and I still struggle with my hunger after a run, but I'm getting better at making good food choices post run. I don't need food to have a good time anymore, I can pass up just about anything and not feel bad about it anymore.

I don't think my relationship with food will ever be perfect, but I'm glad its not my source of comfort anymore. I used to live to eat, but now I do my best to eat to live. As I grow older I hope I continue to live that way, and spread the knowledge to my future family, because living a healthy life is so much more plentiful then living a life full of junk!